MONNET, Tandem accelerator based fast neutron source (EUFRAT)

MONNET is a high-intensity quasi mono-energetic fast neutron source, driven by a vertical 3.5 MV Tandem accelerator producing either continuous or pulsed beams of protons, deuterons or helium ions. Quasi mono-energetic neutrons are generated in the energy region 0 - 24 MeV by using lithium, deuterium or tritium targets. MONNET may also be used as a photon source or for studies requiring proton, deuteron or alpha beams without the emphasis on neutron production, provided that there is added value for the JRC to do so.

Make a proposal

Definition and conditions of access

Access to the research infrastructure is granted on the basis of Access Units. For MONNET, the Access Unit corresponds to a 'Measurement week' made available for the experimental activities. MONNET operates on a 24h/7 days per week basis. An Access Unit is about 120 hours of beam time and includes the time to build up and to dismantle the experimental set-up (if needed) and can be used partially. Depending on the proposed experiment users can use their own equipment, JRC in-house equipment or a combination of both. This has to be indicated in the proposal and should be coordinated already a few weeks before the scheduled beam time. Preferentially, the users must collaborate closely with an in-house staff scientist (a local scientific contact) who is familiar with the facility and the in-house equipment.

All users will be requested to complete and deliver safety and security-related documents to get access to the nuclear facilities at MONNET. Approval of access is subject to the rules of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre and the Belgian authorities. Submission of documents should therefore be started in time to allow completion of the approval procedure well before the start of the experiment.

• Estimated costs excluding consumables and other expenses:
  • Research infrastructure operated by JRC staff: 19,962 € / Measurement week
  • Research infrastructure operated by users: Not possible

Allocation of intellectual property rights:

Intellectual property rights are allocated according to Paragraph III of Annex 1: Intellectual Property Rights.

Eligibility criteria

• The Lead User Institution and User Institutions (see definitions in the Framework) must be from an EU Member State, or country associated to the Euratom research programme.
• The scope of the work for nuclear RIs must be in line with the activities defined in Annex I of Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765.
• Ethical considerations in accordance with EU Law, in particular Art. 19 of Regulation (EU) 1291/2013, and applicable laws and regulations in the EU Member States.

How to apply

The proposal must be prepared using the Market-driven Proposal Submission Form.
During preparation of the proposal, applicants are encouraged to:

• Read the "Framework of Access to Joint Research Centre physical Research Infrastructures" and all related documents in the Framework for Access page.

• Contact the research infrastructure at JRC-OPEN-EUFRAT@ec.europa.eu to assess feasibility aspects related to the capacity of the research infrastructure.

The proposal should be submitted to JRC-RI-OPEN-ACCESS@ec.europa.eu .

The JRC will only evaluate proposals that are complete and comply with the instructions in the proposal submission form.

Selection criteria

Proposal will be evaluated in accordance to the following selection criteria:

• Scientific implementation (50 points)
• Access to SMEs and new Users (20 points)
• Strategic relevance (30 points)