Attractiveness

To carry out its research activities, the University of Lorraine and its research partners in Lorraine are equipped with numerous research infrastructures, of varying sizes and purposes, distributed across their 60 laboratories.

Since 2016, the INFRA+ program of the Lorraine Excellence Initiative has aimed to map, optimize, and promote all infrastructures on the Lorraine site serving user communities broader than a single research team. These open research infrastructures, often called platforms, provide access to state-of-the-art equipment and the expertise of specialized staff to carry out one-off or recurring missions. They are accessible to all those who apply, according to clearly established procedures. Being integrated into research laboratories, they serve as a relay point towards researchers and teacher-researchers of the site. Being part of professional networks and national or even European infrastructure networks, they provide access to an even wider range of resources.

As of September 1st, 2025, 65 platforms, operated by more than 400 staff members, have been or are being supported in the implementation of a quality approach that ensures the traceability and quality of the data produced or processed. The INFRA+ label, built on ISO 9001 and 17025 standards, certifies this. Labeled infrastructures are easily accessible. The Plug In Labs Lorraine website provides an efficient search engine to find available equipment and expertise, and then contact their managers.

Key figures

• 65 platforms labeled (57) or in progress (8) in 30 laboratories
• 6 platforms ISO 9001 certified
• 7 platforms listed in the national research infrastructure roadmap
• 5 platforms included in a European research infrastructure network (ESFRI)
• 390 support staff
• 1600 research instruments

Optimization of platforms

Through its INFRA+ program, the members of the Lorraine Initiative of Excellence aim to optimize the research infrastructures present in Lorraine in order to increase research potential, staff expertise, and the attractiveness of the Lorraine site.

The first component of optimization actions consists in making available two quality engineers to support volunteer platforms in implementing or pursuing a quality approach to manage and develop their activities. This work is validated by INFRA+ labeling and then confirmed through regular audits thanks to a network of quality auditors, also created and developed within the INFRA+ program. If you are interested in this program and wish to engage in the INFRA+ labeling process, please fill in this Call for Expressions of Interest (in french).

For more information: download the terms of reference, the INFRA+ framework, or contact lue-gt-infra@univ-lorraine.fr.

A second action concerns the training and networking of platforms. INFRA+ organizes two seminar days per year as well as occasional webinars to provide information, training, and networking opportunities for staff. The thematic networking policy is inspired by, and adapted to the scale of a research site, the national research infrastructure roadmap and the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI).

Access Infra+ seminar and webinar documents

Finally, the INFRA+ program supports platforms, based on their quality approach, in defining a long-term technical and financial trajectory, in agreement with their laboratory(ies) and their scientific division(s). In the case of unforeseen needs likely to block activity, or opportunities allowing acceleration of the trajectory, the INFRA+ program offers a zero-interest loan. To access the INFRA+ loan on a rolling basis, the platform manager downloads the document “Infra+ Funding Call for Unforeseen Needs”, then sends the completed form detailing the need and related issues to lue-GT-Infra@univ-lorraine.fr, with the opinion and commitment of the laboratory director, and the opinion of the division director.