The first period of SiNfONiA was focused on the recruitment of the research team. After recruitment the ERA-Chair Holder (Ernesto Alfaro-Moreno), we had a period of 6 months to recruit the first elements from the research team (July-Nov 2020). After the amendment, we proceed with the recruitment of one more element to research team, accomplishing the 6 elements (1 Era-Chair Holder + 5 elements in the research team). Later on, due to the exit of one of the elements, we proceed with the new hiring in June 2022.
With the SiNfONiA Research Team recruited and installed the work on creating a solid network and kick-off research started. The resources were focused on building new bridges/collaborations with important institutions/laboratories around the world, but mostly in Europe, in alignment with the Nanosafety Group Research Agenda. Besides the organization of an International conference, the researchers have been traveling and visiting different laboratories around Europe and have been inviting renowned researchers to visit INL and share their knowledge. This work has been very fruitful and besides different invitations to participate in scientific and industrial events, the Nanosafety Group has now a solid network with real engagement to work together.
Important to note that the first steps of this great work were made together with the International Advisory Board that kindly shared their contacts and promoted different interactions between the ERA-Chair Holder and important stakeholders in the field.
The research team in collaboration with the management team have as well worked on the sustainability plan for the research group. Besides the organization of funding workshops, the management team, namely the grants office, has focused on scouting opportunities to the research group and supporting them on the crafting of proposals. This works has been successful with 2 granted European projects in the last year: one as coordinator (LEARN) and another as partners (iCare). Together with the grant of a national funded project granted over the first year of SiNfONia - Safe by Design Tool Box (SbDToolBox)-, the SiNfONia team has showed their capacity to build their research lines and get competitive funding to support them.
The Era-Chair Holder and his reasearch team have also being working in research activities, namely on building the laboratory and developing new protocols for safety assessment of nanomaterials. The publication and oral presentations' list is integrated in the technical report.
