On the 16^th and 17^th of September was held in Paris the kick-off meeting for the Astrophysics Centre for Multimessenger studies in Europe – ACME. This HORIZON-INFRA-2023-SERV-01 EU-funded project coordinated by Centre national de la recherche scientifique CNRS aims to realize an ambitious coordinated European-wide optimization of the accessibility and cohesion between multiple leading astroparticle and astronomy research infrastructures, offering access to instruments, data and expertise, focused on the new science of multi-messenger astrophysics.

With 40 world-class collaborating institutions from 15 countries, ACME brings together the astroparticle and astronomy communities in a joint effort to forge a basis for strengthened long-term collaboration between these research infrastructures irrespective of location and level up access opportunities across Europe and beyond.

ACME objectives are to implement the Astroparticle Physics European Consortium’s (APPEC) and the Planning and Advisory Network for European Astronomy’s (ASTRONET) roadmaps’ recommendations and act as a pathfinder to broaden and improve access to the respective research infrastructures services and data, assess and evaluate new models for better coordination and provision of at-scale services, provide harmonized trans-national and virtual access, develop centres of expertise, improve science data products management, improve interoperable systems for rapid identification of astrophysical candidate events and alert distribution 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 and increase citizen engagement.

The ACME project coordinator Prof. Antoine Kouchner (APC – CNRS/Université Paris Cité), and co-coordinator Paolo D’Avanzo (INAF), represent each community to ensure balance and drive cross-domain collaboration.

“With ACME the astrophysics and astroparticle communities are coming even closer together. The bridge between the communities has already been strengthened during the preparation phase for the proposal. This augurs an even stronger collaboration and a productive dialogue to advance science” says Antoine Kouchner, Vice-President of International Relations at Université Paris Cité, Deputy Director at APC and Vice-Chair of APPEC.

Laboratories APC (coordinator), CPPM, IJClab, IPHC, L2IT and LLR of IN2P3, LUTH, IRAP and l'ORN of INSU and LSBB participate in the project.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them

Read on  IN2P3 (in French)
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