Frequently Asked Questions

IRISCC supports research related to climate change risks: 

Climate hazards: 

• Extreme weather events: heatwaves, droughts, floods, storm surges. 

• Slow-onset changes: climate warming, desertification, cryosphere melting, sea level rise, ocean acidification. 

• Indirect hazards: fires, landslides, air/water pollution, biological threats (e.g., disease outbreaks).

Exposure & vulnerability: Humans, ecosystems, infrastructure, socio-economic systems. 

Research methods: Laboratory experiments, fieldwork, simulations, modeling, and data analysis. 

Digital services / Virtual Access (VA): Online datasets, climate models, virtual research environments, interactive tools, and demonstrators. 

Services address human, production, and natural systems, including urban/rural areas, mountains, coasts, forests, agro-ecosystems, aquaculture/fisheries, grasslands, shrublands, wetlands, and freshwater/marine environments. 

Yes. IRISCC actively promotes cross-disciplinarity in research projects addressing climate-change-related risks. Projects can choose from:

• Multidisciplinarity: Multiple disciplines contribute independently.

• Interdisciplinarity: Integration of concepts and methods from multiple disciplines.

• Transdisciplinarity: Creation of new frameworks that transcend disciplines, often involving stakeholders beyond academia.

To be competitive, proposals should clearly demonstrate how disciplines are integrated, how the project objectives and methodology reflect cross-disciplinary collaboration, and, where relevant, how multiple RIs or VA services are engaged. Projects meeting these criteria may receive bonus points during evaluation.

IRISCC offers: 

• Opportunities for cross-infrastructure, interdisciplinary, and cross-disciplinary research. 
• Sponsored access to 14 European research infrastructures. 

• Expertise across multiple disciplines, including environmental science, health, and social science. 

• Funding support for eligible researchers, potentially including also  travel and subsistence grant for TA and Fast-Track projects. 

All IRISCC services are listed in the Catalogue of Services, and the Virtual Access (VA) platform.  Select IRISCC project and browse the access opportunities by installations or services. You can filter by: 

• Free text / keywords 

• Research Infrastructure 

• Scientific domain & subdomain 

• Country 

• System (related to human, natural, production) 

• Risk type 

Tip: Always consult the Catalogue before applying for TA or Fast-Track access, and contact the service provider to confirm technical feasibility and access mode.

• Research communities and networks 

• Policy makers and implementation agencies 

• EU project consortia 

• Commercial users 

Any individual or team from academia, government, civil society, or industry may apply, including applicants affiliated to organisations from outside Europe. Early-career researchers and those new to research infrastructures are especially encouraged. IRISCC actively promotes gender equality and welcomes applications from underrepresented groups. 

Yes, PhD candidates and postdocs who have an employment contract are fully eligible.

No strict limit exists, but feasibility must be confirmed with the service provider. A team can apply for travel & subsistence support maximum €2,000 per proposal.

Yes. For TA and Fast-Track access, your institution/employer must be in a different country from the hosting facility (exceptions are all services/installations connected to AnaEE ERIC and EMBRC ERIC). 

TA allows researchers to use IRISCC facilities in another country. Access is competitive, fully supported, and provided through scheduled Open Calls.

• On-Site Access: Conduct experiments, fieldwork, or work directly with facility experts on site. 

• Remote Access: Facility staff perform work on your behalf — no travel needed. 
• Hybrid Access: Combines on-site and remote access for flexible collaboration. 

VA provides immediate online access to digital services, datasets, models, and virtual research environments. No competitive application is required, but registration may be needed to track usage. Available via the IRISCC VA portal. 

Fast-Track is a continuously open call providing priority TA for: 

• Urgent scientific needs due to extreme events or sudden environmental changes. 

• Ukrainian researchers facing challenges due to the ongoing crisis. 

Apply during scheduled Open Calls via the IRISCC Submission Platform: 

1. Check the Service Catalogue – Identify the installation.

1. Review the IRISCC Access Handbook – Guidance on eligibility, access types, and procedures. 

1. Contact the service provider – Confirm technical feasibility and access mode. 

1. Submit your proposal – Via the IRISCC Submission Platform linked from the service page. 

Steps are similar to the regular TA process, but with emphasis on urgency. Fast-Track proposals are processed as soon as they arrive and are evaluated rapidly to ensure timely access (typically within 2-3 weeks).

The Virtual Access (VA) services such as virtual research environments, digital tools, datasets and models are available through the VA platform. No competitive application is required, but some services require registration to be used. 

Independent reviewers score proposals based on: 

• Scientific & technical relevance (0–30 points) 

• Novelty & innovation (0–10 points) 

• Quality of implementation (0–10 points) 

• Bonus: +5 points for multi-infrastructure or cross-disciplinary use 

Projects are ranked and selected based on score and resources. Only those meeting quality thresholds are accepted. 

Peer-review considers scientific/technical relevance, novelty, implementation quality, cross-disciplinary use, and multi-RI involvement. Final rankings are endorsed by the Executive Board. 

Yes. Cross-disciplinary proposals are actively promoted, and bonus points may be awarded during evaluation. 

Notification is typically within two months after the call’s closure.  

• Usually the evaluation takes 2 months and after that you should reserve time for practical arrangements including signing agreement with the service provider.  

• Projects are usually completed within one year, with extensions possible. 

Yes. Users must: 

• Submit a Post-Access Report 

• Acknowledge IRISCC in outputs 

• Disseminate non-confidential results (SMEs may request confidentiality) 

IRISCC may provide support for travel and subsistence (up to €2,000 per accepted application). Funding may be full or co-financed. Payments can be via reimbursement, centralised booking, or invoicing. Additionalincentives may target early-career researchers, underrepresented regions, or fast-track users. We strongly advise applicants to contact the facility provider before making any travel arrangements. 

• Novelty & innovation (0–10 points) 

• Quality of implementation (0–10 points) 

• Bonus: +5 points for multi-infrastructure or cross-disciplinary use 

Projects are ranked and selected based on score and resources. Only those meeting quality thresholds are accepted. 

• TA & Fast-Track: Access to IRISCC services, installations, and expert support are fully covered following Service descriptions, when agreed between the provider and user, additional cost may occur from additionalservices that are outside of IRISCC offeings. Users may apply for travel & subsistence up to €2,000. Salaries are not not covered. 
• VA: Full access to digital services and datasets, free of charge. 

Yes. Proposals using multiple Services or Installations are encouraged and receive bonus evaluation points.

Data ownership follows the RI’s and hosting facility’s policy and is clarified during the agreement phase.

Yes. Training and technical support related to the offered service are provided depending on the service and access mode.  IRISCC has also general training for service users

Yes. IRISCC provides pre-submission guidance on service selection, eligibility, feasibility, and scientific preparation.