ESA and Tor Vergata University renew deal to promote scientific cooperation, 17 January 2008

ESA and Rome’s Tor Vergata University have renewed a 5-year agreement that allows for closer cooperation and increased collaboration in the field of space related research, education and innovation.
ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain signed the agreement in Paris and Chancellor Prof. Alessandro Finazzi Agró finalised the deal in Frascati, Italy, on 7 January during a meeting with ESA’s Director of EO, Volker Liebig.
The agreement outlines the following activities in which the Agency and University will work together in close cooperation:

• exchanging general scientific information of mutual interest
• organising seminars and round tables in order to develop themes of common interest in the field of space science
• preparing training programmes in various scientific fields, with the Agency making all efforts to provide its experts upon request by the University
• preparing research projects to be carried out by the University or in association with other Universities or Research Organisations
• setting up a joint committee tasked with finding new ways of collaborating together

The latest agreement, which runs through 2012, was reached with the understanding that such collaboration offers the potential to increase the number of scientists, researchers and technical experts and to create an atmosphere of technological exchange. Since the original agreement was signed in September 2000, ESA has hosted more than 50 Tor Vergata students studying telecommunications engineering, electronics engineering or environmental engineering in its Earth Observation Programmes Directorate.
As part of the agreement, ESA will continue to offer PhD scholarships as well as host PhD and Master-level students at ESRIN in order to conduct research and complete their education. ESA will also offer the University, which is a Category-1 user of Envisat data and performs calibration campaigns to support ESA activities, assistance in the framework of its activities and projects under development.
In order to broaden the areas of collaboration, ESA and Tor Vergata University plan to conduct brainstorming sessions. Potential new avenues for collaboration include:

• setting up of the Parco Scientifico Frascati - Tor Vergata
• promoting the real use of the MEGALAB infrastructure for building an ‘operational’ distributed high performing computing and networking infrastructure
• supporting the ESA Business Incubation Initiative
• establishing a special partnership scheme with the Policlinico Tor Vergata, which would allow ESA staff to access its hospital facilities
• promoting more space-related activities in local research.

This agreement, which does not include any exchange of funds, is beneficial to both institutions as well as students wishing to enter the world of science. Tor Vergata’s PhD students contribute to ESRIN by offering valuable technical support to EO training activities.ESRIN contributes to the University by supporting the creation of courses and providing visiting lectures.


For further information, please contact:
Luigi Fusco, Earth Observation Senior Advisor, Ext. 80530