The first part of the Teaming project was focused on establishment of the Centre of Excellence, creation of the operational procedures, organization of the working space and employment of the personnel. An important part of the work was also the development of the internal organization of work in the Teaming project; establishment of the mandatory project bodies, identification and creation of joint working groups. During the activities, it was also necessary to clarify the various legal issues. The research agenda was also modified and the first topics of doctoral dissertations were identified. The rooms provided by NCBJ at CoE's disposal were enlarged with new laboratories where SEM, TEM and XRD systems were installed. Website was created, hiring procedures were developed, materials necessary to popularize the project was designed and produced. Equipment in CoE offices was purchased and installed. The project suffered from Covid restriction, as a partial replacement of these activities, a regularly organized series of virtual meetings (webinars) was launched, which enjoyed great interest among employees of project partners, but also external research organizations around the world.
In the second stage of the project (RP2), the Center of Excellence achieved most of the assumed parameters, such as the employment (43 people, 35 planned), the organizational procedures were developed and implemented, the Center has its own office and laboratory space provided by the parent institution (NCBJ). Intensive modification and purchase of equipment for the NCBJ Material Research Laboratory is taking place (financed from external sources, not mandatory NCBJ contribution), this equipment is already being made available to CoE for joint research. The total value of modernization and investment expenditures has already reached approx. EUR 1.7 million. The construction of a large NCBJ research infrastructure is continued (Centrix, Cerad and Polfel projects), which will be made available to CoE. The Neutron Research Laboratory at the MARIA reactor is being modernized using devices obtained from the HelmholtzZentrum Berlin. The NOMATEN Center has obtained its first own research grants and first industrial contracts. The first defenses of doctoral dissertations are planned in 2022, a doctorate in the co-tutelle system together with Universite Paris Sud and CEA has been started.
In the third Reporting Period (RP3) the Centre reached its Growth phase defined as ability to operate all Research Groups and building a core team of researchers. Currently the Centre employs 54 persons, among them 44 in research positions. The Centre is supported also by NCBJ personnel on part-time basis. First two Ph.D. theses were defended and two D.Sc. degrees granted. The number of scientific papers published exceeded 80. The Centre operates currently three major devices: SEM/FIB/EDS/EBSD and TEM/EDS electron microscopes and XRD diffractometer. New rooms were made available by the NCBJ for the installation of the TEM bringing the whole area used by the CoE to about 1200 m2. New laboratory spaces for Radiopharmaceutical Research Group were made operational, more are being prepared in the next RP.
