Is anybody out there?

Research facilities’ understanding of who uses them is patchy, say Katharina Cramer and Nicolas Rüffin

Research facilities such as telescopes, photon sources, magnetic-field laboratories and neutron sources are a vital part of science. These publicly funded research infrastructures provide unique instruments and experimental resources for thousands of scientists worldwide.

At a political level, research infrastructures are seen as a crucial building block of European research. They form anchor points in the further integration of the European Research Area. And they promise significant socioeconomic impacts and opportunities for innovation.