15–19 May 2023
SPACET 2023
SPA and ET cryo-EM workshop, hands on training for how to perform single particle analysis (SPA) and cryo-electron tomography (CET) data collection and analysis, May 15th-19th, BIOCEV.
On 24 July 2025, Germany, as the designated host country of the future eLTER ERIC consortium (Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem, Critical Zone and Socio-Ecological System Research Infrastructure), submitted a first-stage application (so-called Step 1 application) to the European Commission for the establishment of eLTER ERIC. The European Commission will subsequently review the application, the proposed statutes, and the technical-scientific description of the consortium. Within the next three months, a decision can be expected, along with possible recommendations and requests to adjust the parameters of the future eLTER ERIC consortium. The Czech Republic, together with Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland, is among the potential founding members of the consortium. European Research Infrastructure eLTER RI One Step Closer to the Establishment of the Consortium (eLTER – a European Research Infrastructure – Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research) European Research Infrastructure eLTER eLTER RI is a distributed research infrastructure that supports cutting-edge research and brings new insights into the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, pollution, and unsustainable resource use on various European socio-ecological systems. eLTER RI aims to develop scientific capacity to better understand the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. By integrating a socio-ecological approach to studying human–nature systems and engaging the knowledge of key stakeholders, it provides a solid basis for evidence-based policy-making that seeks sustainable solutions to current and future challenges. The consortium’s management functions will be ensured by the central office, which will be part of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung) in Leipzig. Other important parts of the consortium will include, for example, the Data Management Centre (“Data Centre”), responsible for data administration, and the Analytical Centre. CzeCOS – Domanínek Experimental Site (Experimentální pracoviště ekofyziologie rostlin Domanínek – Ústav výzkumu globálni změny, AV ČR v. v. i.) Czech participation in the future eLTER ERIC consortium Czech partners involved in the establishment and operation of the future European research infrastructure eLTER include the large research infrastructure CzeCOS, coordinated by the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice through the large research infrastructure CENAKVA. The Czech Republic has long acted as a significant partner for eLTER RI and as a potential host country for one of the components of the future consortium, namely the Data Centre. The research organisation responsible for the Data Centre within eLTER RI is Masaryk University in Brno, specifically the Centre for Education, Research and Innovation in ICT (CERIT), focused on building a resilient digital society.
On 25 June 2025, the European Commission adopted a decision to establish the consortium of the European research infrastructure DANUBIUS-ERIC, which will manage the European research infrastructure DANUBIUS (International Centre for Advanced Studies on River-Sea Systems). The DANUBIUS-ERIC European research infrastructure consortium project brings together a total of 7 European countries: the Czech Republic, Italy, Moldova, the Netherlands, Austria, Romania, and the United Kingdom. The registered office of the DANUBIUS-ERIC consortium will be located in Romania, at the coordination centre in the town of Murighiol, situated directly in the Danube River Delta. DANUBIUS-ERIC is the first European research consortium to be based in Romania. The Czech Republic is involved in the consortium through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and two national nodes: the large research infrastructures CENAKVA (operated by the University of South Bohemia) and CzeCOS (operated by the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences). DANUBIUS-ERIC is 21st ERIC with participation of the Czech Republic. A view of the future central HUB site in Murighiol, Romania (Media Gallery – DANUBIUS-PP) European Research Infrastructure DANUBIUS The mission of DANUBIUS-ERIC is to enable excellent research within the river–sea system, to offer state-of-the-art research infrastructure, and to provide integrated knowledge necessary for the sustainable development and protection of aquatic ecosystems. The formal essence of the European research infrastructure DANUBIUS is a coordinated network of scientific institutions distributed across Europe. The management function will be carried out by the coordination centre located in Romanian Murighiol. Other important parts of the research infrastructure include the Data Centre based in Bucharest. The role of specialised centres providing equipment and services, storing and making data available, and access to experimental and measurement facilities will in the future be fulfilled by a set of nodes – for example, the analytical node, operating within the centre in Murighiol, or the observation node operated by the Marine Laboratory (PML) in Plymouth, southern England. Finally, the structure of DANUBIUS-ERIC is also composed of so-called Supersites. These are sites with significant scientific potential, serving as focal points for observation, comprehensive research, and modelling of river–sea systems. One such Supersite, named Hydrological Nexus of Central Europe, has been in operation since last year on the territory of the Czech Republic. Pond facility of the CENAKVA Centre in Vodňany, South Bohemia (Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích – centrum CENAKVA) Czech Participation in DANUBIUS-ERIC The Czech Republic was one of the first countries where the DANUBIUS European research infrastructure project received official support. Czech partners involved in the creation and operation of the future European research infrastructure DANUBIUS include the large research infrastructure CzeCOS, coordinated by the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice through the large research infrastructure CENAKVA. Both CzeCOS and CENAKVA offer capacities for excellent research on European river basins, which can be used within the Czech Supersite Hydrological Nexus of Central Europe. The unique role of the Czech Supersite is given by the location of the Czech Republic as a watershed of three seas and as the source area of several major European rivers. Thus, within DANUBIUS-ERIC, the Czech side participates in activities aimed at supporting top-level world interdisciplinary research and innovation in freshwater research.
When: 17 September 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Where: Brno, Czechia Over the past eleven years, Ukraine has shown extraordinary resilience in the face of ongoing Russian aggression. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, the country has had to redirect much of its focus and resources toward defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. These challenges have profoundly affected the development of Ukraine’s research and innovation (R&I) ecosystem. As neighbouring EU countries, we share a collective responsibility to support the revitalisation of Ukraine’s structures. Organised within the project RIFF, this conference seeks to foster meaningful collaboration not only between European and Ukrainian academic communities but also among Ukrainian stakeholders themselves. It is designed for a variety of actors, including researchers, policymakers, and funders. Besides offering fruitful panel discussions, the event will serve as a networking platform intended to lay the groundwork for concrete action aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s R&I landscape. The program will feature a series of panel discussions with distinguished speakers and presentations focusing on: * The reconstruction of Ukraine’s research and higher education systems, including research infrastructures * Showcasing international support initiatives, highlighting contributions from the EU, individual member states, and third countries such as the UK and Switzerland Register by August 31 Programme Please note that the on site capacity is limited, therefore your registration will become valid AFTER we confirm it to you by email.