AquaTT

ASSEMBLE Plus: Final call for funded access to marine infrastructures

The ASSEMBLE Plus final call for applications is fast approaching. Apply by the 4^th of October 2020 to access some of Europe’s best marine research facilities and services.

Researchers from industry and academia are invited to apply for free access (on-site or remote) to more than 30 institutions between December 2020 and June 2021. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 framework, the ASSEMBLE Plus programme supports researchers in carrying out their own projects using resources not available in their home institutes. The initiative helps participants to enhance their skills, develop new collaborations and contribute to scientific understanding in the field of marine biology.

Since January 2018, the ASSEMBLE Plus Transnational Access (TA) programme has received more than 400 project proposals from European and non-European researchers. Projects have covered a wide range of marine research areas, including molecular biology, ecology, and biochemistry. Their value is highlighted by the many success stories emerging from these projects.

Daniel Wangpraseurt, University of Cambridge, received an ASSEMBLE Plus TA award to work with the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Israel (IUI):

“I applied to ASSEMBLE Plus because I wanted to study the coral reefs of the Red Sea. At IUI, we were able to access deep sea corals and study their light harvesting capacities in comparison to their shallow water counterparts. This allows us to understand the life and functioning of these mesophotic ecosystems and also sheds light on the evolutionary adaptations that allow corals to thrive under dim light conditions, which also has potential biotechnological implications. The research performed in the ASSEMBLE Plus scheme has led to important collaborations and excellent networking opportunities.”

Applications are now open for this TA programme call and will close on the 4^th of October 2020. The award covers use of facilities and services for up to 30 days, in addition to travel, accommodation and meal expenses for up to two researchers per project. The ASSEMBLE Plus team will work with applicants to ensure that the awarded TA projects can be performed as soon as COVID-19 travel restrictions allow.

For more information about the TA programme, previous award holders, eligibility and the application process, please visit assembleplus.eu/access/transnational-access or get in touch with our access officer at assembleplus_ta@embrc.eu. You can follow project updates on Twitter at @ASSEMBLE_Plus

Notes for Editors

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement no. 730984 (ASSEMBLE Plus). The project began in October 2017 and will run until September 2021. The project is coordinated by Sorbonne Université.

For press queries, please contact Anne-Marie Tremblay (amt@embrc.eu).