The work plan is structured to develop, through a logical sequence of steps, a survey of the state of the art, an improved focus on the relevance of research enabling human space exploration for current and upcoming health challenges on Earth and for potential bio-medical application, a detailed set of disciplinary priorities and finally and integrated roadmap providing strategic orientations for research. THESEUS’s work plan involves five main steps towards i) the identification of disciplinary research priorities and ii) the consolidation and promotion of an integrated strategic roadmap (M refers to Month):
Step 1: The launch conference 3 months after the official start of the project, all the Expert Groups will be invited to attend the launch conference; this event will be structured around plenary sessions and parallel meetings of the Expert Groups. The objectives of this conference will be to:
- introduce the issue, present the program and its approach in terms of strategy, schedule and deliverables (plenary sessions)
- discuss and define a preliminary list of major overarching research questions to be addressed by all Expert Groups (plenary sessions)
- discuss and define a preliminary list of major disciplinary research questions (in splinter sessions)
- identify terrestrial application for health and biomedical applications -
- define the content, topics and questions to be addressed to the scientific community through an on-line consultation (in splinter sessions)
Step 2: Online consultation and first writing (M4-M10) It is of crucial importance to open the science priority setting and roadmapping exercise to the relevant European scientific community at large. To this end, the project will organise a wide community consultation via online surveys. Between M4 and M10, following the structure recommended by each EGs, the project will design and publish online questionnaires meant at gathering and surveying the expectations, points of view and opinion of the relevant scientific communities.
These consultations will be promoted by all the actors of the project via their respective networks. Work Package leaders will gather the inputs received and will propose a first rough synthesis to the members of the Expert Groups. During the same period, background information to be included in the final report of each EG will be drafted and commented by the Expert Groups members
Step 3: Second meeting of the Expert Groups (M10) At M10, a second set of workshops is organised where EGs meet in clusters (by Work Package). During these meetings, Expert Groups
- consider and analyse the information gathered via the consultation, they indentify the important points expressed, additional experts are invited to support the groups in this exercise
- identify and agree on the recommendations to be expressed -
Between M10 and M16, with the support of the WP leaders, EGs’ reports are finalised
Step 4: Integration workshop (M18) At M18, the integration is organised. This workshop will gather the chairs and rapporteurs of the EGs, the Steering Committee of the project and additional experts, if relevant. During this workshop:
- chairs of the Expert Groups will present the outcome, findings and recommendation identified by their group and express in their report -
- commonalities will be discussed and identified
- Transversal issues will be considered in further details (modelling, countermeasures, habitat Design and usability,…) with the involvement of additional experts.
- the structure and content roadmap will be drafted
- overarching recommendations will be identified
Between M18 and M23, based on the discussions of the integration workshop and in close relation with the Expert Groups’ chairs and rapporteurs, WP6 leader will draft, write and finalise the final strategic roadmap.
This document will cover the science enabling human exploration, its overarching research priorities and outline the relevance for terrestrial health challenges and biomedical applications.
Step 5: Final conference (M23) At M23, a final conference aimed at presenting all the outcomes, findings and recommendations identified and expressed though the project. This conference will be opened to all relevant stakeholders but targeted more specifically to Space Agencies and national research councils.
