Definition Large-Scale Research Infrastructure (LSRI)

Large-scale research infrastructure includes, for example, major scientific equipment or collections of instruments; knowledge-based resources such as collections, archives, repositories or scientific data; e-infrastructures such as (linked) databases; and computer systems and communication networks; as well as any other unique infrastructure for scientific innovation. This includes research infrastructures located at a single site or across multiple sites (single-sited or multiple-sited research infrastructures), virtual research infrastructures, or distributed research infrastructures (in the Netherlands or abroad).

A large-scale research infrastructure must operate a policy of open access for research. This means that a research infrastructure must provide access to researchers from outside the hosting organisation(s) on the basis of scientific merit. The term ‘research’ refers to the entire spectrum of scientific research, from fundamental to applied.

Distributed large-scale research infrastructures

• provide one central access point for researchers from external organisations, even though the infrastructure is distributed across multiple locations;
• have one management board responsible for the entire infrastructure;
• have a legal structure.

The size of a large-scale research infrastructure, in terms of total capital investment costs and operating costs over five years, amounts to at least 10 million euros. These costs do not include accommodation costs for the infrastructure.

The operating costs pertain exclusively to the costs needed to make the research infrastructure accessible. They do not include the costs for the research programme.
Capital investment costs are the costs for the development, purchase/construction of the infrastructure or the costs for a comprehensive modification of an existing infrastructure to enable new cutting-edge research.