FHERITALE: Food, Health, and Environmental Research Infrastructures to Tackle Emerging Priorities

What is TNA?

Transnational Access (TNA) is a funding program that lets researchers from one country use specialized research facilities, equipment, or resources located in another country – usually for free or at reduced cost.

How it works: Think of it like a library card system, but for expensive scientific equipment. A researcher in Spain might need to use a specialized telescope in Chile, or a particle accelerator in Switzerland, or a rare biological collection in Germany. TNA programs cover the costs so researchers can access these facilities they couldn’t otherwise afford.

Key points:

• Who pays: Usually funded by the EU or other international research organizations
• What’s covered: Travel, accommodation, and access to the facility/equipment
• The goal: Share expensive infrastructure across borders so science advances faster and more equitably
• Who benefits: Researchers who don’t have access to specialized equipment in their home country

Example: A marine biologist in Poland wants to study deep-sea creatures but doesn’t have access to a research vessel. Through TNA, they could apply to use a marine research station in Norway, with costs covered by the program.

It’s essentially about democratizing access to world-class research infrastructure and promoting international scientific collaboration. Several of our projects offer TNA funding, explore them in the links below.