In the last decade a significant number of projects and programmes in different domains of environmental monitoring and Earth observation have generated a substantial amount of data and knowledge on different aspects related to environmental quality and sustainability. Big data generated by in-situ or satellite platforms are being collected and archived with a plethora of systems and instruments making difficult the sharing of data and knowledge to stakeholders and policy makers for supporting key economic and societal sectors. The overarching goal of ERA-PLANET is to strengthen the European Research Area in the domain of Earth Observation in coherence with the European participation to Group on Earth Observation (GEO) and the Copernicus. The expected impact is to strengthen the European leadership within the forthcoming GEO 2015-2025 Work Plan. ERA-PLANET will reinforce the interface with user communities, whose needs the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) intends to address. It will provide more accurate, comprehensive and authoritative information to policy and decision-makers in key societal benefit areas, such as Smart cities and Resilient societies; Resource efficiency and Environmental management; Global changes and Environmental treaties; Polar areas and Natural resources. ERA-PLANET will provide advanced decision support tools and technologies aimed to better monitor our global environment and share the information and knowledge in different domain of Earth Observation.

ACME (the Astrophysics Centre for Multi-messenger studies in Europe) addresses the EC Call to provide wider, simplified, and more efficient access to the best research infrastructures (RI) available to researchers in the astronomy and astroparticle physics communities. ACME is set up to realize an ambitious coordinated European-wide optimization of the accessibility and cohesion between multiple leading RI, offering access to instruments, data and expertise, focused on the new science of multi-messenger astrophysics. ACME will forge a basis for strengthened long-term collaboration between these RI irrespective of location. Collaboration and user training will be specifically aimed at levelling up access opportunities across Europe and beyond. ACME objectives are: - implement the European roadmaps’ recommendations and act as a pathfinder to broaden, improve and align access to the respective RI services and data, and assess and evaluate new models for better coordination and provision of at-scale services - provide harmonized and inclusive trans-national and virtual access to world-class RI - develop centres of expertise providing expert support to enable easier access for more researchers - improve science data products management to facilitate both focused research goals and serendipitous discoveries, implementing FAIR approaches to broaden access - improve interoperable systems for rapid identification of astrophysical candidate events, and alert distribution to the network of RI and scientific consortia to optimize follow-up observations - provide training for a new and broader generation of scientists and engineers - open the astrophysics and astroparticle physics data sets to other disciplines, such as environmental studies or marine biology for the undersea neutrino facilities and increase citizen engagement in scientific research