This is kind of interesting. There’s a consortium of 15 facilities in several countries in Europe offering access to eligible parties interested in safety testing of nanomaterials. Their second call for transnational access is open until July 31, 2012. From the May 1, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

The Transnational Access (TA) component for QNano is dedicated to providing Users from the European nanosafety community access to nanomaterials processing, characterisation and exposure assessment facilities (TAFs). Access to 15 major European research sites () is via a single application and evaluation process. Collectively, these sites will enable Users to access small to medium scale equipment and facilities (with the appropriate knowledge to apply them in this context) through to some of the most highly equipped nano-characterization centres in Europe. The central principle of access provision is to offer the Users a full range of services from standard nanomaterials, tuition in best practice, laboratory support and training, and a suite of protocols for all aspects of nanomaterials processing and characterisation in a biological context.

You can find out more about who is and isn’t eligible to use the facilities and exactly where those facilities are at the QNano Transnational Access Facilities webpage. You can respond to this 2nd call by applying for access here (although you do need register for an account if you don’t already have one).

I am a little puzzled by their arithmetic as they state there are 15 facilities in nine countries but I count 10 countries although the UK could be considered a region (except all of those facilities are in England).

Despite the numbers issue (in my mind anyway), it’s nice to see the international cooperation.