The Regulations of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center

1. The Aims and the Research Focus

The Geomatics and Environmental Research Center has the following short and medium term aims:

• A performant research activity.
• To increase the competitiveness of the “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia in terms of high skills in the area of the research center.
• To create the basis for theoretical and practical research projects.
• To develop the research tools through purchases using research contracts.
• To identify and to access various fund sources for research projects.
• To encourage undergraduates, young researchers, school teachers, business owners and also collaborations from other areas to take part in research projects ran by the research center.
• To run multidisciplinary research programs.
• To establish collaborations with universities and research units from Romania and other countries.
• To support the participation of the members at conferences, seminaries, and workshops.
• To share the results of the research activities through different means of community information, by participating at conferences, by publishing articles, books, by issuing patents, and through technological transfer.
• To include the activity of the research center in the national and international scientific community.
• To provide specialized counseling on the problems specific to the research unit’s activity. 

1.1. The Objectives of the Research Unit

The Geomatics and Environmental Research Center has the following objectives:

• Topographic analysis of the infrastructure projects: transportation infrastructure, gas and water supply systems.
• The design and the implementation of geospace data base according to the general cadaster projects.
• The implementation of geospace structures and of digital networks for the general cadaster projects.
• Spatial analysis to optimize the public transport.
• Research to evaluate the real estate market according to the location in the urban space.
• The modelling of geospatial information to estimate the natural and anthropological risks of the mass movement processes.
• Geo marketing studies to develop some businesses.
• Building a digital catalogue of the cultural heritage.
• Impact studies.
• Management plans for protected areas.
• The evaluation of the anthropological environment.
• The qualitative evaluation of the water: industrial waste water, rivers, lakes, et cetera.

1.2. The Research Focus

According to the objectives presented previously and taking into consideration the activities of the members of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center the following research focus was established:

• General cadaster;
• Engineering topography and monitoring the behavior of the land and buildings;
• Hydrotechnical constructions;
• Photogrammetry and teledetection;
• Engineering geomorphology;
• Pedology;
• Hydrology and hydro ecology;
• The treatment of waste water;
• The evaluation of the environmental impact;
• Environmental cartography;
• Geospace data structures and geo processing functions;
• The numerical altimetry modelling of the land;
• The digital catalogue of the national cultural heritage.

2. The Structure of the Research Unit

The Geomatics and Environmental Research Center is led by a board of directors made of 3 members elected by the research staff for 4 years. The decisions of the board of directors are validated by the director of the research unit. The director of the research unit is elected by the board of directors.

The Geomatics and Environmental Research Center is operated by the research staff and by externals: licensed individuals and legal persons. Their main purpose is to globalize the purchase activities and to process the geospace information, the design information, the execution and monitoring of buildings and the evaluation of the environment indexes for the elaboration of management plans.

The coordinator of the research group is elected by its members. Depending on the research project type there can be other temporary research groups each lead by its own coordinator.

3. The Activity

In order to achieve the proposed objectives the staff of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center will constantly be involved in the research unit’s activities. The staff will take part in achieving all the steps of the running projects and will respect the imposed regulations for fair and efficient management of the financial and material resources.

To share the research results the staff of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center will be involved in the organization of national and international conferences. The staff will also have a contribution to editing and publishing scientific journals in the research unit’s areas.

4. The Management of Resources

4.1. Human Resources

The staff of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center is made of:

• The research staff;
• The staff affiliated to the business environment.

4.2. Material Resources

The activities of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center are taking place in the offices of the Department of Cadastre, Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering and in the laboratories ran by the teaching staff from the following study programs: Land and Cadastral Surveying, Urban Engineering and Regional Development and Environmental Engineering. The activities are taking place especially in the Geomatics Laboratory, in the Topography – Cadastre Laboratory and in the Earth Sciences Laboratory, respectively. These facilities are equipped with modern devices, measuring tools and hardware and software equipment.  

4.3. Financial Resources

The financial resources of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center come from the following sources:

• Research funds;
• Research contracts;
• Design contracts;
• Service providers contracts;
• Funding from the “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia;
• Sponsorships;
• Donations;
• E.U. funds.

The financial resources are managed by the board of directors for the following:

• For the development and maintenance of the research materials;
• To cover the operation and maintenance costs;
• To support the exchange, the documentation, the study, and the research programs;
• To support the participation of the staff to conferences by paying the participation fees and publication fees;
• To organize national and international conferences;
• To edit scientific journals;
• To run research projects;
• To develop the “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia.

5. Final Provisions

The Geomatics and Environmental Research Center will start operating after its Regulations will be approved by the Senate of the “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia.

The activity of the Geomatics and Environmental Research Center will run according to the Annual Research Plan approved by the Senate of the “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia. The research results will be presented in a report issued every 5 years.