Nanobiotechnology Laboratory

The Nanobiotechnology Laboratory features state-of-the-art equipped facilities designed to foster interdisciplinary studies. A special emphasis lies on characterisation of nanomaterials, micro-nanoplastics, nanomedicines, advanced materials and their interactions with biological systems, as well as on the detection, identification and characterisation of nanomaterials in food and consumer products.

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Priority topics of the Nanobiotechnology laboratory

1. Detection of micro(nano)plastics in media contributing to human exposure (such as food, drinking water and air).
2. Characterisation of nanotechnology and biotechnology based-health- products (including nanomedicines, nano-vaccines, antibodies and bio-macromolecules) with applications for the detection, treatment, diagnostics of non-communicable diseases and pathogens.

Definition and conditions of access

Access to the research infrastructure is granted on the basis of Access Units (e.g. days or weeks of use, hours or sessions of beam time, processing time and gigabytes of data transmitted, etc.). Access Units are specific to the type and nature of each JRC research infrastructure that provides access.

For the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory the Unit of Access is 'Instrument days' which correspond to the use of one (1) instrument during one (1) day.

• Estimated total number of Instrument days allocated to the call: 50
• Estimated number of Instrument days per User access project: 10 (i.e. 2 instruments for 5 days)
• Estimated maximum duration of the User Access Project: 12 months

Estimated additional costs excluding consumables and other expenses:

• Research infrastructure operated by JRC staff: 0 € / instrument day*
• Research infrastructure operated by users: 0 € / instrument day*

* Payment of additional costs, excluding consumables and expenses, are waived for the present call.

The payment of additional costs is waived for User Access Projects where the Lead User Institution and at least 2/3 of all the User Institutions (including the Lead User Institution) are located in a country eligible for the Widening participation and spreading excellence action under the Horizon Europe programme. In case of one or two User Institutions (including the Lead User Institutions), this requirement is only applied to the Lead User Institution.

Support to users for travel and subsistence

The JRC may provide a financial or in-kind contribution to support Users to cover their costs of travel and subsistence (T&S) related to the User Stay Days, subject to the availability of funds, personnel and other resources to Users from User Institutions located in a country eligible for the Widening Partipation and Spreading Excellence actions under the Horizon Europe programme.
Namely the countries are:
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and all Associated Countries with equivalent characteristics in terms of R&I performance (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Tunisia, Ukraine, Faroe Islands) and the Outermost Regions (defined in Art. 349 TFEU).

A User Stay Day is a day of physical presence of a User at the concerned Research Infrastructure for Access related to the User Access Project. A User Stay Day counts as a registered entry to the JRC site where the Research Infrastructure is located.

• Estimated total number of short-term User Stay Days eligible for T&S allocated to the call: 30
• Estimated total number of long-term User Stay Days eligible for T&S allocated to the call: 0

A short-term stay corresponds to a stay of up to 20 User Stay Days.

A long-term stays corresponds to a stay exceeding 20 User Stay Days, up to a maximum of 200 User Stay Days.

For more information on the support offered to users please consult the Rules on the contribution to travel and subsistence expenses of external users.

The Lead User is invited to fill in the User travel and subsistence form and send it to JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECHec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECH[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) by the closing date of the call. For more information the Lead User may contact the JRC Research Infrastructure at %20JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECHec [dot] europa [dot] eu ( JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECH[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).

Allocation of intellectual property rights:

• The JRC and the entitled party (person or organisation that has been granted access) become co-owners in equal shares of all raw data, treated data and documentation data developed with respect to the access.

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 Horizon Europe programme.
• The Lead User Institution must be from a university, research or public institution, or from a Small-Medium-Enterprise (SME).
• User Institutions from international organisations, under the condition that the Lead User Institution and at least 2/3 of all the User Institutions (including the Lead User Institution) are located in a Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe or to the Euratom research programme. In case of one or two User Institutions (including the Lead User Institutions), this requirement is only applied to the Lead User Institution.
• Ethical considerations in accordance with EU Law, in particular Art. 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, and applicable laws and regulations in the EU Member States.
• The proposal submission form is complete and complies with the instructions.

Selection criteria

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

• Scientific implementation (50 points)
• Collaboration and access to new Users (20 points)
• Strategic relevance (30 points)

How to apply

The proposal must be prepared using the Relevance-driven Proposal Submission Form.

During preparation of the proposal, applicants are encouraged to:

• Read the "Framework for Access to the physical Research Infrastructures of the JRC" and its annexes.
• Contact the research infrastructure at JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECHec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECH[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) to assess feasibility aspects related to the capacity of the research infrastructure.

The proposal should be submitted to JRC-RI-OPEN-ACCESSec [dot] europa [dot] eub (JRC-RI-OPEN-ACCESS[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) by the closing date of the call.

In addition, the Lead User shall complete the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory List of Equipment Form and send it to JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECHec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-OPEN-NANOBIOTECH[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) by the closing date of the call.