23 Jul 2026
The Integrated Distributed Research Infrastructure for Nanoscience (IDRIN) has been conceived as a coordinated and interoperable operational model for a distributed research infrastructure bringing together the facilities and services offered by the NEP consortium under a common coordinated framework. The NFFA-Europe IDRIN encompasses a broad ensemble of access providers, including both beneficiaries and Third Parties providing access against Payment (TPaP), whose complementary scientific and technological capabilities collectively form a single and unique European Research Infrastructure (RI) for the science of matter and advanced materials at the nanoscale, with upscale to micro analysis and technology. While maintaining the distributed nature of its constituent facilities, the IDRIN is designed to operate as a single integrated RI. Its operational model combines geographically distributed installations with central coordination mechanisms and local operational nodes, enabling harmonised access procedures, coordinated service delivery, and effective interoperability among providers. Through this approach, users can access via a Single Entry Point (SEP) a broad portfolio of techniques, instruments and expertise through a common framework, independently of the location of the resources required to perform their research. The coordinated operation of IDRIN relies on several dedicated components, each addressing a specific aspect of the infrastructure management. Scientific quality is ensured through the Access Review Panel (ARP), an independent external peer-review body responsible for evaluating the scientific merit of user proposals. Technical coordination is ensured by the Technical Liaison Network (TLNet), a distributed network composed of a central coordinating node and local nodes at provider sites, assessing technical feasibility, supporting users, and coordinating the implementation of optimised work plans across co-located and distributed facilities. The user-oriented dimension of the infrastructure is supported by the User Office Network (UONet) that coordinates the activities of local User Offices, aiming at the provision of harmonised administrative and logistical services throughout the access lifecycle. Through common procedures and shared service standards, UONet supports users in matters such as travel and subsistence reimbursement, logistics, legal and insurance aspects, while contributing to the integration of administrative information across the infrastructure. A further fundamental component of IDRIN is the data management framework, which supports the implementation of FAIR data principles and promotes advanced data stewardship practices across all infrastructure activities. The data management platform provides an integrated environment linking scientific datasets, metadata and access-related information, enabling the production, storage and exploitation of FAIR research data while supporting monitoring, reporting and future socio-economic analyses of the infrastructure usage. Together, these coordination components provide the scientific, technical, operational and datamanagement foundations required to operate the IDRIN as a coherent distributed infrastructure. To support the development of sustainable schemes for the long-term technical and scientific management of the IDRIN, the coordinators of the main operational components were invited to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the current operational model and explain their view on the needs for its further evolution. The analysis presented in this deliverable is based on their contributions and on the common themes emerging across the different coordination areas.31 Jul 2025
According to the Grant Agreement, in the lifetime of NFFA-Europe Pilot the Transnational Access offer must enlarge to meet (i) the qualitative needs of users that could be better met with new specialized providers, or (ii) quantitative needs resulting in oversubscription of the current capacity. To this aim, two calls for additional access providers were foreseen at M24 and M40, respectively. This report describes the rationale that led to the text of the second call for additional access providers, i.e. from the evaluation of the needs – mainly based on the analysis provided in the deliverable D2.7 “Second balance of access provision” - to the search for alternative solutions to widen and strengthen the current offer.31 May 2025
This report presents an experimental workflow designed to perform correlative measurements as part of the NEP-NFFA project, using silicon nitride (Si3N4) membranes equipped with platinum (Pt) markers. These membranes were developed through a collaboration between DESY NanoLab and ESRF-ID21. DESY NanoLab was responsible for the Pt deposition on the Si3N4 membranes, while ESRF-ID21 carried out the correlative measurements. The purpose of the Pt markers on the membranes is to act as fiducial points that help to precisely locate specific regions or points of interest (ROI/POI) with micrometric or nanometric accuracy. This is essential to analyze the same point of the sample using different techniques, and to collect complementary data for a better understanding of the sample. The proposed workflow involves complementary techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and synchrotron-based techniques like micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) performed at the nano-X-ray microscope (nano-SXM) at beamline ID21 of the Softhis report describes the initial design of the membranes with the markers, as well as the optimized version, based on results obtained during the first tests with nano-SXM. In addition, it shows how the Pt markers enable accurate correlation through the web-based graphical interface Daiquiri, linking the morphological information from optical microscopy with the chemical information obtained from µXRF. The technical feasibility of this approach has been confirmed, showing that the process is reproducible and potentially applicable to similar studies. This is possible due to the standardized Pt deposition process and the use of nano-SXM for sample localization and data acquisition.
