Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Access for researchers and research teams from Euratom and Associated Countries to European and international state-of-the-art nuclear research infrastructures;
• Development of a network for an optimised use of existing nuclear research infrastructures identified in Europe supporting the implementation of the Euratom Programme’s objectives and the establishment of the European Research Area in the nuclear field;
• Substantial increase of trans border collaboration in nuclear research in Europe;
• Securing availability of key experimental facilities e.g. materials testing research reactors in operation, hot cells and laboratories, mechanical and Thermal Hydraulic tests facilities, light water reactor sustainability, fuel cycle research and development, advanced modelling and simulation, and advanced reactor technology programmes, or innovative solutions and research approaches;
• To complement, wherever applicable and beneficial, on-going Euratom projects (including EURAD European Joint Programme) and European Partnership for research in radiation protection and detection of ionising radiation (Topic HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-09) providing access and use of to the most advanced research infrastructures, (large-)scaled resources and expertise.

Ensuring access to the European and international research infrastructures is key to making scientific progress in nuclear field and is one of the foundational blocks of the European Research Area. Community support will be provided to cover costs of transnational access for researchers or research teams from Member States and Associated States to European and international state-of-the-art nuclear research infrastructures in other countries.

Users are provided access (at no cost to the researcher) to world-class nuclear research facilities, technical expertise from experienced scientists and engineers, and assistance with experiment design, assembly, safety analysis and examination.

The objective is to promote and enhance access to infrastructures that provide essential and unique services to the European research community and are typically beyond the reach of individual laboratories, in order to advance research in all areas (except for fusion research undertaken by European Partnership in fusion research) covered in Annex I of the Council Regulation establishing Euratom Programme.

The Commission encourages international cooperation with third countries and international organisations within the scope of this action, also to avoid any duplication with the coming FIDES initiative from the OECD/NEA but investigating their complementarities. Support for researchers from European stakeholders (including academia, research centres and industrial laboratories), third countries and international organisations is envisaged, where such access is part of the promotion of international cooperation with the countries or international organisations concerned and if researchers from Euratom Member States have equivalent access to their infrastructures.

Based on the lessons learnt from former and current user facility projects, a framework and a set of common rules will be established for the future sustainable operation of a network of ‘Euratom user facilities’. A strong support for mobility of learner’s and/or link with the proposal from topic HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-13 could be an advantage.

The active participation of major infrastructure operators will be required to achieve these objectives. The support scheme should operate by open calls and offer access, technical expertise from experienced scientists and engineers and assistance with experiment design, assembly, safety analysis and examination.

Proposals could pool the necessary financial resources from the participating national (or regional) research programmes with a view to implementing transnational proposals resulting in grants to third parties in order to implement activities of this action.

Where appropriate, the Commission recommends that consortia make use of the services of the JRC. The JRC may participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. The JRC would bear the operational costs for its own staff and research infrastructure operational costs. The JRC facilities and expertise are listed in General Annex H of this Work Programme.