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Open Access to JRC Research Infrastructures

Use the JRC Labs for Research

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.

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The JRC is opening access to the following groups of Research Infrastructures:

Nuclear Laboratories

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Actinide User Laboratory (ActUsLab)

Only a few facilities are available worldwide where actinide materials can be safely investigated. Among these, a prominent position is occupied by the Actinide User Laboratory (ActUsLab) operated by the JRC in Karlsruhe.

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Environmental & Mechanical Materials Assessment (EMMA)

The Environmental & Mechanical Materials Assessment (EMMA) facilities in Petten, the Netherlands, support the development of European and International codes & standards for components and materials used in current and next-generation nuclear reactors.

Non-Nuclear Laboratories

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Energy storage research infrastructures

Energy storage has been part of the energy system for decades, but with the emergence of new storage technologies and the need to integrate more renewable energy sources into the power system, the sector is faced with new challenges and opportunities.

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European Laboratory for Structural Assessment

The European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA) offers two facilities as part of the programme for open access to JRC research infrastructures: the world’s largest Hopkinson bar facility and Europe’s largest Reaction Wall.

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Nanobiotechnology Laboratory

The JRC nanobiotechnology laboratory has state-of-the-art facilities for interdisciplinary studies, with a special emphasis on the characterisation of nanomaterials, nanomedicines, advanced materials, and micro(nano)plastics.

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.

Open relevance-driven calls

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.

Market Driven calls