Project Submission

The ER-C User Facility provides both, direct services and scientific assistance in the field of advanced electron microscopy applications to university research groups and research laboratories in industry. Given that results are published in a peer reviewed journal or an equivalent paper with the ER-C User Facility, its personnel involved in the research, and involved funding agencies being acknowledged properly, access to ER-C instruments for scientific use is provided at no cost. If you plan to utilize experimental or methodical ER-C resources, please follow the procedure described below to apply for periods of instrumental use or counseling activities. In our Facilities section you will find detailed information about our instruments.

For all inquiries and questions concerning the ER-C User Facility please contact our User Officer.

For specific Life Science related questions you can also directly contact our Life Science Service Team.

Prior to submitting an official proposal, feasibility and lead time of your project need to be checked. For this purpose, please contact our ER-C User Office. They will be your main point of contact at the ER-C and will support you in choosing the right technique and instrument. They will answer your questions and will bring you in contact with the ER-C scientist/-s that have the expertise that matches your project best.

ER-C Material Science Facility Proposals

Having discussed with you the basic scope and viability of the project in detail we kindly ask all external users of the material science facility to complete the ER-C Material Science Project Proposal Form and to submit it to the ER-C User Office. Your proposal will be forwarded to an external review committee appointed by the German Research Foundation (DFG) which will decide on its eligibility. Submitting a research proposal implies the acceptance of the ER-C Material Science Terms of Use and Charges Regulations.

ReMade@ARI Proposals

ReMade@ARI is a Horizon Europe-funded project, which provides an exclusive access path for user projects dedicated to developing new materials for a circular economy*.

ReMade@ARI refers to “Circular economy” as a model of production and consumption that focuses on designing products that are more durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable to extend their lifetime and reduce waste.

ReMade@ARI offers access to state-of-the-art research infrastructures, which encompasses synchrotrons, free-electron lasers, electron microscopes, neutron sources, high magnetic field laboratories and ion or positron beam facilities, as well as related scientific support in using them for advanced materials characterization.

Researchers from all around the world can submit ReMade@ARI proposals for coordinated (free-of-charge) access to more than 50 European analytical research infrastructures and their technology available at the same or different analytical facilities.
The ER-C is one of the Electron Microscopy techniques providers.

THE NEXT DEADLINES FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION:

24^th September 2025 – for Pre-Proposal submission
An optional submission route for academic and non-academic users who have an idea of what they intend to develop, but may be uncertain concerning its general feasibility or the technique(s) required.
Pre-Proposals provide the unique opportunity to receive direct advice from ReMade@ARI scientists. Pre-Proposals do not undergo a review process or lead to the allocation of instrument time.
To apply for instrument time, the pre-proposal needs to be transferred into a full proposal and submitted in the corresponding call for Standard (ReMade-TNA) access (see below).
Pre-proposal submission via the ARIA Portal is available here

24^th September 2025 – for Standard (ReMade-TNA) access
Standard access is open for both, academia and industry as long as results are shared openly (see Dissemination of Results). These calls for proposals are issued twice a year. Access will be provided after call closure.
Proposal submission via the ARIA Portal is available from 27^th August 2025 here

15^th April 2026 – for ReMade-SME access
SME access is open for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), without the need to publish the results. The calls for proposals for this quick-access path are issued once a year with a rapid response plan: Proposal submission is based on a “rolling call”, i.e. they can be submitted anytime between 3.02.2025 and 15.04.2026 and will be continuously evaluated. Access is provided as soon as possible after proposal approval.
Proposal submission via the ARIA Portal is possible here

For more information, please visit:

The ReMade website here
The ReMade catalogue of tools and techniques here
You can also find more information regarding the offers and Call in this short video.

and/or contact info@remade-project.eu .

Submitting a ReMade@ARI research proposal including a request for access to the ER-C facility implies the acceptance of the ER-C Terms of Use and Charges Regulations.

RIANA proposals

RIANA is a Horizon Europe-funded project which provides an exclusive access path for user projects which address topics in the field of nano science and nanotechnology.

RIANA refers to “nano objects” whenever the structures of an object that determine its key properties are smaller than 100 nm in at least one dimension.

RIANA’s offer includes access to research infrastructures and related scientific support encompassing the entire process chain in nano science research and nanotechnology: from targeted simulations of nano materials and structures, over synthesis and manufacturing, to material characterization and analysis RIANA provides support by experts.

Researchers from all around the world can submit RIANA proposals for coordinated (free-of-charge) access to more than 69 European analytical research infrastructures and their technology at the same or different analytical facilities.
The ER-C is one of the Electron Microscopy techniques providers.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PATHS:

RIANA Pre-Proposal submission
An optional submission route for academic and non-academic users who have an idea of what they intend to develop, but may be uncertain concerning its general feasibility or the technique(s) required.
Pre-Proposals provide the unique opportunity to receive direct advice from RIANA scientists. Pre-Proposals do not undergo a review process or lead to the allocation of instrument time.
To apply for instrument time, the pre-proposal needs to be transferred into a full proposal and submitted in the corresponding call for Standard (RIANA-TNA) access (see below).
Pre-proposal submission via the ARIA Portal is available here

RIANA-TNA access
Standard access is open for academia (with or without industry collaboration) as long as results are shared openly (see Dissemination of Results). It is dedicated to interdisciplinary research proposals that require the use of complementary techniques, i.e. requesting access to at least two RIANA infrastructures.
If a user is insecure which techniques to use, it is strongly recommended to reach out to the Science Support through a pre-proposal (see above).
The application path is open throughout the whole funding period of the RIANA project and implemented as a rolling call.
RIANA-TNA proposal submission is available via the ARIA Portal here

RIANA-SME access
This access path is open for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
RIANA-SME proposal submission via the ARIA Portal will soon open here

For more information, please visit:

The RIANA website here
The RIANA catalogue of tools and techniques here
You can also find more information regarding the offers and Call by contacting info@riana-project.eu.

Submitting a RIANA research proposal including a request for access to the ER-C facility, implies the acceptance of the ER-C Terms of Use and Charges Regulations.

Subject to approval of your proposal, you may arrange your visiting time and date for experimental analyses directly with the ER-C contact person named in your proposal. Further travel information can be four on our Travel info page.

All users are obliged to notify their local ER-C contacts about any publication of the results achieved at the ER-C.

In the case the ER-C local contact (supporting the project from ER-C side) has meaningfully contributed to the publication, she/he should be listed as co-author. Any other contributions should be clarified with the involved ER-C staff and decision on the most appropriate gratification of the ER-C staff contribution (co-authorship or acknowledgment) should be taken based on the bilateral agreement.

An indication of the instruments used at the ER-C can be made in the publication, preferably in the “experimental” part. An overview of the instruments available at the ER-C user facility is available here Facilities. DOIs of JLSRF papers describing individual instruments are listed below and can be alternatively cited.

The following acknowledgement statement is required at the end of any publication resulting from the particular experiments performed at ER-C:

“This work contains results obtained from the experiments performed at the Ernst Ruska-Centre (ER-C) for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons at the Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) in Germany The ER-C beam-time access was provided via the [x].”

Where [x] stands for:

“DFG Core Facility Project [ER-C Project Number]” -in the case of ER-C Projects
„ Transnational Access in the frame of ReMade-at-ARI Project [ReMade Proposal Number and name]” – in the case of ReMade-at-ARI granted Proposals*
„ Transnational Access in the frame of RIANA Project [RIANA Proposal Number and name]” – in the case of RIANA granted Proposals*

* please note, that in the case of:

ReMade@ARI granted Proposals: all users are additionally obliged to acknowledge support from ReMade@ARI by adding exactly the following text to any publication:

“Funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-INFRA-2021-SERV-01 under grant agreement number 101058414 and co-funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee (grant number 10039728) and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 22.00187. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council or the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Neither the European Union nor the granting authorities can be held responsible for them.”

RIANA granted Proposals: all users are additionally obliged to acknowledge support from RIANA by adding exactly the following text to any publication:

“Funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-INFRA-2023-SERV-01 under grant agreement number 101130652. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union and the European Union cannot be held responsible for them.”

Please keep in mind that (the lack of) proper acknowledgments for former experiments is an important factor which influences a decision on allocating the beam-time in the future.

Project Submission

Perform Feasibility Check

Proposal Submission

Arrange your ER-C visit

Publication & Acknowledgement