More than 70 grants to encourage alliances in the graphene community
More than 70 grants will boost the partnerships between European scientists studying in graphene and other related 2D materials. The grants support the mobility of researchers involved in the Graphene Flagship and have a budget of €82,000 until the end of 2019.
Last March, the consortium of the European SCOPE (Support and Coordination of the Partnering Environment for FET Flagships), a Project coordinated by FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology), successfully passed the annual review of the European Commission in Brussels. This project, funded by the European Horizon 2020 programme, has been conceived as a bridge for facilitating the integration and scientific cooperation between the great structure of two Emblematic Research Initiatives of Future and Emerging Technologies (FET Flagships) in the EU –Graphene (Graphene Flagship - GF) and Human Brain (Human Brain Project)– and the projects, institutions and companies thereto associated, like the Partnering Projects and Associated Members. These research groups, working in similar lines but not part of the FET Flagships consortium, are national, regional, or European projects with their own funding, which contribute strategic collaborations in mutual interest areas, such as in the preparation of scientific roadmaps.
In this first year of activity, SCOPE has managed to lay the foundations and instruments necessary for facilitating this integration in an environment composed of multiple actors and parallel interests, in which establishing strategic dialogues and synergistic relationships has been a complex challenge at times. With this objective, SCOPE has participated in the Graphene Week 2017 in Athens, in the presentation of the new projects financed by the ERA-NET FLAG-ERA in Madrid last March and in the General Assembly of the GF in Leuven (Belgium) in April, among other events. Likewise, SCOPE is organising a networking event at the Graphene Week 2018 on September 10 in San Sebastian (Spain).
FECYT's role as coordinator is neutral and consists in mediating between those responsible for promoting and strengthening relationships within this heterogeneous scientific community in both FET Flagships, through its partners in SCOPE: the EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne), which holds the link with the HBP, and the European Science Foundation, the link with the GF.
More than 70 financial grants for assisting activities of the Graphene Flagship and for the mobility of research personnel
Since its inception last year, SCOPE has awarded eleven grants within the support available for young and senior researchers involved in GF Partnering Projects and Associated Members. SCOPE currently has more than 70 financial grants with an approximate budget of € 82,000 for financing expenses linked to travelling to congresses, workshops or meetings organized by the GF, as well as for laboratory visits and research personnel mobility.
Support for the communication of research results
SCOPE also aims to increase the visibility of the successes achieved by the GF Partnering Projects and Associated Members and the economic and social benefits of their work.
To accomplish this, FECYT counts of SINC, its own scientific news agency, which deals with the communication of the results of the leading research of 65 projects and institutions associated with the GF. So far, SINC has written 7 news items and interviews that have been published in the communication channels of the GF – website, social networks, newsletters and corporate reports.
The SCOPE project also disseminates the collaborative activity that is under way between the researchers of the GF and the Partnering Projects and Associated Members through news published on the GF website.