AORAC-SA: Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Support Action

Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Support Action AORAC-SA is designed to provide scientific, technical and logistical support to the European Commission in the development and implementation of transatlantic marine research cooperation between the European Union, the United States of America and Canada. The Coordination and Support Action (CSA) is carried out within the framework of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance as outlined in the Galway Declaration on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation (May 2013).

Recognising the evolving nature of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, the hallmark of this proposal is that it is flexible, responsive, inclusive, efficient, innovative, value-adding and supportive.

To support the Commission in negotiations with the United States and Canada on transatlantic marine research cooperation, the AORAC-SA support and management structure has a secretariat and management team, guided by a high-level operational board, representative of the most important European marine research funding and programming organisations as well as those of the United States and Canada. This structure is also able to draw on the marine research expertise and experience of its partner organisations.

The ASC, reporting to the Commission representatives of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, will be responsible for the organisation of expert and stakeholder meetings, workshops and conferences required by the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance and related to the identified research priorities (e.g. marine ecosystem approach, observing systems, marine biotechnology, aquaculture, marine education, seabed and benthic habitat mapping), supporting actions (e.g. shared access to infrastructures, knowledge transfer and dissemination, creation of a knowledge exchange platform) and other initiatives that may arise, taking into account other related transatlantic projects funded by Horizon 2020 (BG1, BG2, BG3, BG4, BG4). shared access to infrastructures, knowledge transfer and dissemination, creation of a knowledge exchange platform) and other initiatives that may arise, taking into account other related transatlantic projects funded under Horizon 2020 (BG1, BG8 and BG13) and ongoing national and European collaborative projects (e.g. FP7).