An open association of Institutes and Laboratories willing to collaborate in the exploitation and development of long baseline interferometry.

The European Interferometry Initiative (Eii) is an open association of Institutes and Laboratories willing to collaborate in the exploitation and development of long baseline interferometry in optical/infrared astronomy. The Eii confederates the activities included in the European Commission instruments of the 6th, 7th and H2020 R&D program, including the most recent Optical/RadioNet Pilot Program. The current Eii activities are:

  • The establishment of a network of VLTI expertise centres across Europe
  • A joint research activity preparing for the third generation of VLTI instruments
  • The Fizeau staff exchange programme
  • The organisation of VLTI training summer schools and VLTI open days

Funding for the activities was obtained through the OPTICON/RadioNet Pilot Program (2021-2024; grant agreement 101004719), OPTICON - the Optical Infrared Co-ordination Network for astronomy - Horizon 2020 (2017-2020, grant agreement 730890), OPTICON FP7 II (2013-2016, grant agreement 312430), OPTICON FP7 (2009-2012, grant agreement 226604), ONTHEFRINGE (2006-2008: grant MSCF-CT-2005-029954) and OPTICON FP6 (2002-2006, RII3-Ct-2004-001566).

10th VLTI Interferomery School

10th VLTI Interferometry School has been rescheduled to June 6th-12th, 2021 in Sophia-Antipolis, France

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OPTICON/RadioNet Pilot Program

Under H2020-INFRAIA-2018-2020, the European Commission approved the new project OPTICON/RadioNet Pilot (ORP), which mobilizes the two flagship communities of advanced radio and optical/infrared astronomy.

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