The lung is probably one of the most difficult organs to study by MRI because of its low proton density. Still, MRI is very interesting as not exposure of ionizing radiation to patients and its important role for translatability studies. Moreover, assessment of regional pulmonary perfusion and ventilation with clinical value as an indicator of lung function by MRI has been demonstrated using MRI based techniques both with hyperpolarized and fluorinated gases, oxygen and contrast agent free methods. The π-net ITN will undertake successful efforts (funded under the fifth and six framework program) and previous bilateral collaborative and complementary work of different European research teams to contribute to the field of lung functional MRI. π-net proposes very complementary and strongly interlinked research and training activities for these functional studies. The main research activity line aims at applying MRI based techniques for diagnosis (human and preclinical activities) and treatment (only preclinical) monitoring of lung diseases (COPD, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, asthma), without excluding the possibilities that other imaging techniques (nuclear, CT and optical imaging) and molecular approaches (including molecular imaging and metabolomic analysis) may bring to the field. Π-net plans a training program to provide new ESR high level multidisciplinary scientific education and complementary skills for animal studies, MRI and other imaging techniques, and on translational aspects of research.The network is formed by 9 groups, located in 5 different countries (Spain, France, UK, Germany and Sweden). The centres hold researchers with previous experience in the network work and with researchers with high quality scientific production rate, and with experience in MRI physics, therapy, clinical, physiopathological and molecular aspects of respiratory diseases.