HYBRICYL project presents novel preparative methods developed towards the fabrication of organic-inorganic heterojunctions in coaxial geometry using arrays of parallel cylindrical nanochannels. The aim of this project is to provide new experimental insight into the function of photovoltaic (PV) systems and optimize the geometrical parameters to improve their efficiency. The goal structures will be achieved based on three different elements: a) nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) films, b) atomic layer deposition (ALD) of inorganic semiconductors, and c) the use of organic semiconductors as hole transporter materials and bulk heterojunctions. Nanoporous AAO will be used as template due to the great geometrical flexibility achievable, diameter = 20 - 400 nm; interpore distance = 50- 500 nm; length = 0.1 - 10 um, in self-ordered domains of nanopores. The ALD will be used to coat homogeneously the nanochannels of the AAO with electron conductor materials (TiO2) and light absorber (Sb2S3). The thickness of these layers will be ranging from 5 to 50 nm. Finally, organic hole transporter materials and bulk heterojunction will be infiltrated into the nanochannels in contact with the light absorber to form coaxial organic-inorganic heterojunctions in arrays hexagonally ordered nanochannels. The optical and electrical properties of these PV structures will be studied for a better understanding of the physical process involved. In particular, a series of organic semiconductors will be systematically investigated. This will allow us to optimize the geometrical parameters in function of the charge carriers transport distances (hole mobility) and quantity of light absorbed (absorption coefficient). We will identify the limiting factors of the solar cell efficiency. We will be able to fabricate devices with tailor made geometries to improve the charge generation and collection, and reduce the recombination processes at the interfaces, thereby improving their efficiencies.

Ionic liquids (ILs), with their unique combination of properties and wealth of potential applications, have captured the imagination of a large community of scientists in recent years. Fundamental studies on ILs have led to breakthroughs in our understanding and have enabled the development of ILs that are promising candidates for use in areas such as catalysis, carbon-capture and storage (CCS), biomass processing, as electrolytes in batteries, supercapacitors and dye-sensitised solar cells and more. This project aims to develop and utilise a wide range of experimental and computational methodologies to investigate the surface, and bulk, structure of IL mixtures that are currently poorly understood and consequently underutilised. We previously developed a novel technique that can probe liquid interfaces with direct chemical specificity, Reactive-Atom Scattering - Laser-Induced Fluorescence (RAS-LIF), and used it to detect H (or D)-containing functional groups at IL interfaces. We will extend its applicability to new chemical functionalities, in particular fluorinated species, by using high-energy Al-atoms as reactive probes of fluorinated functionality (on both cations and anions) at IL surfaces. This will be complemented by new capabilities for studying liquid surfaces by X-ray and neutron reflectivity under catalytically relevant conditions, and by bulk structure/property studies. The detailed understanding developed will lead to structure-property relationships in IL mixture systems that will be used in the final stages of the project in supported IL phase (SILP) catalysis and will support the deployment of new and bespoke functional ILs for catalysis in SILP systems. This ambitious project aims to cover the whole pipeline of IL development from preparation, to structural understanding, and then to industrially relevant applications.

BBMRI-ERIC: the Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure - European Research Infrastructure Consortium, aims to establish, operate and develop a Pan-European distributed research infrastructure in order to facilitate the access to biological resources as well as facilities and to support high quality biomolecular and biomedical research. The ADOPT BBMRI-ERIC proposal aims at boosting and accelerating implementation of BBMRI-ERIC and its services. Its main deliverables are designed to complete or launch the construction of key Common Services of the Research Infrastructure as required for ESFRI-projects "under implementation", reflecting the targets of the European Research Area (ERA). One of the challenges in the post-genomic era is the research on common complex diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Revealing these diseases will depend critically on the study of human biological samples and data from large numbers of patients and healthy individuals. The EU’s ageing population is will result in an increase in many of those diseases and consequently an increased healthcare expenditure for senior citizens. BBMRI-ERIC is a specific European asset having become a fundamental component in addressing the ongoing and future requirements particularly of Europe's health service frameworks, including competitiveness and innovativeness of health-related industries. Its implementation is essential for the understanding of the diversity of human diseases, biological samples and corresponding data, which are required for the development of any new drug or diagnostic assay and are, therefore, critical for the advancement in health research, ultimately leading to personalised medicine. BBMRI-ERIC will provide a gateway access to the collections of the European research community, expertise and services building on the outcome of ADOPT BBMRI-ERIC.

OpenDreamKit will deliver a flexible toolkit enabling research groups to set up Virtual Research Environments, customised to meet the varied needs of research projects in pure mathematics and applications and supporting the full research life-cycle from exploration, through proof and publication, to archival and sharing of data and code. OpenDreamKit will be built out of a sustainable ecosystem of community-developed open software, databases, and services, including popular tools such as LinBox, MPIR, Sage(sagemath.org), GAP, PariGP, LMFDB, and Singular. We will extend the Jupyter Notebook environment to provide a flexible UI. By improving and unifying existing building blocks, OpenDreamKit will maximise both sustainability and impact, with beneficiaries extending to scientific computing, physics, chemistry, biology and more and including researchers, teachers, and industrial practitioners. We will define a novel component-based VRE architecture and the adapt existing mathematical software, databases, and UI components to work well within it on varied platforms. Interfaces to standard HPC and grid services will be built in. Our architecture will be informed by recent research into the sociology of mathematical collaboration, so as to properly support actual research practice. The ease of set up, adaptability and global impact will be demonstrated in a variety of demonstrator VREs. We will ourselves study the social challenges associated with large-scale open source code development and of publications based on executable documents, to ensure sustainability. OpenDreamKit will be conducted by a Europe-wide demand-steered collaboration, including leading mathematicians, computational researchers, and software developers long track record of delivering innovative open source software solutions for their respective communities. All produced code and tools will be open source.

Reliability and radiation damage issues have a long and important history in the domain of satellites and space missions. Qualification standards were established and expertise was built up in space agencies (ESA), supporting institutes and organizations (CNES, DLR, etc.) as well as universities and specialized companies. During recent years, radiation concerns are gaining attention also in aviation, automotive, medical and other industrial sectors due to the growing ubiquity and complexity of electronic systems and their increased radiation sensitivity owing to technology scaling. This raises the demand for dedicated design and qualification guidelines, as well as associated technical expertise. Addressing open questions linked to respective qualification requirements, the proposed training network “RADiation and Reliability Challenges for Electronics used in Space, Aviation, Ground and Accelerators” (RADSAGA) will for the first time bring together industry, universities, laboratories and test-facilities in order to innovate and train young scientists and engineers in all aspects related to electronics exposed to radiation. The expertise of the space and avionics sectors will be complemented with new and unique test facilities, design and qualification methodologies of the accelerator sector, promising for other application areas. Driven by the industrial needs, the students will be trained by established specialists in all required skills, and acquire expertise through innovative scientific projects, allowing to: (i) push the scientific frontier in design, testing and qualification of complex electronic systems for mixed field radiation environments (ii) establish related courses to train future engineers/physicists; and (iii) issue design and test guidelines to support industry in the field, protecting European competitiveness when radiation effects become as important as thermal or mechanical constraints for the aviation, automotive and other industrial sectors.