Ministry of Education, Culture and Science awards two Gravitation grants to physics
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has awarded funding to two physics proposals in the Gravitation programme. A total of six research teams have received funding to set up excellent scientific research programmes for the next ten years. One of the physics proposals awarded funding is the setting up of the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion, under the leadership of Prof.dr.ir. Bert Weckhuysen (Utrecht University) in collaboration with FOM board member Prof.dr. Detlef Lohse (University of Twente) (31.9 million euros). The second grant for physics goes to the Research Centre for Integrated Nanophotonics, proposed by Prof.dr.ir. M.K. Smit (Eindhoven University of Technology, 19.9 million euros). The Ministry made a total of 153 million euros available.
Gravitation
The Gravitation programme is funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) advises the Ministry about the selection of the teams of scientists. Within the consortiums scientists from different universities are working together on setting up excellent research programmes. Gravitation provides financial support for a maximum period of ten years.
"The Gravitation grants give a powerful boost to a number of consortiums in which top scientists work together on challenging themes', says FOM Director Dr.ir. Wim van Saarloos. In 2012, the first funding round for Gravitation took place. Six research groups started with a combined sum of 167 million euros in funding from Gravitation. The next funding round will be held in 2016.
The teams awarded funding
NWO received 41 applications for funding within Gravitation. For the selection, the Governing Board of NWO appointed an international committee. The committee members were top researchers with a broad knowledge of scientific developments and experience with large scientific consortiums. NWO advised the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science about the research teams to be awarded funding.
A brief description of the two physics proposals is given below.
Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion
Main applicant: Prof.dr.ir. B.M. Weckhuysen (Utrecht University)
Co-applicant: Prof.dr.ir. A. van den Berg (UT), Prof.dr. A. van Blaaderen (UU), Prof.dr.ir. J.A.M. Kuipers (TU/e), FOM board member Prof.dr. D. Lohse (UT), Prof.dr. R.A. van Santen (TU/e).
Lead institution: Utrecht University
Award: 31.9 million euros
Chemists, physicists and engineers will join forces to radically change the processes used to produce fuels and chemical building blocks of the future. The research will focus on the development and optimisation of existing catalytic processes at all relevant scales: from the atomic level to the level of the actual reactor the catalysis takes place in. The ultimate aim of the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion is to develop highly efficient catalytic processes for various energy and materials sources, such as fossil fuels, biomass and solar energy.
Research Centre for Integrated Nanophotonics
Main applicant: Prof.dr.ir. M.K. Smit (Eindhoven University of Technology)
Co-applicants: Prof.dr. H.J.S. Dorren (TU/e), Prof.dr.ir. W.M.M. Kessels (TU/e), Prof.dr. P.M. Koenraad (TU/e), Prof.ir. A.M.J. Koonen (TU/e), Prof.dr. B. Koopmans (TU/e).
Lead institution: Eindhoven University of Technology
Award: 19.9 million euros
This research programme from physicists and electrical engineers is aimed at the development of the optical technology needed to connect seven billion people with each other and with the data centres that will provide access to the world's knowledge and information. The technology will make it possible to transport gigantic (perabyte) datastreams between billions of processors. The research focuses on breakthroughs by applying new physics concepts, components and circuits at the nanoscale and similar system concepts to make this enormous growth possible. Such breakthroughs are needed to prevent an explosion in the energy consumption of worldwide networks. This is crucial for the future of the Internet.
For further information
See the full press release of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and NWO.