SmartCow Transnational Access: Second Call for proposals launched
Free access to the leading European cattle research facilities
We are pleased to announce the launch of the second call for proposals for Transnational Access (TNA) within the SmartCow project. The TNA call makes available cattle research facilities of SmartCow partners for research by academic or industry colleagues from other (mainly EU) countries. There are 18 research installations in seven countries, covering a range of cattle types managed in diverse husbandry and feeding systems. They include the most advanced animal science technologies applied to cattle in the fields of nutrition, physiology, ethology and animal husbandry.
Successful bidders will receive funding to cover the operating costs of facilities, but not their own costs.
Second call’s documents and information::
- Rules regarding the operation of the scheme and selection of projects (Procedural Manual)
- Data Protection Notice for the processing of personal data
- Descriptions of facilities available for TNA projects*
- Priority research areas*
*Note that there is most availability of facilities remaining at Teagasc (Moorepark dairy facilities), IRTA (dairy facilities), SRUC (dairy and beef facilities; respiration chambers), FBN (including respiration chambers and facilities for physiology and behavioural studies) and INRAE Le Pin (dairy and beef facilities).
We have adopted a two-stage application process with initial short pre-proposals allowing us to check eligibility of project teams and availability of 
facilities before teams add more detail about the proposed work at the full proposal stage.
The deadlines for the second TNA call were as follows:
1st stage application (pre-proposal) deadline: 30th June 2019
2nd stage application (full proposal) deadline: 30th September 2019
The SmartCow Access Management Team is available to provide advice on any aspect of the scheme; please contact them by email (smartcow-tna@inra.fr forwards to them all) or individually:
- Richard Dewhurst (richard.dewhurst@sruc.ac.uk) – Transnational Access leader
- René Baumont (rene.baumont@inrae.fr) – SmartCow Coordinator
- Lene Munksgaard (lene.munksgaard@anis.au.dk)
We anticipate a further call for proposals launching in April 2020.