Infrastructure

The NHRF plays a coordinating role or participates as a partner in a significant number of national research infrastructures. In particular, during the 2014-2020 NSRF programming period, the NHRF participated in the following infrastructures:

INSPIRED-GR: National Research Infrastructure for Integrated Structural Biology, Drug Discovery, and Functional Characterization of Drug Targets (coordinator: NHRF)

BIOIMAGING-GR: National Research Infrastructure for Imaging and Monitoring of Fundamental Biological Processes (coordinator: FORTH)

OPENSCREEN-GR: Open Access Research Infrastructure for Chemical Biology and Targeting Technologies for Health, Agriculture, and the Environment (coordinator: “Demokritos”)

OMIC-ENGINE-GR: National Research Infrastructure in Synthetic Biology, with developed integrated technology and infrastructure platforms (coordinator: University of Thessaly)

ELIXIR-EL: National Research Infrastructure in Bioinformatics (coordinator: IBPh “Al. Fleming”)

EATRIS-GR: National Research Infrastructure in Translational Research (coordinator: ITEBA).

INNOVATION-EL: National Research Infrastructure covering all stages from material synthesis and characterization to system and device design and testing, including multiscale simulations and theoretical support.

HELLAS-CH: National Research Infrastructure offering access to advanced experimental facilities for cutting-edge research in laser science and cultural heritage science.

Many of the collaborations developed through funded research projects or other initiatives result in long-term collaborations or broader agreements, such as the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed over time by the NHRF with both domestic and foreign institutions.

Creation of Core Facilities and Strengthening of the Role of the NHRF in National and European Research Infrastructures

The National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) is implementing a strategy to create unified core facilities for the scientific equipment of its Institutes by combining laboratory infrastructures under joint administrative management. The core facilities will be supported by specialized technical staff and their funding for consumables and maintenance will be ensured, taking advantage of the economies of scale that are developed.

These infrastructures will support the Foundation’s internal research activities and will also offer services to external partners, serving as a source of additional revenue and strengthening the role of the NHRF as a research hub in the national and international Research and Innovation ecosystem.

As part of the project “SUB5 – Creation of a Center of Excellence for the development of advanced organic materials and innovative approaches for the diagnosis and treatment (theranostics) of cancer and bioelectronic applications” (OPS Code TA 5173962), which is funded by the Recovery and Resilience Fund (Action 16624) and the PDO through a loan agreement with the EIB, the NHRF is being strengthened with a set of advanced scientific instruments covering critical areas of modern biomedical and technological research.

The new equipment currently being procured, in combination with the existing equipment of the Institute of Chemical Biology (ICB), will form the basis of the NHRF’s new core facilities. The relevant infrastructure will be integrated into a unified management system, with technical support and a sustainable financial framework, enhancing their functionality and efficiency.

The extroverted operation of the core facilities is expected to strengthen the NHRF’s position as a Center of Excellence, providing advanced services to third parties, generating additional resources, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the research infrastructure.

At the same time, the NHRF is strengthening its role as coordinator or core partner in national research infrastructures, with targeted thematic specialisation in its fields of scientific excellence. It also actively participates in European research infrastructures (RIs), including ESFRI and ERIC, ensuring its participation through the overheads of the Foundation’s competitive programs.

Greece participates as a full member in the European research infrastructure INSTRUCT-ERIC, which is a “landmark” in the European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. This membership was initiated by Prof. D. Sarigiannis, confirming the leading role of the NHRF in the field of Structural Biology in Southeast Europe.

The NHRF has been appointed by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI) as the country’s official representative on the INSTRUCT-ERIC Council and, by decision of its Board of Directors, covers the cost of Greece’s participation in this infrastructure.

On October 10, 2024, the NHRF hosted the INSTRUCT-ERIC Council meeting in Athens, and on the sidelines of the meeting, an official event was held to mark Greece’s accession as a full member of the European Structural Biology Infrastructure. The event was attended by over 200 distinguished scientists from Greece and abroad, from 20 different countries, who recognized the importance of Greece’s participation and praised the catalytic role of the NHRF in this important research development.