ILGE - Second Call for Transnational Access (TNA) and National Open Access (NOA)
The ILGE network, work package 3 within the MEET project hosted by INGV in collaboration with the University of Roma Tre, CNR-IGG, and OGS, is pleased to announce the second call for financially supported transnational access (TNA) and national open access (NOA) to equipment and services from world-class Earth Science research facilities hosted in Italy. TNA activities involve researchers (hereafter, “User/User group”) affiliated with institutions outside of Italy, while NOA activities are intended for researchers affiliated with Italian institutions only.
This call opens on December 1, 2024 and closes on January 31, 2025 (23:59 CET). Proposals can be submitted at any time during this period. Accepted projects may begin as early as 01/04/2025 and must be completed by 31/08/2025.
Prospective applicants are required to review the ILGE TNA/NOA guidelines, the ILGE Data Policy, the Funding and Reporting guidelines, and the FAQ page.
Access details
ILGE facilities offer two access options:
- Physical access (hands-on): users visit the facility to operate equipment directly. Travel, accommodation, and daily living costs are covered, up to a specific limit (see Funding and Reporting Guidelines).
- Remote service (send-in-sample): users send samples to the facility for the analysis by operators. Users opting for remote service are eligible to be reimbursed for sample shipment costs up to a fixed amount, but no travel or accommodation costs are covered.
A complete list of available facilities, including contact details for Facility Managers can be found here
The page also provides information about which facilities are available during this call, the type of access mode offered, and the typical number of days allocated per project.
Eligibility requirements
- TNA Applicants
The User/User group must be affiliated with institutions outside of Italy. Applications from users affiliated with institutions outside the EU*+EFTA$ are limited to a maximum of 20% of the total access available in ILGE.
- NOA Applicants
The User/User group must be affiliated with Italian institutions. Applications from users in the same city as the hosting facility are not eligible for travel and living cost reimbursement. Users from the same institution as the host facility cannot apply.
Potential users must contact the Facility Managers before submitting a TNA/NOA proposal in order to discuss technical aspects of their projects. By submitting an application, users agree to comply with the regulations and policies of the ILGE program, as detailed on the ILGE website. Please be aware that the final decisions regarding facility usage and equipment selection for each project are at the sole discretion of the Facility Manager, and that a positive evaluation of the project does not automatically guarantee access to the facilities, nor gives access to future calls for access.
Funding regulations
Reimbursement of TNA/NOA access is subject to the following limits:
- Remote service:
Maximum of €100 per project for sample shipment, with the possibility of additional €100 reimbursed for the return shipment of samples. Please note that reimbursement modality, as well as all shipping and reception arrangements must be agreed upon with the facility personnel before proceeding. Users should not proceed with shipping until receiving instructions on the shipment modality by the Facility Manager.
- Physical access:
- Travel costs: up to €200 for national travel (NOA), €400 for EU*+EFTA$ travel (TNA) and €1000 for extra-EU*+EFTA$ travel (TNA). To qualify for reimbursement, travel tickets must indicate the facility’s nearest airport/train station as both the arrival and departure points. Users should select the most direct and economical route, whether by train or plane, and provide original and/or copies (depending on the facility’s regulations) of receipts/invoices/travel tickets to the facility. Travel tickets for dates extending beyond one day of the access period remain eligible for reimbursement, as long as no housing or subsistence refunds are claimed for these extra days, and an appropriate reason related to the TNA/NOA project is given (e.g., collaboration with facility scientists). Travel from/to a location other than the user’s employing institution is eligible for reimbursement if: i) a valid reason is provided, ii) the alternative location is closer to the user’s affiliated institution, iii) it does not significantly increase the total travel costs. Cost limits for traveling apply then on the basis of the actual travel destination rather than on the affiliation.
- Living costs: maximum of €150/day for accommodation and meals during the access period. Reimbursement covers the access days, plus one day before and after, including weekends if access spans a weekend. Depending on the access provider’s internal rules, living costs may be reimbursed as a flat rate daily allowance or after submission of original and/or copies (depending on facility’s regulations) of receipts/invoices. For users opting for flat-rate reimbursement, coverage includes the day before the access period but does not extend to the day of departure.
EU* = EU member states and countries associated with other european programmes, determined also on the basis of geographic criteria (Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Israel, Moldova, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Ukraine, Tunisia, Georgia, Armenia, Kosovo, United Kingdom).
EFTA$ = member states of European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).]
Users must cover all travel and living expenses exceeding these limits. Reimbursement limits are per user, and typically only one user per project is granted physical access. Exceptions may apply when field activities are a fundamental part of the project. In such cases, up to two members (a Primary User and a Secondary User) participating in physical access activities are eligible for financial support. Users who are granted physical access on a project cannot have physical access granted on another project, although other group members may. Other collaborators visiting the facility during the TNA/NOA access period but not covered by the ILGE network will not be considered part of the TNA/NOA activities and will not be included in the Access Agreement. While they are not subject to ILGE regulations or eligible for financial support, they must still comply with the facility’s internal regulations. Please note that there may be restrictions on the number of people allowed in a facility at one time. All matters related to the reimbursement are not centrally coordinated by the ILGE network and should be exclusively discussed with the host facility; we recommend contacting the Facility Manager for specific details. Health-related measures may also be imposed, which could limit or prevent access. Ultimately, the Facility Manager decides on the access mode, visit duration, and number of visitors allowed. Further details on funding are given in the Funding and Reporting guidelines.
How to apply
To apply for the ILGE TNA/NOA program, please use this link. The application portal allows the primary User to submit all necessary proposal information. A fac-simile of the application template is available here.
Application steps
- Verify your eligibility, create an account and log in to the application portal. Each applicant may submit only one TNA/NOA proposal per call, requesting access to a single facility within the ILGE network. Please note that all Users, either Primary or Secondary, can only receive physical access once per call.
- Before submitting your proposal, contact the Facility Manager of your chosen facility to discuss the project's technical feasibility (e.g., equipment, sample type and quantity) and access details (physical vs. remote, number of access days). This step is mandatory; failure to reach out will result in your application being deemed ineligible.
- After discussing your project with the Facility Manager, finalize your proposal and submit it through the application portal.
Selection process
The evaluation and selection of the TNA/NOA proposals will be completed after the call closes. The process consists of i) check of the proposal eligibility, ii) a formal technical feasibility assessment conducted by the manager of the requested facility, and iii) a review of the scientific excellence of the proposal by external reviewers.
Submitted proposals are screened for eligibility and then forwarded to the designated Facility Manager, who evaluates their technical feasibility (i.e., the rationale for choosing the facility, proposed methods for sample analysis, the feasibility of the project within the requested access days). The Facility Manager may suggest minor changes to the proposal (e.g., number of days to fulfill the project objectives), which will be included in the Access Agreement. If necessary, proposals can be redirected to another ILGE facility with similar technical capabilities and applicants can withdraw their application if they disagree.
Proposals deemed not feasible will not undergo the scientific review, and applicants will be informed of their ineligibility. Technically feasible proposals will be reviewed by the TNA/NOA Review Panel, which includes international scientists from various fields who are not associated with the chosen facility. Proposals will be evaluated based on:
1. Suitability of the methodology to address the scientific questions
2. Rationale for, and link between the objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes of the study
3. Innovation and relevance of the research
4. Clarity and quality of the writing
A double blind review process ensures fairness and impartiality. Proposals must achieve a minimum score to pass. Priority will be given to scientific merit, so that proposal ranking is considered for grant allocation if facility availability is limited. For proposals with equal score, priority will be given to technical merit as assessed by the facility manager, and to early-career scientists who completed their highest degree within the past seven years. Please note that a positive scientific evaluation alone does not grant access to the facility; the final decision rests entirely with the facility manager and is subject to logistics consideration. Additionally, a positive evaluation on a call for access does not guarantee access in subsequent calls for access.
User responsibilities
Before access
Following the eventual proposal approval and before the access period begins, users must receive confirmation from the Facility Manager. Please note that a positive evaluation does not grant per se access to the facilities. Users will also receive a copy of the Access Agreement, which must be signed. This agreement outlines the conditions for access and facility use, including details on the access type, duration, compliance with health and safety regulations, data management, confidentiality, and liability. In case of remote service, there is only one User (which submit the proposal) that will be requested to sign the agreement, while in case of physical access, all users funded by the access program (see above) will be involved in the agreement. Access (either physical access or remote service) cannot commence until the Access Agreement is signed by the User/User group and the facility manager and uploaded in a dedicated repository. Access Agreement templates for ILGE facilities in this call are available in the facility descriptions, listed here. Please note that these templates are subject to modifications tailored on the specific requirements of each project.
For physical access, all users must have insurance coverage for damages to property and any injuries to themselves or others during their TNA/NOA visit that occur as a consequence of their actions. If no insurance is available, the user assumes full responsibility for any damages or injuries that occur during the access as a consequence of their actions.
After access
After completing the TNA/NOA project, users are required to complete the Scientific & Expense Report. The report must be checked and signed by the host facility and then uploaded on the dedicated portal. User reports on each project must be provided no later than one month after the access period. Users will also be required to complete a feedback questionnaire about their TNA/NOA experience.Users must also adhere to the general ILGE TNA/NOA Data Policy, which includes:
- Acknowledgement in dataset and peer-reviewed publications: acknowledge the project and the support from the ILGE network in any publication resulting from work conducted within the TNA/NOA Activity at the host facility, following the dedicated sentence outlined in the Access Agreement.
- Open access commitment: ensure open access to all data and peer-reviewed publications associated with TNA/NOA activities. The User/User group commits to publishing the data as a data publication on the GFZ Data Services repository or any other repository in EPOS MSL. If the data formats and/or size are unsuitable for these portals, Users are requested to upload their data in another appropriate data repository under a CC:BY 4.0 license. Peer-reviewed publication(s) resulting from the data acquired under the TNA/NOA activity must be Open Access at the latest i) upon publication through the publisher, or ii) within six months via a trusted repository.
- Adherence to data management plan: conform to the data management plan, which is an integral part of the Access Agreement signed between the user and the facility.
Confidentiality of personal data
All personal data collected during the application process is used solely by the ILGE network for managing TNA/NOA activities and fulfilling legal tasks and duties related to communication and research, in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the institutional privacy policies. No personal data is shared with the external review panel during the evaluation phase, nor will personal data be rented, sold, or shared with third parties except for reporting purposes. Applicants are requested to review and consent to the above mentioned privacy policy upon application.
Contacts
For general information on the TNA/NOA call or questions about the application process, please check the ILGE TNA/NOA FAQ, or contact management.ilge@ingv.it