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The platform MAP incorporates societies and scientifique bodies dedicated to the areas of mathematics, astronomy and physics. It supports the organisations’ activities and coordinates and promotes research and education in the field of mathematics, astronomy and physics.

Image: 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.