n February 2023 a new database of research infrastructures available to researchers was made public. The database, created within the EDUC-SHARE project, lists all research infrastructures or core facilities (as they are called in the life sciences domain). Currently, there are 115 research infrastructures listed. They cover different scientific fields such as life sciences, social sciences, physical sciences, and engineering or health.
Research Infrastructures are facilities that provide resources and services for research communities to conduct research and foster innovation. Typically they host costly equipment that is centralised and provided by experienced staff.
In the research infrastructures database, you will find short descriptions of the individual research infrastructures, equipment and services that they offer, relevant contact details, and links to their websites, as well as their engagement in national and European infrastructure projects.
The EDUC alliance brings together eight partners, six of whom are involved in the EDUC-SHARE project: Masaryk University, University of Cagliari, University of Pécs, University of Rennes, University of Potsdam and University of Paris Nanterre.
Some of the EDUC partners are leading in the research infrastructures field.
Masaryk University is strongly engaged in the field of research infrastructures, which is documented by its participation in 15 research infrastructures that are recognized and funded by the Czech government additionally, it serves as a node of 12 ESFRI (research infrastructures of pan-European importance) projects. Masaryk University is coordinating the new ESFRI project called EIRENE (Environmental Exposure Assessment Research Infrastructure), which aims to fill the gap in the European infrastructural landscape and to pioneer the first EU infrastructure on human exposome.
The University of Cagliari is home to CeSAR - Center for Research University Services – University of Cagliari Research Infrastructure, is structured in high-tech interdisciplinary laboratories provided with cutting-edge equipment and top-level scientific skills, capable of developing both fundamental and applied research. The services offered are organized in 3 scientific areas: Bio-Medical Sciences, Chemical Science and Physical Sciences. CeSAR was created to drive and support the scientific and technological development of both the University and the local area, to make it competitive at the national and the international level, in the awareness that the boundaries between the different disciplines get increasingly blurred and the synergistic and multidisciplinary approach in research is fundamental.
Other EDUC partners are, however, catching up and establishing research infrastructures that would serve their researchers and students. A nice example is the University of Pécs and its Bioinformatics and Genomics core facility or Biosafety level 4 virology laboratory.
EDUC-SHARE database of research infrastructures: https://educ.openup.education/facilities/?skip=0
The project “EDUC-SHARE” received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 101017526.