INAF and E-ELT

Filippo Maria ZerbiDS-USC-II

Italy (INAF) and ESO

• Italy joined ESO on may 24th 1982 as the 8th member of the organization.

• About 20 years after ESO foundation and about 20 years ahead of INAF formation.

• In the last decade INAF coordinated the activities of the Italian Astronomical community (staff and associates)

• In the 30+ years of membership ESO became the central and preferred data source for Italian OPT-IR astronomers.

Italy (later INAF) to ESO

• Italy Provided ESO with:– People (incorporated in the Organization)– Fundamental industrial contributions in the

construction of telescopes and infrastructures, – Development of instrument components and

subsystems – Science programs and ideas

ESO to Italy (later INAF)

• ESO provided Italy with:– Access to State-of-the-Art OPT-NIR Observing

Facilities– Stimulating Scientific International Environment – “Organization” in Instrumental project (e.g.

standards, project monitoring, etc.)– Transfer of know-how (scientific and

technological)– Industrial growth opportunities

Italy (INAF) in The VLT

• Italy (before and after INAF) contributed to– 1st Generation –

• UVES • GIRAFFE • VIMOS

– 2nd Generation -• X-shooter • Sphere

– 3rd Generation (introducing “cash versus GTO”) -• ESPRESSO• MOONS• ERIS

The E-ELT as seen from INAF

• Natural evolution of the commitment and interest of the OPT-NIR Italian Astronomical community in ESO.

• The OPT-NIR Community is the second largest community in INAF (after High-Energy Aphys.) so it has a central role in INAF HQ activities.

• Renewed Challenges for Italian Industries to which INAF provide support.

INAF and E-ELT – early phases

• Participation to the design studies– MAORY (lead)– MICADO (minor)– CODEX (major)– SIMPLE (lead) – OPTIMOS (EVE/DIORAMAS) (considerable)– EPICS (minor)

• Seconding People at ESO For the Design Studies

INAF in E-ELT Now

• Italy (INAF) joined the E-ELT in the December 2012 council (ad referendum – then confirmed)

• Italy (INAF) approved the kick-off of the 2 phases approach in the December 2014 Council

• The Extraordinary contribution by Italy amounts to 52 M€ over 10 years

• Italy has regularly paid the quotas.

Financial Issues (I)

• Extraordinary contribution for E-ELT– The “regular” contribution of Italy to ESO is handled

by MAECI (Min. Foreign Affairs) and is automatic.– The E-ELT extraordinary contribution is under the

direct responsibility of INAF with money flown by MIUR (Min. of University and Research)

– This is a contribution about the same size of what INAF foresees to allocate for CTA and SKA (with which E-ELT competes for resources).

– Pure fee…. Non instruments or other voices

Financial Issue (II)

• Implication of Budget on INAF-MIUR– It is not “granted by law”. We have to fight in

every yearly budget to get it. – If we are left without money (by our government)

we will have to negotiate a bailout.– If we are dissolved (as INAF) continued

participation is not guaranteed. – It is important to keep the appeal of the initiative

and the engagement of the community as high as possible.

E-ELT activities support

• In recent years MIUR introduced the concept of “Progetto Premiale”. – A fraction of the budget of the Italian Research

Institutions is retained to form a plafond for specially relevant projects (about 100 M€ per year).

– These funds are re-distributed (via calls or other means) in proportion of the scientific ranking of the Institution (ANVUR).

– INAF is high-ranked and gets an important quota of these funds (about 13 M€ per year)

Premiali and ESO

• About 9 M€ of “premiali” have been distributed over the last 3 years to ESO related activities– About 6 M€ for E-ELT (T-REX 1 and T-REX 2)– About 3 M€ for ALMA

• Other “premiali” with specific scientific targets (e.g. WOW on extrasolar planets) have direct interactions with ESO science programs.

• Other “special assignments” have been given by MIUR to INAF to be spent in E-ELT related programmes

INAF and EELT now

• M4 Mirror– INAF part AdOptica in the concluded PDR Contract and in the recently signed

contract to construction.• MAORY

– INAF will lead the Consortium to procure MAORY– Agreement in final revision – Signature expected in fall

• MICADO– Same time-scale of MAORY – Italy part of the MICADO Consortium

• HIRES– Recent “Request of Information” issued – Phase A call coming soon (very

controversial and not well perceived initiative).– INAF leads a (currently the) Consortium answering to the RfI and potentially to the

call.• MOS

– Same Considerations as per HIRES – INAF part of the answering Consortium

THANKS