Support programs
The construction and operation of the Ecotron is currently supported by the following programmes/institutions
The CNRS Very Large Infrastructures Committee (TGIR)
The CNRS, through its TGIR committee, manages the major international scientific equipment (telescopes, physical accelerators, Large Collider, aeronautical services, …). This committee annually finances the construction, maintenance and in part the operation of these major instruments, most of which are included in the roadmap of the National Strategy for Research Infrastructures. This committee ensures the major part of the annual budgets of the Ecotrons (Montpellier + Ile-de-France).
AnaEE France
A project for the development of experimental infrastructures for ecosystem research (AnaEE-France) has been selected as part of the State’s Investissements d’Avenir program. The AnaEE-France project covers 11 research entities throughout France (mainly CNRS and INRA). These entities include 25 experimental sites and analytical or modelling platforms. This Investment for the Future Program is funded for 10 years. It was inaugurated on 14 February 2013. In Montpellier, this project co-financed the construction of the Mesocosmes platform.
AnaEE
AnaEE (Analysis and Experimentation for Ecosystems) is a European programme to build a distributed experimental infrastructure to study and predict the functioning of ecosystems in changing environments. This programme is in the preparatory phase (2012-2016) of the ESFRI programme (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures). For more information: www.anaee.com. This programme does not directly fund national infrastructures, but provides services mainly through a central node and supranational nodes for technology, data modelling and interface and synthesis.
Occitanie Region
Through 2 State-Region Plan Contracts (CPER 2000-2006 and 2007-2013), the Occitanie region and the CNRS have co-financed (50/50) the main building of the Ecotron and the Macrocosms platform.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
The construction of the Mesocosms platform was 66% financed by the ERDF Regional Competitiveness and Employment Programme 2007-2013.