Skip to main content
European Commission logo
en
Joint Research Centre

Open access to JRC Research Infrastructures

Open Access RI Banner
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. International organisations are also eligible under specific conditions as detailed in the call for proposals. 

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

The results will also feed into JRC's mission to support EU policymaking.

Stay informed of future calls by subscribing to the JRC newsletter. 

The JRC opens access to the following groups of research infrastructures:

Nuclear laboratories

ActUsLab Logo
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.

EMMA Logo
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.

Surface Science Laboratory Station

A world-class facility for the research into the properties of materials’ surfaces. The laboratory is a JRC-facility, located in the Czech Academy of Science in Prague.

Non-nuclear laboratories

Energy Storage icon
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.

ELSA icon
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.

Nanobiotech Laboratory Logo
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.

EURL ECVAM

The European Union Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing runs experimental facilities that are engaged in the development, validation and standardisation of in vitro methods.

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

  • Call status: Open
2026-1-RD-ELSA-ReactionWall
Reference
2026-1-RD-ELSA-ReactionWall
Opening date
Deadline model
Single-stage
Deadline date
31 May 2026
Call mode
  • Relevance driven
See all calls

Accessing JRC Research Infrastructures through other programmes

JRC research infrastructures collaborate with several research organisations in Europe, by participating in European projects funded by the European Commission’s Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, or in association to the European Strategy for Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) roadmaps or with European Research Infrastructures Consortia (ERIC), with the aim of networking and providing cross-border transnational access to European research infrastructures.

OFFERR 

Participating JRC Research Infrastructures: ActUsLab, EMMA and EUFRAT

The European User Facility Network is a project supporting the SNETP Association in setting up a system for R&D experts to facilitate access to key nuclear research infrastructures all over Europe. Its primary function is to serve as a conduit for financial support from the Euratom programme. This support is allocated by paying and granting access to user institutions that offer services to selected projects through OFFERR calls. Additionally, the project offers assistance to successful research teams who have applied through the calls and will engage in collaboration with the research institution.

CERIC-ERIC

Participating JRC Research Infrastructures: Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Energy Storage and EUFRAT

The Central European Research Consortium (CERIC-ERIC) is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) integrating and providing open access to some of the most advanced analytical facilities in Europe to help science and industry advance in all fields of materials, biomaterials and nanotechnology, with a focus on energy materials and life sciences.

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

See all calls