AQUAEXCEL 3.0 TransNational Access (TNA) Program

Type of funding: Grant funding

TransNational Access (TNA) program, allowing external researchers to access the partners’ facilities via submission of research proposals, which are funded based on the evaluation by an independent selection panel.

Access is offered to 40 unique research infrastructures of the participating institutes, with experimental costs, travel and subsistence covered by AQUAEXCEL3.0.

Transnational Access involves a research group in one country collaborating with one or more AQUAEXCEL3.0 Infrastructures that are located in a different country to the applicant, and which offer facilities and expertise not available in their own country. The collaboration normally takes the form of one or more scientists from the applicant organisation visiting the selected AQUAEXCEL3.0 installation to undertake research work there for up to 3 months. In some cases, remote access is also available (where the applicant is not present for some or all of the experimental period at the installation).

The facilities available cover the entire range of aquaculture production systems (recirculation, flowthrough, cage, hatchery and pond systems); environments (freshwater and marine, cold, temperate and warm water); scales (small, medium and industrial scale); culture species (fish, shellfish, seaweeds and insects); and fields of expertise (nutrition, physiology, health and welfare, genetics, engineering, monitoring and management technologies).

The overall objective of the project is to promote the coordinated use and development of these experimental facilities and encourage problem-based research and knowledge transfer to more effectively support the development of a sustainable European production of high-quality seafood with reduced environmental impact. The establishment of new transnational collaborations is strongly encouraged, as well as the participation by SMEs.

Deadline: 31/01/2025

Eligibility criteria:

Researchers from any country can apply for access to these Research Infrastructures, although priority (at least 80% of all funded access) will be given to researchers from organisations legally established within an EU Member or Associated State. Applications must be made to use a Research Infrastructure in a different country to that of the lead researcher.
All Transnational Access projects must be carried out between November 2020 and October 2025. Access to the Infrastructures will be promoted through a permanently open call for access with monthly application deadlines.

Further information can be found here.