Euro-‐BioImaging appoints its Hub and nominates the first generation of Nodes
This past autumn, Euro-‐BioImaging (EuBI), the pan-‐European research infrastructure for imaging technologies on the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap took two key steps toward becoming a reality. The EuBI Interim Board approved the proposal of a tripartite coordinating Hub -‐ hosted by Finland (by Turku BioImaging at Åbo Akademi University and University of Turku), Italy (by University of Torino) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL Heidelberg) -‐ and ratified the nomination of 28 imaging facilities as candidates to become the first generation of EuBI Nodes. These are key steps in the establishment of Euro-‐BioImaging as a new European Research Infrastructure Consortium -‐ the EuBI ERIC -‐ that will apply for legal status in 2016 and plans to provide access to imaging technologies of many kinds to users from the national research communities.
With the establishment of the EuBI ERIC (foreseen for 2017), the EuBI Hub will become operational, responsible for the European-‐level coordination of the infrastructure, and supporting researchers, ERIC Members and their National Nodes. Finland will host the ERIC statutory seat; Italy will host the community-‐ specific site for medical imaging (Med-‐Hub), and EMBL will be responsible for biological imaging (Bio-‐Hub). Through its Web Access Portal, the EuBI Hub itself will act as the central entry point for researchers accessing EuBI services, providing open physical access to imaging technologies available through the EuBI Nodes. EMBL-‐ EBI will be responsible for the image data services in collaboration with the Hub partners.
Both the Euro-‐BioImaging Hub and its corresponding Nodes were identified through an open call for proposals, and an independent evaluation process by international evaluation boards composed of leading scientists and technology experts, using excellence in imaging technology and service provision as relevant criteria. The 28 imaging facilities thus nominated as candidates for the first Euro-‐BioImaging Nodes are located in 10 European countries and the EMBL, and offer a powerful portfolio of 36 different state-‐of-‐the-‐art technologies in the fields of biological and medical imaging (see Appendix). They will formally become EuBI Nodes following the ERIC’s establishment in 2017. The recent award of Preparatory Phase II funding by the European Commission provided a much-‐needed boost for its implementation. As a result, the candidate Nodes plan to open their doors to the European research community as early as 2016, welcoming users to their existing capacity during the Interim Phase, so that they can start benefiting from open access to cutting-‐edge instrumentation before ERIC establishment.
Having reached these key milestones, Euro-‐BioImaging is on the fast track toward implementation and operation.
For more information, please visit www.eurobioimaging.eu or contact the Interim Phase Secretariat.
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