Networking activities calls

At the PIANOFORTE Infrastructures Workshop in January 2024, colleagues from PIANOFORTE Infrastructures WP and from the European Union (EU) Radiation Protection Research (RPR) Infrastructures Community discussed access to infrastructures in support of training and research. It was agreed that, while some of the large infrastructures have excellent policies and procedures in place, there is a clear need for further development and harmonisation of routes to access. PIANOFORTE WP5 infrastructure Call to improve and harmonise access to European Radiation Protection Infrastructures has been opened from 1 October until 15 November 2024.

We are delighted to now announce the following three projects were successful:

OpenSLM project

The OpenSLM project, led by the HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, aims to develop a user-friendly, web-based platform for the Stochastic Lung Model (SLM), making it widely accessible to researchers and professionals. The SLM, designed to simulate the respiratory deposition of aerosols with high precision, has already been applied across various fields, including environmental health and radiological protection.
      The project will result in a unified, publicly accessible version of the model, aligned with FAIR principles, overcoming past limitations caused by its complexity and multiple versions. The new web application will feature user registration, intuitive input options, simulation execution, and downloadable results. It will support education, research, and decision-making in areas such as radiation emergencies and air quality assessments.
      Through presentations, publications, and a collaborative approach, the OpenSLM platform is set to enhance the model’s visibility and utility, fostering innovation and cooperation within the scientific community.

Project of the „Jožef Stefan" Institute, Slovenia

The project aims to develop a centralized, modular access platform designed to streamline and standardize the use of JSI's radiation protection infrastructure. By consolidating existing protocols, the platform will provide researchers with clear, step-by-step guidance on how to gain access to advanced equipment and facilities equipment usage procedures, and regulatory compliance. It will also incorporate mandatory forms, essential documentation, and key references in one easily navigable location.
     Such an approach is expected to reduce administrative tasks, ensure adherence to safety regulations, and uphold best practices in radiation protection. Researchers will benefit from an improved workflow that minimizes delays, enhances communication, and fosters collaboration. Over time, this platform will cultivate a culture of efficiency and knowledge-sharing, reinforcing JSI's commitment to responsible and innovative research.
     By adhering to FAIR principles, the platform will promote transparency, collaboration, and harmonized best practices across Europe's RPR community, with a particular focus on the Region. Video lectures and educational materials will be stored within the platform and made available upon request to registered users.

BOOST: Best practices fOr small Or medium Size acceleraTor facilities and application to novel developments

Accelerator techniques provide powerful tools that may be applied to fields as diverse as cancer therapy, cultural heritage or space science. While high-energy machines function through governing bodies such as management boards, smaller size accelerators offer a level of operational flexibility that enables to respond quickly to research needs by making available beam time.
     The BOOST project proposes to define best practices to improve access and communication regarding these small and medium size accelerator-based technique infrastructures. It will provide descriptions of the available infrastructures on public websites, information about how to express an interest or book time using the infrastructure, and about health and safety, travel, accommodation and local assistance. Best practices for dosimetry, calibration and targeting using cells and small organisms will also be proposed using FAIR principles, allowing for accurate and reproducible dosimetry in the radiobiology research field. These practices will then be applied to research items currently developed by the three partners of the BOOST project, related to 3D models (microfluidic chips for small organisms such as worms or fish eggs, softwares for targeting and image analysis, nanosensitizers and nanosensors for 3D sub-cellular imaging). The work performed within the BOOST project will be shared with other researchers involved in accelerator-based technique facilities, through an advisory group made of the partners of the IAEA CRP Project on “Sub-cellular imaging and irradiation using accelerator-based techniques.