Press Release Press Release
Consortium partners announced for new European Commission funded SCOPE Project
The European Science Foundation (ESF), l’École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) have been selected as Consortium partners for the new European Commission-funded SCOPE project. The Grant Agreement has been signed by all partners and the project will be launched in 2017. SCOPE aims to co-ordinate and enhance the partnership environments between the two European Commission’s Future and Emerging Technology (FET) Flagships – the Graphene Flagship, represented here by ESF and the Human Brain Project through EPFL, one of its 117 partner institutions. FECYT will act as the lead co-ordinator of the overall SCOPE project.
ESF Chief Executive Jean-Claude Worms commented on the announcement: “SCOPE represents an exciting new partnering model for long-term co-operative research in the European Research Area (ERA). We are delighted to have been successful in our application and look forward to supporting the Graphene Flagship in key strategic areas of collaboration and co-operation with their various stakeholders, including partnering projects and associated members. The building of flexible, integrated and collaborative research structures is fundamental to both our work as an organisation and the FET Flagship projects themselves”.
EPFL – SCOPE coordinator Kathleen Elsig is delighted about this Grant Agreement signature and the excellent prospects of this project: “The contribution of SCOPE will be essential to enhance the partnering environment of the FET Flagships, and more particularly for HBP to engage with potential contributors and users of HBP’s research infrastructure through meaningful collaborations. It represents a unique opportunity to develop and promote partnerships with research and innovation groups, as well as with other relevant stakeholders such as European industry. We are thrilled the SCOPE proposal was successful and we look forward to a fruitful collaboration with FECYT and ESF".
FECYT Director General, José Ignacio Fernández Vera, said: “Having valuable expertise in Science & Technology communication and dissemination, as well as experience in coordinating European projects, we are pleased to lead the coordination of this project. We will develop an overall dissemination strategy for SCOPE including a web portal for the project’s external communication. As Coordinator, FECYT will also ensure a fluid flow of information between Flagships. FECYT is focused on increasing the citizens’ engagement in science and with this experience we expect to engage European citizens and society with SCOPE”.
Issued by:
Rachel Graham, MKC Communications, 00 353 1 703 8608
Notes to Editor:
European Science Foundation (ESF):
ESF is a services-based organisation that contributes to the European Research Area (ERA). It is building on core strengths developed over 42 years in peer review, evaluation and project management services and hosts five Expert Boards, one of which is in the area of space sciences, that provide in-depth and focused scientific expertise in selected disciplines.
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL):
EPFL is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology. With the status of a national school since 1969, the young engineering school has grown in many dimensions, to the extent of becoming one of the most famous European institutions of science and technology. Like its sister institution in Zurich, ETHZ, it has three core missions: training, research and technology transfer. Associated with several specialised research institutes, the two Ecoles Polytechniques (Institutes of Technology) form the EPF domain, which is directly dependent on the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER).
EPFL is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its main campus brings together over 11,000 persons - students, researchers and staff - in the same place.
With over 350 laboratories and research groups on campus, EPFL is one of Europe’s most innovative and productive scientific institutions. Ranked top 3 in Europe and top 20 worldwide in many scientific rankings, EPFL has attracted the best researchers in their fields.
The School’s unique structure fosters trans-disciplinary research and promotes partnerships with other institutions. It continuously combines fundamental research and engineering.
Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT):
The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), is a public foundation dependent on the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Competitiveness. Our mission is to drive forward science, technology and innovation, promote their integration and proximity to Society and respond to the needs of the Spanish Technology and Business System (SECTE).
Since its creation in 2001, the foundation has focused on increasing the interest of Spanish citizens in Science, as well as giving visibility to the scientific-technical and innovation results financed with public funds. FECYT works to communicate scientific projects, individuals, discoveries, history, tools… in short, the science carried out in Spain, with the ultimate aim of increasing the interest of Spanish society in science and consequently the knowledge assessment and participation of Spanish citizens in science.
Graphene Flagship:
With a budget of €1 billion, it represents a new form of joint, coordinated research initiative on an unprecedented scale. Through a combined academic-industrial consortium, the research effort covers the entire value chain, from materials production to components and system integration, and targets a number of specific goals that exploit the unique properties of graphene.
Tasked with bringing together academic and industrial researchers to take graphene from the realm of academic laboratories into European society in the space of 10 years, the Graphene Flagship hopes to facilitate economic growth, new jobs and new opportunities for Europeans as both investors and employees.
Human Brain Project:
The Human Brain Project (HBP) is an EU co-funded Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Flagship Initiative to create and operate an ICT-based research infrastructure, to help advance neuroscience, medicine and computing. The 10-year project began in 2013 and involves leading scientists at more than 100 universities and research centres across Europe. The HBP is centred on six ICT research platforms: Neuroinformatics (access to shared brain data), Brain Simulation, High Performance Analytics and Computing, Medical Informatics (access to patient data), Neuromorphic Computing (access to brain-inspired computers), and Neurorobotics (use of robots to test brain simulations). It also conducts related research and theoretical studies on brain structure and function, and looks at the ethical and societal implications of HBP's work.