La piattaforma MAP comprende società specifiche e organi scientifici provenienti dalle discipline di matematica, di astronomia e di fisica. Sostiene le attività di queste organizzazioni e coordina e promuove la ricerca e la formazione in matematica, astronomia e fisica.

Immagine: ESO

Round table on research infrastructures

The Platform MAP helds since 2011 a Round Table International chaired by Prof. em. Hans Rudolf Ott (ETHZ). It is a forum for the exchange of information between representatives of fostering organisations (SERI, SNSF, SCNAT, swissuniversities, and ETH-Board) and scientists active in financially intensive research infrastructures, with the aim of defining and prioritizing the community needs through a roadmap process. These community roadmaps are then taken into account by SERI when preparing the “Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures” every four years for the Parliament.

  • The Round Table International started with the discussion of infrastructures in the field of particle physics and astroparticle physics (CHIPP).
  • Since 2013, there are two meetings per year, and astronomy (SCFA) was included in connection with the new SNSF FLARE programme.
  • Since November 2016, it is designated as the Round Table "Swiss Representation in International Organisations and Research Infrastructures" (RoTIORI) with an extension to other scientific areas where there is a participation in international organisations and research infrastructures, in particular in material physics with X-rays and neutrons, molecular biology, nuclear fusion, and laser physics.
  • SCNAT received in 2018 the mandate from SERI to extend this successful model to other fields of sciences, i.e. biology, chemistry and geosciences, in view of the funding period 2025–2028.