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Ref. Ares(2019)6047330 - 30/09/2019
Proposal Evaluation Form
Associated with document Ref. Ares(2018)3671815 - 10/07/2018
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Evaluation
Summary Report -
Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme
Research and
innovation
actions/Innovation
actions
Call:
H2020-INFRAIA-2018-1
Funding scheme:
RIA
Proposal number:
824093
Proposal acronym:
STRONG-2020
Duration (months):
48
Proposal title:
The strong interaction at the frontier of knowledge: fundamental research and applications
Activity:
INFRAIA-01-2018-2019
Grant
N.
Proposer name
Country
Total Cost
%
%
Requested
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
1
FR
2,156,500
21.56%
2,156,500
21.56%
CNRS
2
OESTERREICHISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN
AT
92,000
0.92%
92,000
0.92%
3
UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN
BE
100,000
1.00%
100,000
1.00%
4
EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH
CH
200,000
2.00%
200,000
2.00%
DEUTSCHES KREBSFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM
5
DE
17,500
0.18%
17,500
0.18%
HEIDELBERG
FACILITY FOR ANTIPROTON AND ION RESEARCH IN
6
DE
61,590
0.62%
61,590
0.62%
EUROPE GMBH
7
FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBH
DE
456,000
4.56%
456,000
4.56%
GSI HELMHOLTZZENTRUM FUER
8
DE
620,875
6.21%
620,875
6.21%
SCHWERIONENFORSCHUNG Gmbh
9
JOHANNES GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITAT MAINZ
DE
1,060,750
10.61%
1,060,750
10.61%
10
RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAT BONN
DE
531,000
5.31%
531,000
5.31%
11
RUHR-UNIVERSITAET BOCHUM
DE
105,500
1.06%
105,500
1.06%
12
RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITAET HEIDELBERG
DE
22,910
0.23%
22,910
0.23%
13
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
DE
106,250
1.06%
106,250
1.06%
14
UNIVERSITAET HAMBURG
DE
52,500
0.52%
52,500
0.52%
15
UNIVERSITAET REGENSBURG
DE
51,250
0.51%
51,250
0.51%
16
WESTFAELISCHE WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER
DE
128,125
1.28%
128,125
1.28%
17
UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID
ES
38,750
0.39%
38,750
0.39%
18
UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID
ES
27,000
0.27%
27,000
0.27%
19
UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA
ES
26,000
0.26%
26,000
0.26%
20
UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
ES
112,500
1.12%
112,500
1.12%
UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO/ EUSKAL HERRIKO
21
ES
36,000
0.36%
36,000
0.36%
UNIBERTSITATEA
22
UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA
ES
81,500
0.82%
81,500
0.82%
23
JYVASKYLAN YLIOPISTO
FI
71,250
0.71%
71,250
0.71%
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX
24
FR
478,500
4.78%
478,500
4.78%
ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
25
RUDER BOSKOVIC INSTITUTE
HR
25,000
0.25%
25,000
0.25%
26
SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU
HR
32,500
0.32%
32,500
0.32%
THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS &
THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD OF THE COLLEGE OF
27
IE
36,250
0.36%
36,250
0.36%
THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH
NEAR DUBLIN
28
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
IT
40,000
0.40%
40,000
0.40%
29
FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLER
IT
400,000
4.00%
400,000
4.00%
30
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI FISICA NUCLEARE
IT
1,813,250
18.13%
1,813,250
18.13%
31
POLITECNICO DI MILANO
IT
35,000
0.35%
35,000
0.35%
JAVNA USTANOVA UNIVERZITET CRNE GORE
32
ME
36,000
0.36%
36,000
0.36%
PODGORICA
33
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN
NL
47,000
0.47%
47,000
0.47%
STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK
34
NL
98,750
0.99%
98,750
0.99%
ONDERZOEK INSTITUTEN
35
NARODOWE CENTRUM BADAN JADROWYCH
PL
55,000
0.55%
55,000
0.55%
36
POLITECHNIKA WARSZAWSKA
PL
50,000
0.50%
50,000
0.50%
THE HENRYK NIEWODNICZANSKI INSTITUTE OF
37
PL
35,000
0.35%
35,000
0.35%
NUCLEAR PHYSICS, POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
38
UNIWERSYTET JAGIELLONSKI
PL
25,000
0.25%
25,000
0.25%
LABORATORIO DE INSTRUMENTACAO E FISICA
39
PT
188,500
1.88%
188,500
1.88%
EXPERIMENTAL DE PARTICULAS
40
UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO
PT
34,000
0.34%
34,000
0.34%
41
UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
SE
160,750
1.61%
160,750
1.61%
42
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
UK
62,500
0.62%
62,500
0.62%
824093/STRONG-2020-10/07/2018-17:27:44
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43
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
UK
64,750
0.65%
64,750
0.65%
44
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
UK
126,500
1.26%
126,500
1.26%
Associated with document Ref. Ares(2018)3671815 - 10/07/2018
 
Total:
 
10,000,000  
10,000,000  
Abstract:
The strong interaction is one of the cornerstones of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, and its experimental and theoretical study attracts
an active community of about 2500 researchers in Europe. The list of fundamental open questions at the frontier of our current knowledge in the
strong interaction is very rich and varied including a full understanding of (i) the partonic structure of hadrons, (ii) exotic hadronic states, properties
of (iii) dense quark matter and of (iv) hot and dense quark-gluon plasma, as well as (v) precision tests of the SM. Such research topics are studied
experimentally and theoretically mostly via particle collisions at low (a few tens of GeV) and high (up to 14 TeV) energies. Associated
developments in state-of-the-art detectors/data-acquisition/beams/targets are required, as well as in theoretical (lattice, effective field,
perturbative) calculations. The STRONG-2020 project brings together many of the leading research groups and infrastructures involved today in
the study of the strong interaction in Europe, and also exploits the innovation potential in applied research through the development of detector
systems with applications beyond fundamental physics, e.g. for medical imaging and information technology. The Consortium includes 44
participant groups, embracing 14 EU Member States, one International EU Interest Organization (CERN), and one EU candidate country.
Together with host institutions of 21 other countries, without EU funds benefits, the project involves research in 36 countries. The project is
structured in 32 Work Packages (WP): 7 Transnational Access Activities, 2 Virtual Access Activities, 7 Networking Activities and 14 Joint
Research Activities. Furthermore, 2 WPs take care, respectively, of the “Management and Coordination” of the project and of “Communication and
Outreach".
Evaluation Summary Report
Evaluation Result
Total score: 12.50 (Threshold: 10)
Form information
SCORING
Scores must be in the range 0-5.
Interpretation of the score:
The proposal fails to address the criterion or cannot be assessed due to missing or incomplete information.
1 Poor. The criterion is inadequately addressed, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.
2 Fair. The proposal broadly addresses the criterion, but there are significant weaknesses.
3 Good. The proposal addresses the criterion well, but a number of shortcomings are present.
4 Very good. The proposal addresses the criterion very well, but a small number of shortcomings are present.
5 Excellent. The proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the criterion.Any shortcomings are minor.
Criterion 1 - Excellence
Score:  4.00 (Threshold: 3/5.00 , Weight: -)
The following aspects will be taken into account, to the extent that the proposed work corresponds to the topic description in the
work programme:
Clarity and pertinence of the objectives
Soundness of the concept, and credibility of the proposed methodology
Extent that proposed work is beyond the state of the art, and demonstrates innovation potential (e.g. ground-breaking objectives,
novel concepts and approaches, new products, services or business and organisational models)
Appropriate consideration of interdisciplinary approaches and, where relevant, use of stakeholder knowledge and gender
dimension in research and innovation content
The extent to which the Networking Activities will foster a culture of co-operation between the participants and other relevant
stakeholders
The extent to which the Access Activities (Trans-national Access and/or Virtual activities) will offer access to state-of-the-art
infrastructures, high quality services, and will enable users to conduct excellent research
The extent to which the Joint Research Activities will contribute to quantitative and qualitative improvements of the services
provided by the infrastructures

Research in hadron physics is both theoretically and experimentally very broad as it has to capture rich features of Quantum Chromodynamics
(QCD). The goals of the proposal to provide access to six world-class research infrastructures, which complement each other in particle
beams, are highly pertinent and in line with the work programme. To significantly enhance development in theory and foster synergy with
experimentalists the European Center for Theoretical Physics (ECT*) has been added to the Consortium.

The objectives of the proposal are in the forefront of current research in strong interaction. Unfortunately, the proposal does not clearly discuss
how the project builds upon and goes beyond previous hadron physics projects in FP6 and FP7.

The objectives are logically grouped in three pillars: (a) low-energy and (b) high-energy frontier, (c) instrumentation aiming at combining
excellence and innovation. The proposal offers innovative technical potential and synergy in collaboration with the NICA facility at JINR
(Russia) and collaboration with top non-European research institutions important for future/planned infrastructures, FAIR (Germany) and
Electron Ion Collider (US). The individual objectives combine essentially all aspects of modern hadron physics and define paths towards
answering a long list of fundamental questions. This bottom-up approach sets very specific work targets that could however distract the focus
of the proposal from the IA call objectives. As requested for the advanced communities the proposal effectively addresses the development of
a sustainability roadmap.

The overall concept and methodology are sound and credible. Collective and integrated efforts toward reaching the goals are however not
824093/STRONG-2020-10/07/2018-17:27:44
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always evident.
Associated with document Ref. Ares(2018)3671815 - 10/07/2018
Consideration of interdisciplinary approaches is reasonable. Gender dimensions are generically addressed, exact measures are not
sufficiently elaborated.

The Transnational and Virtual activities offer access to state-of-the art research infrastructures of hadron physics as well as to open-source
codes and automated/simulation tools and will thus enable users to conduct excellent research in different areas of hadron physics.

Networking Activities bring, in general, novelty in the field of hadron physics. However, in some of them the networking dimension and the
involvement of non-funded partners is not substantiated.

Several JRAs aim at the development of new detector technologies for existing and future instruments, contributing to improvements of the
services provided by the infrastructures. Some JRAs are however focused more on scientific goals instead of addressing improvements of
infrastructures.

Criterion 2 - Impact
Score:  5.00 (Threshold: 3/5.00 , Weight: -)
The following aspects will be taken into account:
The extent to which the outputs of the project would contribute to each of the expected impacts mentioned in the work
programme under the relevant topic
Where relevant, any substantial impacts not mentioned in the work programme, that would enhance innovation capacity, create
new market opportunities, strengthen competitiveness and growth of companies, address issues related to climate change or the
environment, or bring other important benefits for society
Quality of the proposed measures to:
- exploit and disseminate the project results (including management of IPR), and to manage research data where relevant
- communicate the project activities to different target audiences

The results connected to low- and high-energy pillars will have significant impact beyond hadron physics itself. They will contribute to
fundamental research for physics beyond the standard model, impact astrophysics as well as theories of strongly coupled complex systems in
condensed matter physics. The progress in instrumentation (3rd pillar) will result in diverse impacts as well. The tools and methodology for
new-cutting edge experiments will provide upgrades to RIs enhancing thereby their competitiveness. The developed technologies will impact
medicine (diagnostic tools, cancer treatment), industry (line-scan cameras, micro-scale particles, 3D-magnets technology) and may also lead
to advances in computing/machine learning.

Training and education activities (including students and postdocs) in the related fields are foreseen and will bring qualified personnel to the
job market but their description is not always convincingly presented. Measures to attract new users are proposed, but it is not clear whether
these will be effective.

Measures to exploit and manage research data are well outlined. Part of the dissemination will happen in parallel, directly at the RIs that
already have their own dissemination teams at their disposal. The communication and dissemination of results is thorough and appropriate,
including strategies for targeting not only the hadron community and scientists in general, but also the public, schools and policy makers.
Newsletters, meetings, workshops, participation in conferences, peer reviewed articles, reports, white papers, a website, and a Youtube
channel are employed, demonstrating the previous experience and a deliberate effectiveness of dissemination. The outlined dissemination
plan contains elements of the current state of the art in science communication.

Criterion 3 - Quality and efficiency of the implementation
Score:  3.50 (Threshold: 3/5.00 , Weight: -)
The following aspects will be taken into account:
Quality and effectiveness of the work plan, including extent to which the resources assigned to work packages are in line with
their objectives and deliverables
Appropriateness of the management structures and procedures, including risk and innovation management
Complementarity of the participants and extent to which the consortium as a whole brings together the necessary expertise
Appropriateness of the allocation of tasks, ensuring that all participants have a valid role and adequate resources in the project
to fulfil that role

The work plan of the project is extensively elaborated and its individual parts can be considered effective. The work plan is composed of a
large number of work packages (32): 7 of which are devoted to TA activities (access to RIs), 2 to VA activities, 7 WPs to NAs and 14 to
miscellaneous JRAs carried within the project. The content of the work plan assures that the individual project activities will be completed in a
timely fashion. The resources that are assigned to individual work packages are in accordance with their objectives and proposed
deliverables. However there is an imbalance in some work packages (e.g. WP1, WP2, WP16, WP19) where resources are allocated only to
one partner or it is not sufficiently clear what specific actions will be taken to achieve the objectives.

There are some inconsistencies between the GANTT chart and the work package description (eg. WP2, TNAs). A legend for Table 3.1.2 is
missing. The data management is explained in Section 2.2.2, however the data management plan deliverable is missing.

The management structure of the project and adopted operational procedures will allow dynamic and efficient communication among the large
number of project partners involved (44).

Risk assessment is quite extensive; however, a few mitigation measures are missing (WP20) or are not fully clear.
Project partners bring complementary expertise, something that is also reflected in their roles within respective WPs and management
structures. The leaders of individual WPs are internationally recognized experts in their respective area of expertise, which gives a very high
credibility to the project. The credibility of the project is also enhanced by including for the first time the CERN laboratory in the hadron
initiative. No industrial partners are directly involved in the proposal although they are foreseen to participate in the Dissemination Board.

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Scope of the proposal
Associated with document Ref. Ares(2018)3671815 - 10/07/2018
Status:  Yes
Comments (in case the proposal is out of scope)
Not provided
Operational Capacity
Status:  Operational Capacity: Yes
If No, please list the concerned partner(s), the reasons for the rejection, and the requested amount.
Not provided
Exceptional funding of third country participants/international organisations
A third country participant/international organisation not listed in General Annex A to the Main Work Programme may
exceptionally receive funding if their participation is essential for carrying out the project (for instance due to outstanding
expertise, access to unique know-how, access to research infrastructure, access to particular geographical environments,
possibility to involve key partners in emerging markets, access to data, etc.). ( For more information, see the Online Manual )
Based on the information provided in the proposal, we consider that the following participant(s)/international organisation(s) that
requested funding should exceptionally be funded:
(Please list the Name and acronym of the applicant, Reasons for exceptional funding and the Requested grant amount.)

Not provided
Based on the information provided in the proposal, we consider that the following participant(s)/international organisation(s) that
requested funding should NOT be funded:
(Please list the Name and acronym of the applicant, Reasons for exceptional funding and the Requested grant amount.)

Not provided
Use of human embryonic stem cells (hESC)
Status:  No
If yes, please state whether the use of hESC is, or is not, in your opinion, necessary to achieve the scientific objectives of the
proposal and the reasons why. Alternatively, please also state if it cannot be assessed whether the use of hESC is necessary or
not because of a lack of information.

Not provided
Overall comments
Not provided
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Date: 2018.07.10 17:31:05 CEST
 
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