Transnational Access

Specific objectives

The objective of this scheme is to sponsor new opportunities for research teams (including individual researchers) to obtain access to individual major research infrastructures they require for their work. Such infrastructures must be rare in Europe, must provide a world-class service essential for the conduct of top quality research, and must typically have investment or operating costs that are relatively high in relation to those costs in their particular field. The infrastructures must also be able to provide adequate scientific, technical and logistic support to external, particularly first-time, users.

Access may be made available to external users, either in person ("hands-on") or by suitable electronic communications. It may also take the form of provision of remote scientific services, such as the provision of reference materials or samples, the performance of sample analysis, of specific measurements or of experiment-based consultancies. Access to a given infrastructure will be granted following a selection of potential users by "peer review".

Project management

Guidelines for preparing the Annual Report

User Group Questionnaire: this questionnaire should be completed by each Group Leader of a user- project supported under an EC Research Infrastructure contract. This exercise will enable the Commission to evaluate the Research Infrastructures Action, to monitor the individual contracts, and to improve the services provided to the scientific community.