ESF to launch 12 more Scientific programmes
The European Science Foundation has agreed to launch 12 new Scientific Programmes in a variety of fields drawn from the physical, engineering, life and social sciences, and the humanities. Following consultation with ESF member organisations, the Foundation’s Executive Council approved the following 12 proposals for launching at its meeting in Strasbourg on 27th November 1997. The new Programmes will be able to start activities in January 1998, provided the necessary funding is forthcoming, and will run for between three and five years. They are:
Life and environmental sciences
Environmental pollution of terrestrial groundwater systems: fate, impact and prevention
This programme will develop research on toxic chemicals and radionuclides introduced into the environment through human activities. Terrestrial and groundwater systems have been selected as the focus of the programme not only because of their significance for human health, but also because of their importance in the conservation of natural ecosystems. Emphasis will be placed on basic and strategic research that has potential for application in preventing pollution.
Response of the earth system to impact processes
Impacts of asteroids or comets on the earth surface have played an important role in the evolution of the planet. Building on a successful ESF network, the new programme will focus on "the nature of impacts and their impact on nature" by studying the effects of impact events, both large and small, on the environment, including atmospheric, climatic, biologic, and geologic interactions and their relations.
Theoretical biology of adaptation
In almost any biological research programme, even if it builds on seemingly simple ideas, important qualities of these ideas, such as consistency, productivity and testability are enhanced by an integrated use of mathematics. This programme will help, through a series of integrated workshops and education courses, to ensure that there is a generation of researchers that are not only competent theoreticians but who also have a broader knowledge of biology than has been seen before in Europe.
Physical and engineering sciences
Electronic structure calculations for elucidating the complex atomistic behaviour of solids and surfaces
This programme concerns an expanding field in mainstream physics, surface science and materials science, with new applications pushing into mineralogy, chemistry and even to calculations in biology. It will aim at enabling the sharing of a broad range of techniques and new developments, and forging links between experimentalists in the growing range of applications.
Fermi-liquid instabilities in correlated metals
Metals are usually described within the framework of Fermi-liquid theory. Recently striking deviations from Fermi-liquid behaviour have been found in several heavy-fermion systems. This programme will aim at making a definite assignment of the non-Fermi liquid behaviour in a given system to a particular scenario and shed light on the microscopic origin, in particular on the type of excitations that are responsible for non-Fermi liquid behaviour at the critical point.
Molecular magnets
This transdisciplinary programme will focus on the synthesis and on the study of multifunctional properties of molecular magnets towards molecular electronics. It aims to develop a rational synthesis of new molecular magnetic systems. In particular, it hopes to increase understanding of the electronic structures of the molecular systems, related to their structures and to their physical properties, particularly spin density, spin localization and delocalization, electron-transfer, magnetic photo-excited states.
Nanomagnetism and growth processes on vicinal surfaces
This programme will bring together leading specialists in fields including: growth of metallic self-organised nanostructures on vicinal surfaces, magnetic domain visualisation, X-ray magnetic diachroism, non-linear optics in ultrathin layers with controlled roughness and theory of nanomagnetism. It aims to address fundamental problems so that R&D can meet the challenge of developing significantly improved high-density storage disks.
Probabilistic methods in non-hyperbolic dynamics
Probabilistic and statistical methods are becoming increasingly important in understanding deterministic dynamical systems. This programme will help to unify European efforts directed at meeting the challenge of extending and generalising the techniques of hyperbolic dynamics to study non-hyperbolic systems.
Structuring, manipulation, analysis and reactive transformation of nanostructures
Supramolecular chemistry has been described as the chemistry beyond the molecule, the study of chemical species held together by non-covalent intermolecular bonds. This programme aims at developing novel supramolecular systems, to understand the driving forces that allow two and three-dimensional organisation, to develop methods and tools to investigate, address, manipulate and change these structures, and finally to exploit their specific properties.
Humanities
Musical life in Europe, 1600-1900: circulation, institutions, representation
During this 300 year period, the complexities of European music and its evolution mirrored many of the developments of European society, notably growing internationalisation. This programme will concentrate on the internationalisation of musical practices and tastes as well as resistance to this phenomenon including the rise of nationalism. Musical life in Europe will be considered as the whole of the processes of production, distribution, communication and the reception of musical works.
Social sciences
Tackling environmental resource management – phase 2
In its new phase, TERM will continue to bring together national environmental research programmes in the social sciences. Particular emphasis will be placed on encouraging young researchers exploring issues such as consumption and production processes, policy instruments and decision making, risk perception and international cooperation.
Comparative studies of economic organisations
This new programme of multidisciplinary summer research institutes will focus on the interface between business culture, economic organisations and institutions. The institutes will combine workshops for experienced scholars with a research training summer school for young researchers.
In addition, the Executive Council also agreed to support further development work on two programme proposals in the fields of the humanities and social sciences on Cultural Exchanges in Europe and Changing Media – Changing Europe and to approve extensions of two existing programmes – Europrobe, a lithosphere dynamics programme and the Biophysics of Photosynthesis.
Ends
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 62 major national funding agencies devoted to scientific research in 21 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 1997