Althea Wilkinson Radio Net Project Manager University of Manchester Jodrell Bank Observatory

1. Althea Wilkinson RadioNetProject Manager University of Manchester Jodrell Bank Observatory Project Manager’s Report & Finance Report Rome September 2008

2. Madrid schedule • Distribution of funds for next 18 months – Jan 08 • FP7 proposals final internal submission Nov 2007 • Call for preparations for AR4 – end Dec 2007 • Audits for all non-zero finance partners Jan 2008 • Submit documents for 4th Annual Report end Jan 2008 • FP7 proposal submission to EC 15th Feb 2008 • Submit AR4 as soon after 15th Feb as possible Significantly delayed by FP7 activities – delivered 03/04/08 • Acceptance of AR4 and distribution of funds for last 12 months of FP6 • Final Annual Report and audit Feb 2009 • Final distribution of funds – during 2009

3. 4th distribution of Financing • Amount sent had disallowed for IRAM subtracted – not enough funding • Temporary solution achieved by JBO as co-ordinator taking risk on €105K • IRAM repayed 80K – argued rest with EC • EC have now revised the amount disallowed – still under discussion • Payments notified on 16th Jan 2008

4. Management activity 1 • 4th Annual Report • Final version on wiki, AR4 • http://www.radionet-eu.org/rnwiki/FourthRadioNetAnnualReport • Delivered on 03/04/08, delayed by FP7 activities • EC comments received on 16th April 2008 • Mostly minor corrections to wording of audit certificates • FG-IGN issue is delaying reply • Requires another contract amendment before October • New issue of finance report sent to all Board members

5. FG-IGN issue • FG and IGN now deemed to be separate legal entities • Contract now “illegal” (though accepted during time when FG-IGN active in RadioNet) • Contract amendment will mean that all IGN component of funding must be returned to EC • Spain has spent all funding – severe problem • Suggested compromise – funded extension to FP6 RadioNet so FG can do work and retrieve funding – running in parallel with FP7

6. Activities • Networking Activities • Extremely beneficial for interaction throughout Europe • High demand for funding for meetings • Good way to build European Radio Astronomy community • JRAs • Very successful in getting European technology and software groups to collaborate • Have achieved targets • All running for full 5 years Will report separately later

7. Finance Report • FP6 RadioNet now apparently overspent • How did this situation arise? • Spend model at beginning of 2008 too low – instead of tapering off, spend has accelerated in some areas • Multiple re-allocations make overall situation hard to assess continuously • Almost completely disjoint process of reporting and requesting funding also not helpful (Form C vs Implementation plan, left to be justified vs actual spend) • Circulation of incorrect budget emails earlier in the year erroneously encouraged spending • PM had no assistance between March and August – working on at least 10 other projects – did not catch situation early enough. • Misunderstanding about use of indirect on JIVE travel funds

9. Situation at end of 2007 • Given in Review of Financial Status • €1,501,266.65 left to justify in Y5 • Detailed tables of re-allocations by institute and activity produced • Management had €265605.24 left • JRAs had €393763.83 left • NAs had € 1599.46 left • TNA travel had €154077.93 left • TNAs had €898,644.32 left • Plan was to re-allocate €120.000 from TNA travel to NAs and make up any other shortfall from management.

10. Other PM activities between April and August 2008 • Angles Audit and project end • MERLIN preparation for Steering Committee • EC SKADS annual report and Form C • STFC SKADS parallel report • FP7 RadioNet proposals • Mid Term review for JBO current Rolling Grant • Application for two new JBO Rolling grants in Cosmology and Technology • Planck post launch support case • ASTROGRID issues • Manchester internal technology funding issues • Manchester year end finance