MAGYAR TERMESZETTUDOMANYI MUZEUM

Their core work

The Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM) is one of Central Europe's major natural history institutions, housing millions of biological, geological, and anthropological specimens. Their core work involves curating, digitising, and making accessible vast scientific collections spanning biodiversity, geodiversity, and palaeontology. In the H2020 context, they contribute specimen data and taxonomic expertise to pan-European research infrastructure initiatives, and lend their collections to interdisciplinary historical and archaeogenomic research on migration-era Central Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

HNHM's H2020 participation began in 2019 with a strong focus on digitising and networking natural science collections (SYNTHESYS PLUS), including themes like systematics, taxonomy, and the Anthropocene. By 2020, their involvement expanded in two directions: deeper engagement with distributed data infrastructure for collections (DiSSCo Prepare, an ESFRI preparatory phase) and a surprising move into interdisciplinary historical research on Late Antiquity and early medieval migration (HistoGenes). This suggests the museum is broadening from a pure natural history role toward cross-disciplinary research that exploits its anthropological and archaeological holdings.

HNHM is evolving from a traditional specimen repository toward a digital data provider for both natural sciences and humanities-oriented research.

How they like to work

HNHM operates exclusively as a participant, never as a coordinator — consistent with a large museum contributing collections and expertise to externally-led initiatives. With 59 unique partners across 24 countries from just 3 projects, they work in very large pan-European consortia. This indicates an institution comfortable operating within broad infrastructure networks where their role is providing access to specimens and data rather than driving project direction.

Despite only 3 projects, HNHM has collaborated with 59 partners across 24 countries, reflecting the massive consortia typical of European research infrastructure projects like SYNTHESYS and DiSSCo. Their network spans nearly all of the EU, with no narrow geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

HNHM is Hungary's principal natural history museum and one of the few Central European institutions deeply embedded in both the SYNTHESYS and DiSSCo collection infrastructure networks. Their participation in HistoGenes reveals an unusual dual capability: natural science collections AND anthropological/archaeological expertise relevant to migration-era research. For consortium builders, this makes them a valuable partner who can bridge natural sciences and humanities through their diverse holdings.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SYNTHESYS PLUS
  Largest funding (EUR 145,537) and a flagship project networking Europe's natural history collections for transnational access.
• HistoGenes
  An ERC Synergy Grant — one of the most prestigious and competitive EU funding instruments — combining genetics, archaeology, and history for 400-900 CE Central Europe.
• DiSSCo Prepare
  ESFRI preparatory phase project building Europe's Distributed System of Scientific Collections — positions HNHM in a long-term continental infrastructure.