An international research consortium on animal health is to launch tomorrow at the conference ‘Designing the path: A strategic approach to EU agricultural research and innovation’. The initiative sees 14 organisations from 11 countries commit to a joint investment of approximately €1bn over the next five years as part of a new effort to co-ordinate animal health research worldwide. Partners include research funders and programme owners from Europe, Asia, Australasia, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, as well as international organisations and representatives of veterinary pharmaceutical companies. More are expected to join in the following months. The consortium builds on several years of research networking supported by the EU and aims to deliver measureable progress in the control of animal diseases through the alignment of both public and privately funded animal health research programmes around the world. Partners have agreed to co-ordinate their research programmes to address agreed research needs, share results and together deliver new and improved animal health strategies for at least 30 priority diseases, infections or issues. This includes candidate vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and other animal health products, procedures and/or key scientific information and tools to support risk analysis and disease control. In line with these aims, working groups consisting of researchers will be established for each of the priority topics and receive guidance from a scientific committee. Each group will perform research gap analyses. The scientific committee, comprising independent experts, will present the gap analyses to the consortium partners and advise them on how their programmes might be aligned. A scientific secretariat will be established to provide the working groups with literature reviews and support them in their gap analyses, support the scientific and executive committees logistically, and facilitate information exchange within and between all three levels. Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, director general of the World Organisation for Animal Health Monique Eloit, and Professor Ian Boyd, chief scientific advisor for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, are expected to speak at the launch event, which will take place tomorrow at 13.15 CET in the Charlemagne building, Brussels. The post Animal health research consortium to launch appeared first on Horizon 2020 Projects.

The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) has greatly improved scientific excellence in Europe and strengthened its competitiveness by improving industry’s capacity to innovate, according to a report published today by the European Commission. The ex-post evaluation, which was conducted by an independent group of high-level experts, showed that FP7 projects have so far generated over 170,000 publications, with an Open Access rate of 54% for all scientific peer-reviewed publications created during its lifetime. The report also found that the €55bn invested into EU research and innovation between 2007 and 2013 proved highly attractive to private sector participants, among them a record number of SMEs, which has helped strengthen the competitiveness of European industries. FP7 investment, the report suggests, is now on track to trigger economic growth of approximately €20bn per year over 25 years, or €500bn in total, through direct and indirect economic effects, as well as creating 130,000 research jobs annually over a period of ten years and 160,000 additional jobs each year over a period of 25 years. “Independent experts have confirmed that our research and innovation investments are supporting world class science and improving our citizens’ welfare,” said Research Commissioner Carlos Moedas. “We are now using the lessons learned to further improve Horizon 2020, the new EU research and innovation funding programme, and make it simpler, more effective and more focused on finding innovative solutions to benefit our society and economy.” The Commission will present the results of the ex-post evaluation of FP7, alongside its response to the recommendations of the high-level expert group, to member states at the Informal Competitiveness Council in Amsterdam on 27 January, as well as to the Industry, Research and Energy Committee in the European Parliament on 28 January. The post FP7 boosting EU science and competitiveness appeared first on Horizon 2020 Projects.

A revolutionary new type of smart window could cut window cleaning costs for tall buildings while reducing heating bills and boosting worker productivity, the results of a recent research project have shown. The two-and-a-half-year ‘Biologically Inspired Nanostructures for Smart Windows with Antireflection and Self-Cleaning Properties’ research project represents the first time that a nanostructure has been combined with a thermochromic coating. “The bio-inspired nanostructure amplifies the thermochromics properties of the coating, and the net result is a self-cleaning, highly performing smart window,” explains project leader Dr Ioannis Papakonstantinou of University College London (UCL), which developed the prototype samples with support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The UCL team calculates that the windows could result in a reduction in heating bills of up to 40%, with the precise amount in any particular case depending on the exact latitude of the building where they are incorporated. Windows made of the groundbreaking glass could be especially well-suited to use in high-rise office buildings. Papakonstantinou explains: “It’s currently estimated that, because of the obvious difficulties involved, the cost of cleaning a skyscraper’s windows in its first five years is the same as the original cost of installing them. Our glass could drastically cut this expenditure, quite apart from the appeal of lower energy bills and improved occupant productivity thanks to less glare. As the trend in architecture continues towards the inclusion of more glass, it’s vital that windows are as low-maintenance as possible.” Discussions are now underway with UK glass manufacturers with a view to driving this new window concept towards commercialisation. If the team is successful in securing industrial interest, the windows could reach the market within three or five years. Papakonstantinou says: “We also hope to develop a ‘smart’ film that incorporates our nanostructures and can easily be added to conventional domestic, office, factory and other windows on a DIY basis to deliver the triple benefit of lower energy use, less light reflection and self-cleaning, without significantly affecting aesthetics.” Professor Philip Nelson, chief executive of EPSRC, adds: “This project is an example of how investing in excellent research drives innovation to produce tangible benefits. In this case the new technique could deliver both energy savings and cost reductions.” The research project ended in September 2015 and received around £100,000 (~€131,774) from the EPSRC. A five-year European Research Council starting grant (IntelGlazing) has been awarded to fabricate smart windows on a large scale and test them under realistic, outdoor environmental conditions. The post Nanostructures help build smart windows appeared first on Horizon 2020 Projects.

The European Research Council (ERC) has now published its guidelines for national or regional authorities and other organisations wishing to set up fellowship programmes to fund short term visits of potential ERC applicants to current ERC grantees’ teams. Countries eligible for hosting ERC grants may consider introducing such schemes to stimulate and help their researchers fare better in ERC grant competitions. The ERC welcomes such initiatives by facilitating and streamlining the process. Professor Éva Kondorosi, research professor at the Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and chair of the ERC Scientific Council’s Working Group on Widening European Participation, said: “We encourage such measures. The fellowship programmes can create win-win situations. They will offer prospective applicants for ERC grants an opportunity to see first-hand how ERC-funded research works in practice, while for the ERC grantees who will host the visitors they will be a chance to strengthen and diversify their teams. Overall, this can advance our goal to widen the European participation in ERC calls and use the full potential for frontier research across Europe.” The guidelines recommend that fellowship programmes are notified to the ERC, are open to researchers of all disciplines, and are based on transparent evaluation, with scientific excellence as the main criterion and final selection based on applicants’ potential to be awarded an ERC grant. The programmes should require the visitors to apply for an ERC grant within a specified time after the visit. Costs, such as travel and salary pertaining to these visits, should be covered by the scheme organisers, say the guidelines. The ERC says it will recognise the fellowship schemes that follow the guidelines and will promote them among grantees, facilitating exchange of information between the grantees and scheme organisers. The post ERC publishes new guidelines appeared first on Horizon 2020 Projects.