The PITHIA-NRF project “Plasmasphere Ionosphere Thermosphere Integrated Research Environment and Access services: a Network of Research Facilities” aims at building a European distributed network that integrates observations from space and ground, data processing tools and models to support scientific research on the Plasmasphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere system. PITHIA-NRF is designed to provide formalised open access to experimental facilities, data and models, standardised data products, and training services. Participating organisations that operate these facilities, formed twelve nodes in eleven European countries. These nodes work on optimising their observing facilities and offer trans-national access to scientists and engineers. The PITHIA-NRF e-Science Centre is a core element of the project. Its design and evolution are controlled by a systematic ontology which governs the collection of scientific observations and research models, jointly termed data collections, which are registered with the e-Science Centre. Several tens of data collections are being registered. Data collection registrations adhere to FAIR principles and transparent quality measures to a large extent. The e-Science Centre facilitates the execution of research projects proposed by researchers from inside and outside the PITHIA-NRF consortium which require trans-national access to and understanding of data collections (observations and models) residing at one or several PITHIA-NRF nodes. Upon completion of the project a comprehensive collection of observations and models will have been gathered by the e-Science Centre for the benefit of efficient scientific research which relies on Europe-wide collaboration.