SBEP:Terms of Reference for Research/Industry Teams submitting TA proposals

This document defines the Terms of Reference for applicants selected under the first Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) Transnational Access (TA) Call to Research Infrastructures. It establishes the framework governing the relationship between research teams (users) and infrastructure providers, setting out eligibility criteria, access modalities, responsibilities, and operational procedures. The guidelines ensure that access to shared marine research infrastructures is conducted safely, ethically, and in accordance with open science principles. They outline user obligations regarding data management, reporting, dissemination of results, research integrity, environmental protection, and acknowledgement of SBEP support. The document also includes a standard User-Provider Agreement template that regulates access conditions, intellectual property, confidentiality, liability, and reporting requirements. More broadly, the initiative aims to strengthen transnational cooperation, facilitate access to world-class marine research infrastructures, promote open data and knowledge sharing, and support innovation and capacity building for the sustainable transformation of Europe’s blue economy.