ESF to launch eight more scientific programmes

The European Science Foundation has agreed to launch eight new scientific programmes in a variety of fields drawn from the physical, life, medical and social sciences, and the humanities. Following consultation with ESF member organisations, the Foundation’s Executive Council approved the following eight proposals for launching at its meeting in Strasbourg on 26th November 1998. The new programmes will be able to start activities in January 1999 and will run for between four and five years. They are:

Life and environmental sciences

Assessment of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Plants

This programme aims to bring together a high proportion of the research groups in Europe involved in risk assessment research who are specifically studying the genetics, ecology, pathology and agronomy of GM crop plants and their wild relatives. It would also network researchers from botanical and ecological institutions who have been engaged in long-term studies of gene flow and gene introgression in native flora.

 

Linking Community and Ecosystem Ecology

Community ecology and ecosystem ecology provide two different perspectives on ecological systems, their structure, their functioning, their dynamics and their evolution. Unifying these perspectives is an important challenge today both to progress our fundamental understanding of natural and managed ecosystems and to provide appropriate answers to more applied questions such as the impacts of biodiversity loss or species invasions on ecosystem sustainability. The aim of the programme is to meet this challenge by promoting the development and integration of research linking community and ecosystem ecology across Europe.

Physical and engineering sciences

Challenges in Molecular Simulations: bridging the length and time-scale gap

Molecular simulation has the potential to play a central role in the design of new materials and processes, and in the modelling of biological processes. There is, however, one important bottleneck that limits the applicability of simulations: even if we allow for another thousand-fold increase in computing power, there is a huge gap between the length scales and time scales that can be studied in simulation and those that are relevant for most industrial and biological processes. The aim of the programme is to pool the considerable European expertise in the different subdisciplines in order to make progress in this outstanding problem in computational materials science.

 

Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Complex Polymer Structures

This programme aims at combining the complementary expertise of leading European research groups in the experimental and theoretical study of polymer networks and block polymers to gain a deeper understanding of two fundamental questions. First, the process of formation of complex topological structures such as dendrimers, branched polymers and multicomponent or interpenetrating polymer networks of varying topologies. And second, correlation between the final materials’ properties and the chemical structure of constituent monomers or polymers.

 

Quantum Information Theory and Quantum Computation

The new concept of quantum computing which has been developed over the past few years promises immense computational power and new insights into quantum mechanics and information theory. Quantum algorithms have been discovered that allow the solution of practically important problems which cannot be solved on any classical computer. The aim of the programme is to carry out theoretical and experimental studies in various applications of quantum computing as well as on fundamental concepts of the underlying quantum information theory.

 

Vortex Matter in Superconductors at Extreme Scales and Conditions

The programme will investigate the interaction of the vortex matter in superconductors with nano-engineered artificial pinning centres of different sizes and topologies (point defects, correlated linear defects, regular pinning arrays of antidots and magnetic dots, etc.). Extreme length scales and conditions will be used to study systematically and to optimise the vortex confinement, thus increasing the superconducting critical parameters up to their theoretical limits.

Social sciences and medical sciences

Social Variations in Health Expectancy in Europe

Finding ways to reduce inequalities in health is now a priority for several European governments. As expert groups advise politicians on the development of policy, it is recognised that although there has been substantial progress in the field of inequalities in health, the research base is still inadequate. The scale of the scientific problem is large: to sort through the complexities of causes of inequalities in health in order to determine where the chain of causation could potentially be broken. This programme would aim at advancing scientific understanding that will be crucial to the development of evidence-based health policy.

Humanities

Cultural Exchange in Europe, c.1400 – c.1700

Between the 15th and 17th centuries, the most important feature of European culture was that Europe’s cultural flux ultimately produced remarkable similarities in spite of numerous conflicts. Although some aspects of European culture achieved hegemonic status, the interpretation of culture in Europe has not yet been adequately described as an area of both homogeneity and diversity. The aim of this programme is to compare various European regions (not necessarily states) in order to locate and study differences, but also resemblances, between geo-cultural areas.

Press contact :

Andrew Smith
Head of Communication and Information, ESF
+33 (0)3 88 76 71 32

Notes for editors:

1. Often long-term, ESF Scientific Programmes normally bring together substantive research projects carried out by multinational teams of scientists and activities may include workshops, summer schools and fellowship schemes. They are financed by ESF member organisations who choose which programmes they will support on an à la carte basis.

2. The European Science Foundation is an association of 65 major national funding agencies devoted to scientific research in 22 countries. The ESF assists its member organisations in two main ways: by bringing scientists together in its scientific programmes, networks and European research conferences, to work on topics of common concern, and through the joint study of issues of strategic importance in European science policy.

For further information contact: Andrew Smith

Category: Media Centre, Press Releases 1998