In early 2022, European XFEL launched a call for expressions of interest in water research with the goal of combining the unique X-ray infrastructure with international expertise in water-based science. A total of 25 proposals were submitted, with all six European XFEL instruments receiving requests for beamtime. Eight of these proposals were accepted for the first semester of beamtime in 2023.

“Climate change and environmental degradation are pressing existential threats to our planet and life as we know it,” says European XFEL Scientific Director Sakura Pascarelli. “Addressing these global challenges requires understanding the underlying processes involved at short length and timescales. The European XFEL is uniquely equipped to play a major role in answering some of the most relevant questions in molecular water research.”

The call was prepared together with DESY’s Centre for Molecular Water Science (CMWS) in Hamburg, and offers up to one week of beamtime per instrument at the European XFEL for successful proposals.