Europlanet TAs facilities

Welcome to the website for Transnational Access opportunities within the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure.
  

PLEASE NOTE to Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure closed in August 2019.

​The LINK TO THE NEW Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure can be found here 
 
​The NEW TA calls details in Europlanet 2024 RI can be accessed here 

https://www.europlanet-society.org/europlanet-2024-ri-ta-call-2020/

-Results from the 1st TA CALL , 2nd TA CALL , 3rd TA CALL, 4th TA CALL  and 5th TA CALL have been announced.

 
A central part of the Europlanet 2020 RI  programme is to allow any European researcher interested in pursuing planetary science research access to a comprehensive set of laboratory facilities and field sites tailored to the needs of planetary research.

Access is provided by a Transnational Access (TA) programme that supports travel and local accommodation costs of European researchers (and of researchers from Third Countries under certain conditions) at the facility for an approved period of time to conduct their own research programme. Applications are made in response to annual calls and are subject to peer review. It should be noted that applicants must apply to use facilities outside the country in which they are employed (i.e. it is a transnational access). Applications can be made for analytical time or access to planetary analogue sites ranging from single days up to several weeks and up to two researchers can be fully financed in each research visit.

Europlanet 2020 RI is designed to support planetary science but applications in other research disciplines are also considered based on innovation and potential scientific and technological impact to the planetary sciences field.

The TA programme is split into three types of facility, each including a specific set of facilities and locations.

TA1 - Planetary Field Analogues (PFA)

TA1 offers access to 5 well-characterised terrestrial field sites that have been selected to provide the most realistic analogues of surfaces of Mars, Europa and Titan, to which planetary missions have either recently been directed or are planned. Access is provided for scientists to perform high quality scientific research and test instrumentation for space missions under realistic planetary conditions and undertake comparative planetology research.
A unit of access for TA1 is 1 week with this being the maximum.

TA2 - Distributed Planetary Simulation Facility (DPSF)

TA2 provides access to a set of laboratory facilities that are able to recreate and simulate the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of planetary systems with special attention to Martian, Titan and Europa analogues. The DPSF also includes the possibility to characterise the texture and mineral composition of samples in unprecedented detail as well as the ability to detect and characterise life, including Next Generation Sequencing.
A unit of access for TA2 is 1 day with a maximum of 5 days. 

TA3 - Distributed Sample Analysis Facility (DSAF)

TA3 theme combines the resources of four of the world's leading analytical laboratories to analyse meteoritic and sample returns with un-paralleled precision, offering possibility to apply a wide variety of stable and radiogenic isotopic systems.
A unit of access for TA3 is 1 day with a maximum of 5 days.

How to Apply

USERS are strongly encouraged to discuss their planned project prior to submitting an application. Each facility and field site has scientific contacts to whom technical/scientific enquiries should be addressed.  These people will assess the technical feasibility of your proposal.

Frequently asked questions are available on the FAQ page but for any enquiries please contact the Europlanet Central office  (link sends e-mail)

Application page (This link will take you to an external web site. We are not responsible for their content.)

Please add the Europlanet official Acknowledgement below to each publication and dissemination activity
“Europlanet 2020 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208”