Final Report Summary - IPB-CNP (Reinforcing Experimental Center for Non-equilibrium Studies with Application in Nano-technologies, Etching of Integrated Circuits and Environmental Research)
This INCO project was a Specific Support Action for the Centre for Non-equilibrium Processes (CNP). The CNP has achieved significant results in the reporting period of its activity in several research fields including information technologies based on nanoscience and sustainable development. The present project promoted the CNP into the leading institution covering applications based on non-equilibrium processes in the West Balkans, and it will be the basis for further integration into European projects and international collaboration.
The main objectives of the project were:
1. to sustain the level of achievement that was already reached for the experimental group and to provide them with facilities to compete with the increasingly well equipped laboratories in Europe and around the world.
2. to provide facilities for good quality experimental research into non-equilibrium processes that have application in nanotechnologies and environmental monitoring and control of particles suspended in the atmosphere.
3. to foster young researchers with both wide and deep knowledge and high-level research skills.
4. to improve the training of the staff of the centre and of the students and young researchers by inviting distinguished European scientists in fields of interest for extending research into more topical areas.
5. to improve mobility by sending young and senior scientists to EU laboratories those have relevant expertise. Networking would be improved by performing joint experiments or research in general but it can only be initiated and coordinated through exchange.
6. to improve the global (and local) visibility of the CNP and promote it into a leading experimental centre in West Balkans. Also, to prepare proposals for EU funding.
The project was structured into five individual work packages (WPs), as follows:
WP 1: Management
WP 2: Upgrade of scientific equipment
WP 3: Training
WP 4: Networking
WP 5: Dissemination.
During the project, several achievements on the abovementioned objectives were reported:
- Recruitment, employment and training of young scientists and their involvement in research and exchange with European collaborators.
- Purchase and completion of the upgrade of the equipment, its integration with the experimental systems and opening of new lines of research. Equipment installation, integration in the research programmes and application in new lines of scientific research. Completion of new equipment related to the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in open and indoor environment and starting with the application in medicine and biological research.
- Employment and training of young researchers; the initial recruitment was extended by a group of four students finalising their BSc theses and that joined the project in near future; three of them even defended Master's theses. Members of the COE have been awarded by several awards and acknowledgements. Cooperation with other competitive scientific centres. Promotion of gender equality in the project.
- Web design, maintenance and upgrading. Development of the data base presented on the website, special focus in this period was to complete the data base for electrons in N2O, and positrons in gases.
- Organisation of two workshops and an international symposium in Serbia which support programs of training dissemination and networking, finalisation of three proceedings books from the workshops and symposium carried out during the project, organisation of two workshops as the official part of two major international conferences (ICPIG in Mexico and GEC in USA), which supports programs of training, dissemination and networking. Networking and dissemination packages were initiated by starting the exchange, organising workshops and visits of specialists from around the world. Two workshops and symposium were organised in August 2006, March 2007, and August 2008 and published books of proceedings with selected review articles and progress reports were published in hard copies and available online.
The main objectives of the project were:
1. to sustain the level of achievement that was already reached for the experimental group and to provide them with facilities to compete with the increasingly well equipped laboratories in Europe and around the world.
2. to provide facilities for good quality experimental research into non-equilibrium processes that have application in nanotechnologies and environmental monitoring and control of particles suspended in the atmosphere.
3. to foster young researchers with both wide and deep knowledge and high-level research skills.
4. to improve the training of the staff of the centre and of the students and young researchers by inviting distinguished European scientists in fields of interest for extending research into more topical areas.
5. to improve mobility by sending young and senior scientists to EU laboratories those have relevant expertise. Networking would be improved by performing joint experiments or research in general but it can only be initiated and coordinated through exchange.
6. to improve the global (and local) visibility of the CNP and promote it into a leading experimental centre in West Balkans. Also, to prepare proposals for EU funding.
The project was structured into five individual work packages (WPs), as follows:
WP 1: Management
WP 2: Upgrade of scientific equipment
WP 3: Training
WP 4: Networking
WP 5: Dissemination.
During the project, several achievements on the abovementioned objectives were reported:
- Recruitment, employment and training of young scientists and their involvement in research and exchange with European collaborators.
- Purchase and completion of the upgrade of the equipment, its integration with the experimental systems and opening of new lines of research. Equipment installation, integration in the research programmes and application in new lines of scientific research. Completion of new equipment related to the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in open and indoor environment and starting with the application in medicine and biological research.
- Employment and training of young researchers; the initial recruitment was extended by a group of four students finalising their BSc theses and that joined the project in near future; three of them even defended Master's theses. Members of the COE have been awarded by several awards and acknowledgements. Cooperation with other competitive scientific centres. Promotion of gender equality in the project.
- Web design, maintenance and upgrading. Development of the data base presented on the website, special focus in this period was to complete the data base for electrons in N2O, and positrons in gases.
- Organisation of two workshops and an international symposium in Serbia which support programs of training dissemination and networking, finalisation of three proceedings books from the workshops and symposium carried out during the project, organisation of two workshops as the official part of two major international conferences (ICPIG in Mexico and GEC in USA), which supports programs of training, dissemination and networking. Networking and dissemination packages were initiated by starting the exchange, organising workshops and visits of specialists from around the world. Two workshops and symposium were organised in August 2006, March 2007, and August 2008 and published books of proceedings with selected review articles and progress reports were published in hard copies and available online.
