Twelve user proposals from seven different countries, requesting eleven different radionuclides, were received for the first PRISMAP call, thereunder two proposals that requested access to PRISMAP medical facilities and ten that requested delivery of PRISMAP radionuclides to their user laboratory. The eleven-headed PRISMAP user selection panel, led by Cornelia Hoehr (TRIUMF, Canada), analysed the proposals in terms of scientific excellence, project implementation, expected outcome, and competences of the research team.

After a first preselection, nine proposals qualified for the next step. The panel then discussed details with the proposers per email and video conference. In particular, the selection of adequate radionuclides and frequency of delivery was discussed with the proposers to optimize the efficient use of PRISMAP radionuclides. While PRISMAP does propose a wide range of radionuclides, the available activities and frequency of production do vary considerably. E.g., for the quadruplet of terbium isotopes, the longer-lived 161Tb and 155Tb are available more frequently and at higher activities than the shorter-lived 152Tb and 149Tb. It is therefore strongly recommended to structure projects as to perform basic research on Tb radiolabelling or pharmacokinetic studies rather with the longer-lived isotopes, while keeping the shorter-lived ones for a later stage when the individual decay properties are really essential for a given application. If you have any question on how to shape your own project, don’t hesitate to contact our helpdesk!

Eventually all nine preselected proposals were approved, but sometimes only a first part up to a milestone where the feasibility of the full programme can be further assessed. The successful proposers (from BE, DE, ES, FR and IT) were informed of the outcome and user agreements with the supplying or hosting PRISMAP facilities were prepared. You can browse the public summary of the selected projects on our website.