Posted: January 23, 2009

European distributed nanoscience infrastructure project needs additional contributors

(Nanowerk News) The NFFA (Nano Foundries and Fine Analysis) Design Study of FP7-Research Infrastructures has issued a Call for additional project contributors.
The NFFA project is a Design Study for a European distributed infrastructure in Nanoscience. It is funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research and technological development (2007-2013), under the Capacities Specific Programme - Research Infrastructures.
The present call aims at identifying:
  • Additional contributors from nanoscience laboratories (academic, governmental, private) of EU Member States and Associated States in order to represent all potential European users of NFFA
  • Large Scale Facilities for nanoscience that see potential synergies with NFFA Centres
  • Outline of NFFA Project
    The NFFA project intends to study the feasibility of a European cluster of nanoscience facilities, which will consist of 3-6 Centres closely attached to a number of selected Large Scale Facilities located within Europe (synchrotron radiation sources, neutron scattering sources, high power lasers including free electron lasers, high performance computing, etc). The NFFA cluster of nanoscience facilities will enable users to conduct fine analysis experiments and modeling at the nanoscale by offering access to state-of-the-art design, synthesis, nanofabrication and analysis to a wide and multidisciplinary research community. Hence, by providing innovative cutting edge preparation and characterization technologies to European scientists, this delocalized institution will raise the standards of nanoscience experiments in the European Research Area and allow full exploitation of the affiliated Large Scale Facilities.
    Partner Institutions

    1. CNR-INFM TASC, Italy -Coordinator

    2. STFC, UK

    3. CSIC-CNM, Spain

    4. PSI, Switzerland

    5. OEAW, Austria

    Main objectives of NFFA
    1. to design a Research Infrastructure (RI) based on several (3-6) Foundry Centres in close connection with LSFs thus providing European researchers a substantial access to state-of-the-art nanoscience instruments and methods, and to fine analysis, therefore increasing the competitiveness of European research by structuring the ERA and creating an ideal environment for advanced training of researchers
    2. to raise the standard of sample definition and characterization for advanced experiments with ultrafast, nanofocused, high energy resolution probes available at Synchrotrons, FELs and Neutron facilities, therefore maximising the impact of LSFs on European science and technology
    3. to design a repository-type data bank on nanoscience data, with wide access by research community
    The key deliverable of the design study will be a proof of feasibility of setting up the Nanoscience Foundry cluster, as a Distributed European Research Infrastructure for all users of nanoscience that may have a direct or indirect advantage for their multidisciplinary research in the specificity of NFFA, that is, its strong link to the fine analysis methods available at the Large Scale Facilities.
    Role of Additional Contributors
    Additional contributors will be involved in the NFFA project by:
  • participating to general and specific workshops;
  • collaborating in the implementation of NFFA work packages;
  • collaborating in the implementation of specific tasks.
  • The NFFA project, due to contract constraints, cannot allocate funds to the additional contributors but can provide coverage of their travel/participation expenses related to NFFA working sessions or to specific site visits.
    Procedure and Evaluation criteria
  • Online application form, where the candidate institution/laboratory qualifies its possible roles with respect to NFFA Work Packages:
  • The evaluation of the applications will be carried out by NFFA Coordination Board taking into consideration: a) complete coverage of science relevant to nanofoundries and nanoscience; b) full coverage of the European potential users? communities.
  • Source: NFFA Project