RICI - Access to cross-European soil science expertise
‘Resources, Infrastructure and Capabilities Inventory (RICI)’ is an online platform for policy stakeholders. RICI provides access to a pool of specialized scientists and experts at local, regional and national level across Europe. The online searchable inventory is the ‘Yellow pages’ on expertise on soil science in relation to questions for policy matters.
RICI is the catalogued scientific capacity and expertise within the EJP SOIL consortium. The search for expertise using the RICI platform enables focused results of soil science experts within different aspects of soil such as microorganisms, soil structure, carbon capture and storage, amendment and so forth.
For example, if a policy stakeholder is working on policies regarding carbon capture and storage, the RICI platform will provide specific information on the scientists or the laboratories who do research within this topic. A search will identify a range of scientists in different countries, specialized in this topic, including the experts in the regional and local area.
Decentralised and easy accessible information
Before RICI, according to Tiziana Pirelli (CREA) and Giovanni Dara Guccione (CREA), this kind of information was found in centralized research centres and ministries. Now, with the dataset collected in RICI, from within the EJP SOIL consortium, research centres at national, regional and local level are visible across Europe. Capacity and expertise with knowledge of local and regional reality of the context have moved from being a centralised frame of reference to a decentralised easy accessible online information platform.
- If Italian policymakers make a search for an expert dealing with soil, they will get the scientists in Rome but also those from other parts of Italy. This is very useful in designing policies at different national and regional levels. Across Italy, there are very different soil structures and geographical conditions. It is important to be able to find scientists who are specialists within an environmental specific context. This facilitates and accelerates the policy process. - Tiziana Pirelli, CREA
Point of entry – the scientist within a topic of interest
In addition, the RICI online platform is a pathway to finding laboratories with special skills and capacities. The entry point in the RICI is the person, the scientist. The RICI then provides information on the primary topics of interest of the scientist in question, specific areas of expertise, description of the research of the scientist, current position, the role and position she or he has in the EJP SOIL project, affiliations, and finally, it provides relevant links to further information and contacts. Hence, this information identifies and provides accreditation to laboratories and long term experiment sites engaged in the EJP SOIL programme.
The RICI is accessible for all interested EJP SOIL stakeholders on the EJP SOIL website whenever specific expertise is required.
The RICI inventory is a dynamic database to be updated continuously, throughout the lifespan of the EJP SOIL programme. Future perspectives could be to integrate the platform in another distinguished European soil science initiative.
The RICI is designed and implemented in compliance with the relevant national and EU legislation on data protection and ethical standards.
Go to the Science to Policy portal on the EJP SOIL website to search the RICI database - Click here
Additional information:
Contact: Tiziana Pirelli (CREA), Email: tiziana.pirelli@crea.gov.it
Giovanni Dara Guccione (CREA), Email: giovanni.daraguccione@crea.gov.it
