| WP 1: Enhancing
collaboration with similar institutions in Member States
T 1-1: Organizing exchange of personnel and of joint experiments
Twenty two researcher visits were performed by scientific employees
of IPC-BAS in EU countries research centers with the financial support
of NANOPHEN. They have resulted in 8 scientific publications and more
than 50 presentations on various scientific forums.
T 1-2: Stimulating the scientific staff to participate in other
collaboration programs and instruments of FPs
During the time of NANOPHEN implementation there have been 23 responses
to various calls closely related to the thematic priorities of NANOPHEN,
with 13 successful outcomes and 1 on the stage of evaluation.
T 1-3: Organizing Virtual International Research Group (VIRT)
An essential part of the activity within the framework of this task
was the First non-VIRTual Meeting: "Instabilities
at Surfaces" that took place in the Black Sea resort "Sunny
Beach" from September 29 to October 1, 2006.
T 1-4: Initiating new networks
The major initiative of IPC-BAS in the networking activities of project
NANOPHEN was the implementation of CONductive POlymer
EXpert (CONPOEX) Meeting, held in Borovets, Bulgaria, April 17-20,
2008. CONPOEX Meeting was planned as a starting point for the building
of a new European network in the interdisciplinary field of conducting
polymers.
T 1-5: Participation in the activities of the National Center
of Nanotechnology (NCNT)
WP 2: Upgrading key IPC BAS equipment
and electronic communication tools
Task 2-1: Upgrade of key equipment
Task 2-2: Upgrading IPC-BAS electronic communication system
Certificated structured cabling system and LAN were developed in IPC-BAS.
The LAN is characterized with 100 Mbps velocity, reliability and flexibility.
The equipment is provided by world-wide firms with best quality for up
to 144 workstations (separated micro computers) placed on 5 floors and
basement.
Both, the certificated structured cabling system and local area network,
allow reliable, rapid and comfortable work to all users in IPC-BAS and
to receive the new challenges of continuously developed IT matter.
WP 3: Creating new career prospects for young
researchers
T 3-1: Creating new job opportunities and better working conditions
Seven new job positions for researchers, at the age below 30, were opened
in IPC-BAS. Twenty one young specialists from IPC-BAS have been offered
additional contracts related to specific scientific research activities.
1. Twenty papers have already been published and three are in stage
of preparation for publication; all are related to the scientific tasks
in the contracts of these young researchers.
T 3-2: Probing a pilot program for coupled multidisciplinary training
and fundamental knowledge on nanoscale phenomena
The strategic goal was to ensure an intensive and advanced teaching
of the created core team of young scientists in the field of nanoscience
and nanomaterials, so as to sustain the good tradition of high-quality
research in IPC-BAS.
Pilot Program for advanced training of young researchers and PhD students
was designed. It was composed of two stages.
The first stage comprised 8 lectures on 5 themes, delivered by the members
of International Expert Group.
The second stage included 34 lectures on 14 topics, devoted to the presentation
of most important achievements and recent results in IPC-BAS in the field
of the nanoscale phenomena and structures and their applications in the
practice. Beside the lectures, additional training-through-research program
was implemented, consisting of 32 academic hours of demonstration experiments
and training in 8 of the leading laboratories of IPC-BAS. Most of the
young scientists had the opportunity to present their own work and to
demonstrate the experimental skills during the practical courses. This
helped to promote informal discussions among the participants and lecturers
and thus expanded the participant's expertise of their particular subject
area. Two books of abstracts, of the lectures and of the laboratory demonstrations
were prepared and given to each attending the activities.
The Pilot Program activity was completed with a special poster session
during the Second NANOPHEN Annual Meeting. The poster presentations were
prepared by the young scientists, participating in the Pilot Program and
showed the results of their current scientific research.
T 3-3: Participation of young researchers in training courses and summer
schools in MS partner institutions and hosting renowned scientists for
co-tuition and training
During the implementation of the project NANOPHEN ten PhD students of
IPC-BAS were funded by and they participated in EU Schools. The PhD students
have also been very active in participating in the workshops and the conference,
organized by IPC-BAS. And not only helping with the organization and accommodation
of the participants, but also presenting posters and being coauthors of
many of the delivered oral presentations.
WP 4: Dissemination of knowledge
T 4-1: Organization of exploratory workshops and international conference
Three international exploratory workshops and one International conference
have been organized.
The first NANOPHEN International Workshop "Nanostructured materials
in electroplating" was held in the town of Sandanski, in March
25-30, 2006. The event was announced on IPC web-site: http://www.ipc.bas.bg/confer/NME2006/index.html.
A book of abstracts and a Book comprising all the invited lectures and
poster presentations in full text were issued.
The second NANOPHEN International Workshop "Shedding Light on the
Nano-world - ordered and disordered nanostructures" (SLNW'2006) was
held from 23 to 28 of September, 2006 in Hotel Bellvue, at Sunny Beach,
Bulgaria. The detailed information for the meeting is to be found on the
web-site: http://www.ipc.bas.bg/confer/slnw2006/index.html.
The exploratory Workshop "Nanoscale Phenomena in Colloid and Interface
Science" (NPCIS'2007) was the third in a series of scientific events
devoted to the dissemination of knowledge in the third of the thematic
priorities of NANOPHEN: interfacial phenomena in colloid systems. Full
information for the meeting was to be found on the IPC-BAS web-site: http://www.ipc.bas.bg/confer/NPCIS2007/
index.html.
From 26 February to 2 March 2008 the Institute of Physical Chemistry at
the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IPC-BAS) hosted in Sofia the NANOPHEN
International Conference "Nanoscale Phenomena and Structures in Bulk
and Surface Phases" (NPS'08).
A Book of Abstracts, NPS'08 Proceedings: "Nanoscale
Phenomena and Structures", edited by D. Kashchiev, Prof. M. Drinov
Academic Publishing House, Sofia, 2008 were issued.
T 4-2: Participation of IPC-BAS scientists in international scientific
events
More than 40 scientists from the Institute have delivered more than
50 presentations on various scientific events, performed in EU countries.
The most important outcome was that the EC funding has allowed the young
and newly hired researchers in our Institute to participate in most
important scientific events in their respective research areas.
T 4-3: Access to recent books and specialized book series
Twenty one books have been purchased:
T 4-4: Intensifying the relations with public and societal issues
The implementation of the project NANOPHEN has added to the citizen
awareness for the importance of expected future development in NMP.
NANOPHEN participated actively in actions of this type, namely:
1. The exhibition "Machines, technologies, materials"-Days
of the Bulgarian industry; March 24-28, 2006 in Inter-Expo Center, Sofia.
This exhibition was attended by high officials from the Bulgarian government,
as well.
2. The exhibition "Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in the European
Research Area" April 7-10, 2006. This was an initiative of BAS,
devoted to the forthcoming membership of Bulgaria in EU. The exhibition
was attended by the Bulgarian Minister of Education and Science. The
coordinator of NANOPHEN Elena Mileva has also participated in the Meeting
with the European Commissioner for Science and Research Jannek Potochnik
in Sofia on the April, 11, 2006.
3. In the beginning of the reporting period a project-related website
was elaborated http://www.ipc.bas.bg/Nanophen. This website serves as
a virtual medium for promotion of the project-related activities, upload
of application forms, advertising and reporting project events and actions
4. A special brochure was issued, devoted to the project NANOPHEN and
the expertise offered by the scientific departments in IPC-BAS. It has
been distributed on the exhibitions (the events described in points
1&2) and among the collaborative partners of our institute throughout
of the various meeting s and scientific events of the project.
5. During the first year of the NANOPHEN project two major events have
been organized. The first initiative was "National Day of Nanotechnology"
in June 2005 and was devoted to the promotion of the scientific activities
of various research groups and institution in Bulgaria in the field
of Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies. One of the basic lectures on this
forum was delivered by Vessela Tsakova, Deputy Coordinator of NANOPHEN
and the title was "NANOPHEN: IPC-BAS in the European Research Area".
The lecture may be found on the NANOPHEN web-site.
6. In the midterm of the project implementation time period we have
organized a presentation of the NANOPHEN project. This presentation
was attended by two deputy ministers from the Ministry of Education
and Science, as well as by several high officials from the administration
of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The presentation was also attended
by all Directors of the Institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
whose research activity is in the field of Natural Sciences. The coordinator
of NANOPHEN Elena Mileva explained the structure of the project and
how it worked during the first one and a half year. The scientific equipment
purchased with the financial assistance of NANOPHEN has been shown to
the guests. The conditions for eventual collaborative research activities
and advanced training of young researchers have been discussed. An announcement
about this event was published in the Official Bulletin of the Bulgarian
Academy of Sciences.
7. The project NANOPHEN was presented at the 4th MINAEAST-NET workshop:
Preparing the European cooperation in FP 7, Bucharest, 16-17 October,
2006.
8. At the 7th NATIONAL WORKSHOP on NANOSCIENCE and NANOTECHNOLOGY, which
took place in November 24-25, 2005 in Sofia Elena Mileva, coordinator
of NANOPHEN and chair of the Section "Bioinspired concepts and
medical applications" in the National Center for Nanotechnology
(NCNT) has presented a report "Bioinspired concepts and medical
applications". The latter can be found on NANOPHEN web-site http://www.ipc.bas.bg/Nanophen/T15/index.html.
9. An announcement about the second International Workshop "Nanoscale
Phenomena in Colloid and Interface Science" (NPCIS'07) have
been published in the quarterly of the International Association of
Colloid and Interfaces Scientists (IACIS):
10. An article by one of the members of the Organising Committee of
the NANOPHEN International Workshop "Nanoscale Phenomena in Colloid
and Interface Science" (NPCIS'07) Prof. Dimo Platikanov was published
in the Official Bulletin of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. This
article contains an short overview of the activities in the NANOPHEN
project with a special attention on the International Workshop
11. The project coordinator Elena Mileva has presented the basic aims
and achievement of the Center of Excellence for Nanoscale Phenomena
and Structures in Bulk and Surface Phases in the September 2007 issue
of The Parliament Magazine. This Magazine is distributed among the high
EU officials in Brussels and Strasburg, and also among the Members of
the EU Parliament.
12. In the March, 2008 issue of the Official Bulletin of the Bulgarian
Academy of Sciences an announcement was published about the book "Nanoscale
Phenomena and Structures", ed. by D. Kashchiev, Prof. Marin Drinov
Academic Publishing House, Sofia. This is the Proceedings Book of
the final NANOPHEN International Conference "Nanoscale Phenomena
and Structures in Bulk and Surface Phases" (NPS'08), which took
place in February 26- March 02, 2008.
13. A Joint Meeting of the National Innovation Council and the Coordination
Council of the National Center of Nanothechnology took place on June
30, 2006 and was devoted to the promotion of the national policy in
Innovations and the role of Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies. The Head
of one of the Departments in IPC-BAS, Nikolay Boshkov has delivered
an oral presentation "Ideas against corrosion". A special
information book was issued presented a range of research accomplishments
in the field of NMP, related to direct application in industry and medicine
|
