GÉANT Community Programme Framework

The GÉANT Community Programme facilitates collaboration and learning for GÉANT, National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), other research and education bodies and members of the community. While the GEANT Association is comprised of European-based NRENs and foundationally European, the GEANT Community Programme is global in nature and plays a crucial role in bridging European and international stakeholders in the Research and Education Networking sector.

This document outlines the strategic framework governing the activities of the GÉANT Community Programme. It presents an overview of the Programme, its vision, goal, mission and objectives (Section 2), describes the work of the GÉANT Community Committee (Section 3), and summarises its portfolio including the thematic areas supported (Section 4).

This framework will be reviewed every four years from the date of approval and issue by the GCC, or sooner if circumstances required.

Representing community priorities and interests, the GÉANT Community Programme is a grassroots initiative of subject matter experts from NRENs, user organisations, research institutions, and relevant industry stakeholders of the research and education networking sector. The GÉANT Community Programme provides a variety of channels and platforms that offer the space for people to collaborate, learn, and share experiences. It also provides the tools and core resources to sustain them. The GÉANT Community Programme sparks concepts and innovations that may subsequently become community products, services, or contribute to other improvements for the overall sector.

The focus of the Community Programme’s portfolio is a dynamic one, reflecting both internal and external factors influencing the community. Special Interest Groups (SIGs), grant programmes, and collaborative initiatives, are all key components for the Community Programme. However, new mechanisms responding to community needs remain welcome and essential as the community evolves and diversifies. Common NREN principles that unite and progress the community are similarly important for the community’s future. The Community determines whether initiatives are targeted, experimental, short term or longer.

SIGs are effective forums to share information and best practices and to discuss possible innovations or further development of current services or products. They are self-managed and sustained, with minimal support from project funding although the GCP plays a role in bringing the groups together to cross fertilise and strengthen interdisciplinary initiatives. Other aspects of the Community Programme are supported by project funding and member contributions to enable timebound and actionable results that advance community ideas or strategically link them to existing workstreams. The GÉANT Community Programme (GCP) also takes into account adjacent communities and coordinates its activities to ensure mutual benefit.

The GÉANT Community Programme is an open initiative and as such its wiki space and all associated documentation are made publicly available.

2.1 Vision and Goal

The vision the GÉANT Community Programme aspires to realise is:

A connected, collaborative and harmonised research and education networking community.

Its goal is to be the primary forum for enabling and fostering collaboration and harmonisation in the research and education (R&E) networking community, furthering development and progress in Internet technology, infrastructure, R&E services, digital transformation and activities, and of the research and education community itself. The community drives the digital engine of a thriving European knowledge economy and connects it to its global peers.

2.2 Mission

The mission of the GÉANT Community Programme, which will enable it to achieve that goal, is to:

Provide optimal conditions for the R&E networking community to collaborate both face-to-face and virtually.

This involves creating mechanisms to enable participation and inclusion across the diversity of Europe and globally, providing conducive spaces to exchange on topics and trends of strategic importance. It supports channels for GÉANT and the community to turn ideas into action and results that benefit the overall R&E sector.

2.3 Objectives and Actions

The specific objectives by which the GÉANT Community Programme fulfils its mission are to:

• Identify and share areas and trends benefiting NRENs and the wider R&E community.
• Connect people to the right human network and facilitate knowledge transfer across Europe and globally.
• Support methods of eliminating gaps within the R&E community and foster an inclusive community that represents the diversity of the entire community.
• Facilitate group collaborations and strategic links to relevant initiatives within GÉANT and the broader community to maximise impact.

Each of these objectives are described in more detail below. Results and achievements of the work is monitored and assessed regularly to support the fulfilment and continuous progress of the strategy.

• Identify and share areas and trends benefiting NRENs and the wider R&E community.

The GCP creates and maintains spaces virtually and provides face to face opportunities for experts and practitioners across the community to not only stay up to date on current sector trends but actively collaborate on applying them in practice.

• Connect people to the right human network and facilitate knowledge transfer across Europe and globally.

The GÉANT Community Programme guides people and ideas to the relevant group, facilitating knowledge exchange and complimenting professional development channels for the community. It coordinates efforts with GÉANT’s Learning and Development team for the Community to benefit from and maintains a rich resource of reference materials. By participating in Community activities, individuals expand their understanding of the greater R&E landscape, tap opportunities to professionally advance, or explore new areas of the sector.

• Support methods of eliminating gaps within the R&E community and foster an inclusive community that represents the diversity of the entire community.

GÉANT acknowledges the differences within the community and the challenges of equal access to GCP initiatives. These may relate to funding issues as well as knowledge transfer. As the community continues to grow and diversify, the GÉANT Community Programme actively explores ways of lowering the barriers to participation, building a collective Community identity, and incentivising engagement for all.

• Provide opportunities for innovation, development and discovery.

Ensuring the R&E community continuously advances and innovates on its technologies and ways of working is paramount to remain relevant for the stakeholders and end users they service. The GÉANT Community Programme provides opportunities via mechanisms like research project support, that foster innovation for and by the community. It also makes strategic connections to other GÉANT initiatives that could be favourable for piloting or further development of Community ideas.

The GÉANT Community Committee (GCC) is an advisory body that uses a bottom-up approach to play an important role in providing guidance and expert insights on the execution of the GÉANT Community Programme. It is also the Programme’s primary advocate and promoter.

The GCC operates via an agreed terms of reference.

The GÉANT Community Programme portfolio consists of Special Interest Groups (SIGs), grant programmes, and collaborative initiatives. New community activities are piloted and added on a rolling basis as they become adopted by the community. Thematic areas are selected and continuously evolve based on the needs of the GÉANT community. The Thematic Areas currently supported by the Community Programme are listed here.

4.1 Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups are community‐based groups that focus on community building, best practice dissemination and knowledge exchange. New ideas and initiatives may also be defined by SIGs for uptake in other channels. Their lifecycle is governed by self-defined charters and processes. Each SIG has its own path of development, with some just starting out and others well established as the main forum for knowledge sharing. The GÉANT Community Programme supports SIGs at all levels of maturity and brings them together when strategic. All SIG representatives meet annually to evaluate and monitor their activities and explore areas of collaboration. Former TFs have transitioned to SIGs.

4.2 Research Project Support

GÉANT Association members make annual contributions to fund research projects for and by the GÉANT community to benefit the research and education network sector. The contributions enable initial development, establish a proof of concept or test new ideas, with lightweight administrative constraints. The Innovation Programme is an example of research projects supported by GÉANT Association members. A subgroup of the GCC determines the strategic focus areas for the research projects and ensures its alignment with relevant GÉANT initiatives. It administers the research projects including the SME review of proposals, selection of awardees, final evaluation of the project results, and sustainability within the community.

4.3 Collaborative Initiatives

The GÉANT Community Programme provides a framework for a broad range of collaborative initiatives. These are a range initiatives by members of the community and administered/commissioned by the GÉANT Association. It could include deepening current workstreams or addressing priority topics like policy, AI, HR, and cross cutting principles that are of interest to the community but currently absent from existing activities. An initiative has the broadest definition and can include any modality of convening the community. REFEDS and NPAPW are some examples of ad-hoc initiatives that further evolved into new programmes.

Collaborative initiatives can further connect the community with GÉANT via TNC, but also Future Talent, Emerging NRENs, and other activities within the community. As the foremost community event, TNC is intrinsically linked to the GÉANT Community Programme and is a platform to both promote its activities and ensure it remains responsive to the broadest reach of the community. The Community Hub, Innovation Programme initiatives and SIG side events at TNC are all channels used by the Community to share, solicit input, and attract greater participation.

• GCC filestore
• GCC wiki page
• GCP wiki page