What is the allocation procedure for neuroscientists?

Who is eligible to apply?

• Members of the HBP core project
• Members of the HBP Partnering Projects
• EBRAINS service providers
• Neuroscientists with research topics in the broader scope of the HBP (more info: https://fenix-ri.eu/news/human-brain-project-ebrains-call-proposals-european-neuroscientists-large-using-icei-e)

In contrast to other calls, also PhD students are invited and eligible to submit an application.

Advantages of applying for resources of the Fenix infrastructure

Through ICEI, neuroscientists and HBP members...

• Get access to resources free of charge.
• Get access to a larger variety of resources than through standard calls (national or PRACE).
• Can apply for different resources at multiple sites with a single proposal.
• Can apply for small to medium amounts of resources that are typically not offered by standard calls.
• Only have to write comparably lightweight proposals.
• Can submit proposals at any point in time, as the call is continuously open.
• Get resources complementing their already existing, large-scale HPC allocations with, e.g., Virtual Machines.
• Can request an extension of an allocation or an adjustment of the allocated resources with little effort.
• Get extended support by HBP-WP6 and ICEI partners, if needed.

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Application and allocation process

25% of the resources of the ICEI project are reserved for the HBP and the neuroscience community and available free of charge for the researchers.

The HBP organises the allocation process following established, excellence-based procedures for the neuroscience community (as established by PRACE).

Allocation process of ICEI resources for the HBP and the neuroscience community (summary):

1. Proposal submission through an online system by the applicant: https://jards-ebrains.fz-juelich.de/
   • User Guides are available in this Collab.
   • The ICEI Project Management Office (PMO) is available in case of any questions or issues: icei-coord@fz-juelich.de
2. Review process
   • Technical assessment by experts of all ICEI sites, at which resources are requested.
   • Scientific assessments by experts from inside and outside of the HBP.
3. Decision
   • Decision proposal by the EBRAINS Infrastructure Allocation Committee (IAC), based on the technical and scientific assessments
   • Final decision by HBP Directorate.
4. Project creation
   • ICEI site(s) setup the projects and inform the applicants on how to get started.

Please note that the ICEI partners are not involved the decision making, except for the ICEI Project Management Office coordinating the process.

Fast-track

A fast-track allocation process is available: without scientific assessments and with decisions directly made by the IAC, if the following conditions apply:

• The requested amount of resources does not exceed 5% of the total available resources of any requested resource type during the project duration
• The number of submitted small proposals or granted and still active proposals, which have been submitted by the same team, is at most 4.

How long does it take to get resources?

How long it takes from proposal submission until the project is granted and created, depends on multiple factors:

• Technical experts are asked to complete their assessments within 5 working days.
• Scientific experts are asked to complete their assessments within 15 working days.
• The Infrastructure Allocation Committee meets about once per month.
• The HBP Directorate meets about once per month.

The ICEI Project Management Office updates the applicants about the status of their application whenever there is new information to share. They might contact the applicants with additional questions raised by the technical or scientific experts during the process. Replying to these emails soon is important to ensure a smooth and fast processing of the proposal.

Proposals for projects, which involve the processing of personal data, need longer to be processed, as additional paperwork is required for legal reasons.

Where to find more information about the allocation process

ICEI Deliverable D5.1: https://fenix-ri.eu/about-fenix/deliverables