NANOSCI-EPLUS

Transnational call for collaborative proposals in basic nanoscience research

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'NanoSci-E aims at launching, managing and carrying out the follow-up of a transnational call for collaborative projects in the field of basic nanoscience research, with a thematic focus on the “interfacing of functional nano-objects”. In the first phase of the proposed project, the call itself will be implemented, following modalities similar to those used for the first call run by NanoSci-ERA in 2006, while procedures will be amended in order to cope with identified weaknesses. The call will be based on a two-stage submission / evaluation procedure. The funding scheme will rely on a real (although partial) common pot to which a majority of countries will contribute. Mutualizing part of the budget permits to avoid trade-offs where the selection of projects would be determined by the availability of funds, in a manner detrimental to the objective of supporting the highest quality research. The second phase of the project will deal with the management of the call budget, the follow-up activities and the monitoring of the call impacts. Because of the direct involvement of national agencies, NanoSci-E should contribute to blur further the distinction between national and European programmes. It is expected to encourage researchers to “think European” since their agencies give them the opportunity to finance indifferently national or transnational projects. The class of projects that can possibly fit within the scope of the planned call is clearly transverse to many “disciplines” of nanoscience and therefore accessible for the researchers of all the participating countries. In the same time, the topic is ambitious enough and resolutely forward-looking to make necessary a circulation of ideas, competencies and talents as well as a dialogue between different scientific approaches (inter-disciplinarity). It is expected that these two ingredients make transnational collaborations on the proposed topic both likely and meeting a crucial need of the nanoscience community.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Nanoscience and nanotechnologies have facilitated groundbreaking advances in fields from electronics to biomedicine to energy. A large EU consortium pooled resources to spur transnational basic research without traditional funding limitations.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Research funding is often geared towards applied research. This leaves the basic research that is of fundamental importance to emerging scientific areas with few benefactors.

The EU-funded project 'Transnational call for collaborative proposals in basic nanoscience research' (NANOSCI-EPLUS) was designed to facilitate collaborative research initiatives on the interfacing of functional nano objects. In particular, it aimed to remove all considerations of apparent strategic need or individual national funding limitations and priorities.

Financial contributions from participating countries including partners from national scientific funding agencies were pooled with the European Commission grant. This move minimised trade-offs in selecting projects based on limited funds.

The NANOSCI-EPLUS consortium created the framework for evaluation but the actual reviews and recommendations were made by an independent international panel of experts. The submission, evaluation and funding procedure was thus designed to ensure that the most deserving projects were funded with no consideration of international interests or barriers or of potential applications.

NANOSCI-EPLUS funded 24 transnational collaborations on the interfacing of functional nano objects in the context of biology, electronics, photonics, plasmonics and more. Projects began in 2009, were reviewed for progress toward objectives in 2011 and final reports were to be delivered in April 2013.

In the relatively immature yet exponentially growing field of nanoscience and nanotechnology, funding of basic research has often taken a back seat to funding of projects with exciting potential applications. However, understanding the basic physics and materials interactions is prerequisite to knowledge-based and effective product development.

The NANOSCI-EPLUS consortium, through coordinated cooperation in research and funding at the national, regional and European levels, has established lasting partnerships for basic nanoscience research. Transnational collaborations will lead to exciting insights into the fundamental properties and behaviours of nano-scale objects. They will also form a solid foundation for many new and better focused applied research projects in the nanosciences.