PAMEC, Properties of Actinide Materials under Extreme Conditions (ActUsLab)

The Properties of Actinide Materials under Extreme Conditions (PAMEC) facility consists of an ensemble of state-of-the-art installations designed for basic research on preparation of materials for energy and non-energy applications, on behaviour and properties of actinide materials under extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, external magnetic field and chemical environment. The facility includes devices for measurements of crystallographic, magnetic, electrical transport, and thermodynamical properties as well as facilities for Np-237 Mössbauer spectroscopy, and a modular surface science spectroscopy station allowing photoemission, atomic force microscopy, and electron scattering measurements.

Priority topics of PAMEC

1. Preparation of actinide compounds and complexes in various forms (Thin films, bulk polycrystals, single crystals) and small quantities, suitable for physical measurements.
2. Characterization of actinide materials by X-ray diffraction
3. Measurements of their Physical Properties by a large array of microscopic and macroscopic techniques under extreme conditions of temperature, magnetic field and pressure.
4. Preparation of samples for external measurements in large facilities (synchrotrons, neutron sources, accelerators).
5. Fundamental research on materials and methods related to nuclear safety

Definition and conditions of access

Access to the research infrastructure is granted on the basis of Access Units. For PAMEC, the Access Unit corresponds to an 'Operating Day' made available for the experimental activities.

Physical access to the laboratories is restricted to opening hours but, in certain cases, automatic measurements can be performed when the laboratories are closed. Users can utilise the JRC equipment with the help of JRC staff. Employment of Users own equipment is not recommended in laboratories inside the controlled area, because of the strict radiation protection rules in force at JRC Karlsruhe. If the use of own equipment is necessary, this has to be indicated and duly justified in the proposal and should be coordinated already well in advance before the scheduled laboratory time. Users of the PAMEC laboratory can only participate in experiments conducted by in-house staff scientists or technicians.

Users will be requested to complete and submit safety and security-related documents to receive access to the laboratories. Approval of access is subject to the rules of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre and the German authorities. Submission of documents should therefore start in due time to allow completion of the approval procedure well before the start of the experiment.

• Estimated total number of Operating Day allocated to the call: 75 Operating Day*,**
• Average number of Operating Day per Project: 10-15 Operating Day
• Estimated costs excluding consumables and expenses:
  • Research infrastructure operated by JRC staff: 0€ / day
  • Research infrastructure operated by users: Not possible

* A total of 180 Operating Days will be allocated to the PAMEC, HC-KA and FMR laboratories.

** In addition, a total of 60 Operating Days can be granted for each User Project that consider users visiting the JRC for long-term stays.

Support of Users for travel and subsistence

The JRC may provide a financial or in-kind contribution to support Users to cover their expenses for 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 an EU Member State or country associated to the Euratom Research Programme.***

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

• Estimated total number of User Stay Days for short- term stays eligible for T&S allocated to the call: 60
• Estimated total number for long- term stays (months) eligible for T&S allocated to the call: 12

Long term stays are primarily meant for students and have a duration of at least 1 month. They are typically 3 to 9 months for Karlsruhe, and 1 to 6 months for Petten and Geel.

The JRC will cover the expenses for T&S of eligible Users according to 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-ACTUSLAB-KARLSRUHEec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-ACTUSLAB-KARLSRUHE[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 JRC-ACTUSLAB-KARLSRUHEec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-ACTUSLAB-KARLSRUHE[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).

Options for the 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 established in an EU Member State or country associated to the Euratom Research Programme of the EU Research and Innovation Programme Horizon Europe.***
• The Lead User Institution must be from a university, research or public institution, or from a Small-Medium-Enterprise (SME).
• Ethical considerations in accordance with EU Law, in particular Art. 18 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, and applicable laws and regulations in the EU Member States.

*** At the time of publishing this call, Ukraine is eligible and association negotiations are being conducted or association is imminent with the UK.

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 to the JRC (15 points)
• Strategic importance for Europe (15 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 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-ACTUSLAB-KARLSRUHEec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-ACTUSLAB-KARLSRUHE[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) to specify the level of experience of the User(s) to perform related tests and to assess feasibility aspects related to the capacity of the research infrastructure concerning:
  • Material
  • Test parameters,
  • Specimen geometry.

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

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

Communication of the assessment of proposals:2022-04-29 00:00:00

Related Content

Selection Criteria Background Documents

The 6 Priorities of the European Commission

JRC Thematic Focus Areas