Researchers claim to have fabricated the first all-optical transistor on a silicon chip. This device allows the transmission of light emitted by one laser to be governed by the intensity of another.

Full story available here.

Researchers in Switzerland have demonstrated an innovative way of trapping tiny objects using electrostatic fields. The device could allow scientists to scrutinize much smaller biological molecules than is possible with the more established trapping technique known as "optical tweezers".

Full story available at physicsworld.com

A group of researchers in the UK has shown that it is possible to build a refrigerator using just two quantum particles (or even just one) in order to cool another quantum particle. They believe that such a device could be exploited in nanotechnology and that versions of it may even exist in nature.

Full story available at physicsworld.com

 

First CHIST-ERA Joint Transnational Call
 

The 1st call for proposals within the ERA-Net CHIST-ERA (European Coordinated Research on Long term Challenges in Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies) is open.

Call deadline: 5th of November 2010, 17:00 GMT

CHIST-ERA is looking for highly innovative and multidisciplinary projects in ICST; and is open to new ideas and original solutions, involving interdisciplinary skills in order to strenghten a broader community in the merging of their understanding and their questioning. In addition, the transformative research done in CHIST-ERA will explore new topics with potential for significant scientific and technical impacts. In the first call, two completely different topics are addressed:

 

1. Quantum Information Foundations and Technologies (QIFT)

2. Beyond Autonomic Systems - the Challenge of Consciousness (BASCC)

Research project consortia are invited to submit transnational proposals electronically on www.chistera.eu (the submission area will be made available by mid-September).  At the same time, every partner in the project has to bear in mind the specific local application rules/requirements of each national funding organisation. Therefore it is strongly recommended to contact your National Contact Point. The Call Announcement and the official templates for the fulfilment of proposals are available on www.chistera.eu. Moreover, the CHIST-ERA website provides a tool for submitting Expressions of Interest, and to search and find collaborative partners for common projects (available by mid-September).

 

CHIST-ERA Call Secretariat

Mathieu Girerd

French National Research Agency (ANR)

0033 1 7354 8213

mathieu [dot] girerd [at] agencerecherche [dot] fr

The European Commission has sent us the official approval to our request to add the Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz (JOGU Mainz) among the AQUTE partners, following the move of Professor Ferdinand Schimdt-Kaler from Ulm to Mainz.

Physicists in Germany have used fluorescence imaging to identify individual particles in an optical lattice for the first time. The breakthrough could allow researchers to create more advanced simulations of quantum phenomena and it might help in the quest for practical quantum computing.

Full story here

In the new Commission ICT Work Programme 2011-2012 there is a new call (with deadline December the 2nd 2010) for Coordination and Support Actions designed to identify FET-Flagship Candidate (if you don't know what a FET-Flagship is a good place to start from is here).

Click on the tab below to read the Objective full text as it appears in the WP.

Objective ICT-2011.9.5: FET Flagship Initiative Preparatory Actions

FET Flagship Initiatives are science-driven, large-scale, multidisciplinary research initiatives oriented towards a unifying goal and nucleated from ICT future and emerging technologies. The goals of such initiatives should be visionary and highly ambitious, requiring cooperation among a range of scientific disciplines and research topics going beyond the ICT programme. FET Flagship Initiatives are envisioned to be long term programmes on a scale much beyond current FET Proactive Initiatives. The overarching nature and magnitude implies that they can only be realised through a federated effort of key stakeholders, building on European excellence. Specific aspects to consider are:

• Mission: the unifying goal should be a clearly formulated and broadly accepted long term vision involving major challenges in science and technology, requiring a large federated effort, and justified via comparison with existing activities and state of the art
• Impact: a clear leverage effect, substantial progress and major innovation in science and technology; affecting competitiveness of European industry, society, governance and sustainability, considering potential ethical and legal implications
• Integration: an operational framework describing how relevant disciplines, stakeholders and resources will be brought together at European or larger scale, and how they can be efficiently coordinated under strong scientific leadership along a cohesive roadmap with reasonable milestones that mark valuable interim results.

Target Outcome

a) Complete design and description of a consolidated candidate FET Flagship Initiative, including assessment of feasibility in scientific, technical and financial terms, i.e. with a well-defined goal thoroughly justified in terms of scientific advance and impact, implementation plan, an operational framework, the identification of resources, maturity, capacity, clear evidence of commitment from key stakeholders (in particular scientific communities, Member States and Associated Countries, funding agencies and global partners) with adequate level of integration and identity of the supporting community, and the development of an integrative research agenda to enable the launch of a FET Flagship by 2013. The objective is to support in the order of 5-6 projects, with a maximum duration of 12 months, addressing this target outcome.

b) Provide support to the setup of candidate FET Flagships by coordination of common issues, e.g. establishment of common platforms to tackle frequent tasks or shared interests, promoting networking and structuring of communities, organisation of joint events etc. The objective is to support 1 project, with a funding in the order of EUR 1 million, addressing this target outcome.

Expected Impact

• A goal-driven, federated effort towards a challenging scientific or technological vision to generate European scientific leadership, and a strong potential for longer term technological innovation and economic exploitation.
• Involvement and commitment from key stakeholders.
• Launch of FET Flagship Initiatives that deliver through their implementation key benefits for science, technology, economy and society, and which will significantly contribute to the coordination of EU and national research programmes and initiatives.

Funding Scheme

CSA: The objective is to support in the order of 5-6 projects, with a maximum duration of 12 months, under target outcome a) and 1 project, with a funding in the order of EUR 1 million, under target outcome b).

Indicative Budget Distribution

EUR 10 million

Call

FP7-ICT-FET-F

 

The call details are available in our FP7 Relevant Calls section.

The Commission ICT Work-Programme 2011-2012 feature an interesting Objective under FET-Open, namely "Objective ICT-2011.9.4: International cooperation on FET research". This consist in a funding scheme that provides additional funding to existing grant for on-going FET IPs and STREPs ending at least 18 months after the submission date of the proposal (click on the tab below to access the full Objective text as published in the WP).

Objective ICT-2011.9.4: International cooperation on FET research

Target outcomes

This objective aims to increase and accelerate the impact of FET research projects by cooperating with non-EU partners of excellent global standing. It targets the extension of ongoing FET projects with complementary research activities in which collaboration with non-EU¹ research partners brings significant added value.

The research content is expected to focus on new activities that expand the research challenges and reinforce the impact of the ongoing project. The outcome of that research is expected to be made freely and openly available for the benefit of the research community.

Funding can be requested by the partners from the ongoing FET project and by the new non- EU research participants to cover the coordination and joint research activities necessary to complement the ongoing project. Proposals must be presented by the coordinator of the on- going project.

 

Expected Impact 

• Enhanced outcomes, global reach and impact of ongoing FET research projects through research collaboration with non-EU participants with complementary expertise;
• Research cooperation between world-class EU and non-EU researcher teams reinforced, thus facilitating the emergence of global alliances.

Funding scheme

Additional funding to existing grant for on-going FET² IP and STREP projects ending at least 18 months after the submission date of the proposal.

Indicative budget distribution

EUR 3 million³

Call

FP7-ICT-2011-C Proposals are continuously receivable until 12 March 2013. One-step submission and evaluation process and specific eligibility and evaluation criteria (see Appendix 5⁴).

¹ The new participating organisations cannot be located in EU Member States or in Associated Countries
² Ongoing projects selected under any of the FET objectives of the FP7 ICT Work Programmes
³ Indicative budget which is expected to be committed for successful proposals from the cut-off dates of 17/05/2011 up to and including 10/04/2012 (batch 11 to batch 13 included)
⁴ Proposals submitted to FET-Open Objective ICT-2011.9.4: International cooperation on FET research are subject to the following additional eligibility criteria: Proposals must be presented by the coordinator of an on-going FET IP or STREP project ending at least 18 months after the submission date of the proposal.

 

The call details are available in our FP7 Relevant Calls section.