Access to research infrastructures, their resources and services: large-scale pilots for more integrated scheme across (sub)domains

The Horizon Europe call for proposals HORIZON-INFRA-2027-SERV-01-01 aims to enhance access to research infrastructures, offering significantly large-scale funding of €35 million per project, with a total budget of €105 million for approximately three grants. It is focused on establishing integrated, multi-domain access programs through state-of-the-art research infrastructures, promoting a coordinated approach to facilitate researcher access across Europe and associated countries, as well as specific third countries like Australia, Canada, and Japan under exceptional provisions.

Eligible applicants primarily include established research infrastructures such as ESFRI Landmarks and ERICs, requiring at least two such entities to collaborate in each proposal. The opportunity emphasizes that the funding is for operational costs linked to providing transnational and virtual access and encompasses a range of services including training, travel support, and service customization.

The funding is structured as grants and includes mechanisms for financial support to third-party access providers. Proposals must demonstrate comprehensive service portfolios across three thematic areas: Physical Sciences and Engineering, Health and Food, and Environment and Energy, ensuring multidisciplinary relevance. Geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries, with provisions for access by researchers from widening and candidate countries.

The application process is a single-stage submission with a deadline set for June 15, 2027, preceded by an opening date of March 9, 2027. Proposals must address established operational capabilities, the provision of diverse access modalities, interdisciplinary coordination, and compliance with specific access provisions.

The overarching goal of this initiative is to create a more efficient, sustainable, and integrated access framework to research infrastructures, fostering innovation and equity in research across Europe while particularly supporting early-stage researchers and those from less-researched countries. The call also encourages a collaborative spirit among research infrastructures and integration with the European Open Science Cloud.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under the Research Infrastructures 2027 program, specifically targeting "Access to research infrastructures, their resources and services: large-scale pilots for more integrated scheme across (sub)domains" with topic ID HORIZON-INFRA-2027-SERV-01-01. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. The call follows a single-stage deadline model, with a planned opening date of 09 March 2027 and a deadline of 15 June 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects funded under this topic include:

 More efficient access to the best research infrastructures for researchers and innovators, promoting basic and applied research and fostering innovation, irrespective of location.
 A single-entry point access portal with integrated or interoperable service catalogues and converging access conditions and selection procedures.
 A step towards a longer-term sustainable access program harmonized across different ESFRI domains.
 Breakthrough and leading-edge research enabled by advanced research infrastructure services, including from emerging facilities, made available to a wider user community, including in emerging areas of research.
 A new generation of researchers trained to optimally exploit all the essential tools for their research, with attention to early-stage career researchers and researchers from widening and candidate countries.
 Interdisciplinarity and sharing of information, knowledge, and technologies across scientific fields, with attention to research security, and better management of data, including implementing FAIR data principles.

The scope of this topic involves testing access program-like projects that provide transnational access (on-site or remote) and/or virtual access to integrated and customized research infrastructure installations and services. This access should support excellent research, ranging from frontier and curiosity-driven to applied research, and should be offered by a wide range of complementary and interdisciplinary research infrastructures with experience in transnational access. Access is provided by state-of-the-art research infrastructures as beneficiaries/affiliated entities and by third-party access providers on demand. Proposals must adhere to the European Charter for Access to Research Infrastructures.

Proposals are expected to address one of the following areas, based on ESFRI scientific domains:

 Area 1: Physical Sciences and Engineering; Data, Computing and Digital Research Infrastructures
 Area 2: Health & Food; Social Sciences and Humanities
 Area 3: Environment; Energy

These areas define the pilot project in which a research infrastructure identified as a core access provider should be a beneficiary/affiliated entity. Third-party access providers should expand access opportunities within the area or across areas for interdisciplinary research.

Proposals should offer a wide, inclusive, and comprehensive portfolio of complementary research infrastructure services of European interest, including data services. Each proposal must include at least two ESFRI Landmarks and/or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as beneficiaries. Access can also be open to third countries’ researchers. Research infrastructures from third countries may be involved as beneficiaries or affiliated entities if they offer complementary or more advanced services than those available in the EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Access includes ad hoc user training and scientific and technical support. Additional training courses, including skills for data stewardship, may also be supported. Proposals should leverage the training potential of successful transnational access user projects by inviting researchers, notably early-stage career researchers, or research infrastructure technicians from widening and candidate countries to team up with selected user groups. Sufficient resources should be reserved for this purpose, and these opportunities should be proactively advertised.

Access provision to existing services should be clearly defined in the proposed activities and reflected in the allocated resources. The improvement and development of services can also be supported, provided that the resulting services are offered already under the actions (short-term R&D) and that the long-term sustainability of such services is ensured.

Data management (and related ethics issues), interoperability, and the connection of digital services (e.g., data services) to the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) should be addressed where relevant. Proposals should consider major European or international initiatives and foster the use and deployment of global standards.

Proposals should include an outreach and engagement plan to actively advertise their services to research communities, notably from widening countries and candidate countries, and to relevant industries, including SMEs. Dedicated support for developing research partnerships and collaborations with researchers from widening countries and candidate countries should be provided. Synergies and coherence with other EU grants supporting access provision are expected.

Proposals should list core services/installations opened by research infrastructures for transnational or virtual access and the amounts of units of access made available for users. Further conditions and requirements relating to access provisions that applicants should fulfil when drafting a proposal are given in the “Specific features for Research Infrastructures” section of this work programme part. Compliance with these provisions will be taken into account during evaluation.

Proposals should present an indicative list of complementary services/installations opened by third-party research infrastructures for transnational or virtual access. Sufficient resources should be reserved for access to these services/installations, and the budget should be allocated according to demand after peer-review evaluation of user groups and their research and innovation projects. This complementary access may be implemented through financial support to third parties (FSTP), provided that the conditions and requirements relating to access provisions are fulfilled. The relevant conditions and requirements should be included in the FSTP calls, and the applicants to the FSTP open calls should be the third-party research infrastructures demanded by user-group(s). To simplify the selection process, proposals may combine the calls inviting researchers to apply for transnational access and the FSTP calls so that a one-stage selection procedure can be implemented based on a joint application from the user group submitting the ‘user project’ and the needed third-party access provider. The recipient of the financial support is the third-party research infrastructure that is providing access to the selected user-group(s). The financial support should cover the costs incurred by the third party to provide access (actual costs, unit costs, or a combination of the two) plus any work for service customisation as well as the travel and subsistence of users if visits are needed to use the infrastructures. Alternatively, proposals may opt for centrally managed travel and or subsistence costs for all or part of the selected user projects. In such case, these costs are excluded from the concerned FSTP.

Access opportunities should be presented in a single-entry point portal for each pilot, building on the experience of past EU projects supporting access in the respective areas. The interoperability and capacity to converge into a common portal should be considered when designing or upgrading the portals as well as the possible connection to EOSC.

Strong and continuous collaboration should be ensured with the cross-domain preparatory action on access HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05, with the pilots under topic HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01-DEV-02, and with the actions supported under topic HORIZON-INFRA-2027-01-SERV-02. This collaboration should ensure a common front page to all above actions, set up by one of the pilots, providing at the minimum basic information such as highlighting the common objectives of EU supported access, the main conditions and requirements, providing preliminary guidance on access opportunities and directing to the single-entry point portal of each pilot. The collaboration should also promote simplified access pathways, good practices on call conditions, converging access modalities and selection process, as well as effective governance of the set of projects acting as an access programme with appropriate advisory bodies.

Proposals could consider the inclusion of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). The JRC will consider collaborating with any successful proposal and this collaboration, when relevant, should be established after the proposal’s approval.

The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement. However, where applicable, proposals should promote in their calls for access the integration of the gender dimension in the research and innovation content of the users applying to these calls.

The proposal page limit is 100 pages.

The budget for this topic is 105,000,000 EUR, and it is expected that around 3 grants will be awarded.

This call aims to improve access to research infrastructures across Europe by funding pilot projects that offer transnational or virtual access to integrated and customized services. The goal is to create a more efficient, sustainable, and harmonized access program that benefits researchers and innovators, especially those from widening and candidate countries, and promotes interdisciplinarity and better data management. The call encourages collaboration among research infrastructures and the development of a single-entry point portal to simplify access for users.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are research infrastructures, including ESFRI Landmarks and European Research Infrastructure Consortiums (ERICs), legal entities established in EU Member States and Associated Countries, and exceptionally, legal entities from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and USA. SMEs and industries are also mentioned as relevant stakeholders for outreach and engagement. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium with zero funding or as an associated partner.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions (HORIZON-COFUND). Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is also a mechanism used within the grant.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. Proposals must include at least two ESFRI Landmarks and/or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as beneficiaries. Collaboration with the cross-domain preparatory action on access HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05, with the pilots under topic HORIZON-INFRA-2026-01-DEV-02, and with the actions supported under topic HORIZON-INFRA-2027-01-SERV-02 is expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Associated Countries, and, exceptionally, legal entities established in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and USA, under specific conditions.

Target Sector: The program targets research infrastructures across various scientific domains, including: Physical Sciences and Engineering; Data, Computing and Digital Research Infrastructures; Health & Food; Social Sciences and Humanities; Environment; Energy. It supports projects providing transnational access (on-site or remote) and/or virtual access to integrated and customized research infrastructure installations and services.

Mentioned Countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, USA, EU Member States, Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage focuses on testing access programs, improving existing services, and short-term R&D to enhance service offerings. It supports activities from research to demonstration, with an emphasis on ensuring the long-term sustainability of services.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call: HORIZON-INFRA-2027-01-EOSC-01: around €40,000,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-01-EOSC-02: €2,500,000 to €4,000,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-DEV-01-01: €1,500,000 to €3,500,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-DEV-01-02: €2,000,000 to €5,000,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-DEV-01-03: €3,000,000 to €4,500,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-SERV-01-01: around €35,000,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-SERV-01-02: around €6,000,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-SERV-01-03: around €3,000,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-TECH-01-01: €10,000,000 to €15,000,000, HORIZON-INFRA-2027-TECH-01-02: €7,000,000 to €12,000,000. Beneficiaries can also provide financial support to third parties (FSTP), up to €300,000 per third party.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The support includes money in the form of grants to beneficiaries and financial support to third parties (FSTP). It also includes non-monetary services such as training, scientific and technical support, and access to research infrastructures.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants varies per topic, suggesting different success rates depending on the specific call.

Co-funding Requirement: The HORIZON-COFUND action specifically implies a co-funding requirement, where funding is provided to national or regional programs.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, Research Infrastructures 2027 (HORIZON-INFRA-2027-01), aims to enhance access to research infrastructures for researchers and innovators across Europe and associated countries, as well as specific third countries. The call supports projects that provide transnational and virtual access to research infrastructures, improve service integration, and foster collaboration across scientific domains. It is structured around several topics, each with a specific focus and budget, including actions for coordination and support, research and innovation, and co-funding initiatives. Applicants must form consortia that include at least two ESFRI Landmarks or ERICs, and are encouraged to involve third-party access providers and promote the participation of researchers from widening countries. The call seeks to create a more efficient, sustainable, and integrated access programme to research infrastructures, contributing to breakthrough research, training the next generation of researchers, and promoting interdisciplinarity and better data management. The call also encourages the integration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content.