The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) opens its scientific laboratories and facilities to people working in academia and research organisations, industry, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and more in general to the public and private sector.
The JRC offers access to its non-nuclear facilities to researchers and scientists from EU Member States and countries associated to the EU Research Programme Horizon Europe. For nuclear facilities, the JRC opens to EU Member States and to countries associated to the Euratom Research Programme.
About Open access project Framework for access
Offering access to visiting researchers is part of JRC's strategy to:
- enhance dissemination of scientific knowledge;
- boost competiveness;
- bridge the gap between research and industry;
- provide training and capacity building.
Scientists will have the opportunity to work in the following fields:
- nuclear safety and security (Euratom Laboratories);
- chemistry;
- biosciences/life sciences;
- physical sciences;
- ICT;
- Foresight.
The results will also feed into JRC's mission to support EU policymaking.
The JRC is opening access to the following groups of Research Infrastructures:
Nuclear calls:
- Actinide User Laboratory (ActUsLab)
- Laboratory of the Environmental & Mechanical Materials Assessment (EMMA)
- European research infrastructure for nuclear reaction, radioactivity, radiation and technology studies in science and applications (EUFRAT)
Non-nuclear calls:
- Energy Storage
- European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA)
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory
Relevance-driven access
The relevance-driven access is exclusively dependent on scientific and socio-economic relevance at European level. It is based on a peer-review selection process following a call for proposals. Projects accessing JRC facilities under the relevance-driven mode are only charged the additional costs associated to such access.
Access will be mainly granted to universities and research institutions, as well as to SMEs, possibly in association with industry and private organisations, in areas relevant to JRC’s strategic priorities and of importance for European standardisation, integration and cohesion, sustainable growth and competitiveness.
Following a call for proposals, an application is evaluated by a transparent peer-review selection process. A panel of experts (User Selection Committee) evaluates the excellence, originality and technical feasibility of an application.
The relevance-driven access entails costs. Projects accessing the JRC will be charged the additional costs associated (i.e. the variable costs related to access) to a given research infrastructure.
Payment may be settled by a monetary payment or in the form of economically valuable in-kind contributions (e.g. consumables such as mock-ups, instrumentation, testing rigs, or the provision of human resources).
JRC nuclear research infrastructures may grant access free of charge (i.e. no payment of the additional costs related to access).
The JRC facilitates access to nuclear and non-nuclear research infrastructures for in the relevance-driven mode
Waiving access costs of User Access Projects
For Access to non-nuclear Research Infrastructures, payment of the additional costs may be waived for User Access Projects where the Lead User Institution and 2/3 or more of the User Institutions (including the Lead User Institution) are located in a country eligible for Widening actions under the Horizon Europe Specific Objective "Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation". 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 travel and subsistence of Users
The JRC may provide a financial or in-kind contribution to support Users to cover their costs of travel and subsistence related to the User Stay Days, subject to the availability of funds, personnel and other resources, as specified in the call for proposals:
- JRC non-nuclear Research Infrastructures: Users from User Institutions located in a country eligible for the Widening actions under the Horizon Europe Specific Objective "Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation".
- JRC nuclear Research Infrastructures: Users accessing JRC nuclear Research Infrastructures as part of the Pilot Action on open access to JRC research infrastructure in the field of nuclear safety.
Market-driven access
Market-driven access is granted upon payment of a fee covering the full access costs of the JRC, and it is mainly targeted to industry.
Relevance Driven calls
- Deadline for EUFRAT calls, Gelina, Hades, Monnet, Radmet: 31 August 2022 at 23:45 (midnight).
- Communication of the assessment of proposals: 15 November 2022.
- Deadline for EMMA call, Amalia : 15 September 2022 at 23:45 (midnight).
- Communication of the assessment of proposals: 15 November 2022.
- Call status: Open
GELINA, the JRC Neutron Time-of-Flight Facility (EUFRAT)-2022-1-RD- EUFRAT-GELINA
GELINA is a 150 MeV electron accelerator serving as strong white neutron source for high resolution neutron time-of-flight measurements.
- Call status: Open
RADMET, Radionuclide Metrology laboratories (EUFRAT) 2022-1-RD- EUFRAT-RADMET
The Radionuclide Metrology laboratories (RADMET) are equipped with a broad set of instruments used for nuclear decay measurements, determination of related nuclear data and radiological characterisation of samples and materials.
- Call status: Open
MONNET, Tandem accelerator based fast neutron source (EUFRAT) 2022-1-RD-EUFRAT-MONNET
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.
- Call status: Open
HADES, Underground laboratory for ultra-low level gamma-ray spectrometry (EUFRAT) - 2022-1-RD- EUFRAT-HADES
JRC operates a laboratory for ultralow-level radioactivity measurements inside the 225 m deep underground laboratory HADES, which is located at the premises of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre. In HADES, the muon flux (secondary cosmic rays) is a factor of 5000 lower compared to above ground and
- Call status: Open
AMALIA, assessment of nuclear power plants core internals (EMMA) 2022-1-RD-EMMA-AMALIA
The AMALIA laboratory is used in order to study the effect of environment on the mechanical performance and characterisation including life assessment and qualification of structural materials for present and next generation of nuclear systems.
Market Driven calls
Call for proposal: Reaction Wall, European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA)
The central feature of the European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA) is the Reaction Wall. It consists of a reinforced concrete vertical...
MONNET, Tandem accelerator based fast neutron source (EUFRAT)
Definition and conditions of accessAccess to the research infrastructure is granted on the basis of Access Units. ForMONNET,the Access Unit...
Call for proposals: FCTEST, Fuel cells and electrolyser testing facilities
The Fuel Cell and Electrolyser Testing facility in Petten, the Netherlands was established to support developments in Regulation, Codes and Standards...
Call for proposals: GasTeF, Gas Tank Testing Facility
The European Commission's High Pressure Gas Tank Testing Facility (GasTeF) is one of the few facilities in Europe conducting research on on-board...
Call for proposal: BESTEST, Battery Energy Storage Testing for Safe Electric Transport
BESTEST offers temperature chambers for cell cycling utilising battery testers (including impedance spectroscopy). Further micro X-ray computed...
Call for proposal: Hopkinson Bar facility, European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA)
The Hopkinson Bar facility (HopLab) is used for the study of materials and of structural components to very fast dynamic loads, such as those due to...