It is the aim of the proposed network to improve the cooperation between different existing low-energy ion beam facilities, to coordinate their physical programme and to make technological developments, performed at different sites on similar or complementary projects more efficient. On a long-term scale, the quality progress in the organisation and the management of the infrastructures and the enhanced flux of information towards potential users are expected to improve the access to these infrastructures, to extend the quality of the service offered to users, to open new user fields and finally to merge the involved facilities into one European virtual large facility.

The proposed Infrastructure Cooperation Network LEIF will include 12 participants, out of which 8 are operators of research infrastructures situated in 7 different European countries. In addition, 4 members will participate as user representatives. The participants of the network are summarised in Table I. The infrastructures are centres of excellence concerned with the production and the distribution of low-energy, high-quality ion beams to local and visiting research groups. Naturally, all of the operators are also 'users' at their own facility. The user representatives (as well as the operators) are experts in different fields of ion/matter interactions such as ion collisions with electrons, atoms, molecules, clusters and surfaces. In addition, they have an extensive experience as users of various ion beam facilities and are therefore highly qualified to formulate the user needs and their interests. The network meetings will be attended by the operators of the infrastructures, the user representatives and members of the different participating groups, which are involved in the organisation and the technical development, defined as common projects. Furthermore, experts and representatives of future and actual user groups, in particular young scientists, will be invited to attend the meetings in order to formulate their needs and learn about the newest developments and possibilities offered by the infrastructures.

The organisation and the activities of the network are summarised in Table II. The network will be organised by a Network Management Board (NMB) which has the overall responsibility for the total project. It consists of the operators of the involved research structures, the user representatives and a secretary. It is chaired by the coordinator. During the different meetings, which will take place at least once a year, the NMB will review the status and the progress made in common projects and will take relevant decisions for optimising the cooperation between different groups. In particular, the organisation of the meetings, the programme of the workshops and the list of experts and potential users to be invited to the meetings will be discussed. Furthermore, the demand for beam time, communicated in advance by the users, will be coordinated and the most appropriate infrastructure will be proposed to the user. The coordinator has the responsibility to coordinate and to supervise the activities of the network. It is the coordinator's main objective to organise the annual meetings, the 'kick-off' meeting and the final meeting as well as to co-organise the workshops. He is responsible for preparing a summary report of each meeting and circulating this among the members within 1 month after the meeting.