EuCheMS Brussels News Updates

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General European Highlights

Nobel Prize for Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014 was awarded jointly to Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner "for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy".
For a long time optical microscopy was held back by a presumed limitation: that it would never obtain a better resolution than half the wavelength of light. Helped by fluorescent molecules the Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2014 ingeniously circumvented this limitation. Their ground-breaking work has brought optical microscopy into the nanodimension.
Sources: http://www.nobelprize.org/; http://europa.eu/

EuCheMS Position on the Quality of Drinking Water in the EU
EuCheMS responded to the public consultation on the quality on drinking water in the EU. On June 2014, the European Commission launched a public consultation to obtain a better understanding of citizens’ views on what needs to be done in order to improve the supply with high quality drinking water. The results of the consultation will be used as input to decide if and where the EU Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC might need improvement. Chemical Sciences play an important role in treating water by both making it potable and also by removing contaminants from waste water and industrial waste streams.
To know more about EuCheMS positions on water please consult EuCheMS´roadmap: Chemistry - Developing solutions in a changing world (p.33-34).
You can also read the full EuCheMS contribution to the public consultation on the Quality of Drinking Water in the EU.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/news/

ENVI Committee Discussed Biocidal Products
The European Parliament´s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety met on the 13 October to, amongst other agenda points, have an exchange of views with Commission representatives on the implementation of the regulation on biocidal products. MEPs showed great concern regarding delays for the adoption, by the Commission, of the scientific criteria for the determination of endocrine-disrupting properties.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/

Conference “The Future of Europe is Science”
European Commission President Barroso opened this conference that took place in Lisbon and gathered world-class scientists, industrialists and political figures. Its main purpose was to debate the role science, technology and innovation can play in societal well-being and its potential to stimulate growth, jobs and business development opportunities for Europe. During the conference, the European Commission launched the report “The Future of Science is Europe”.
Source: http://europa.eu/

EuCheMS Awards top Young Chemist in Warsaw
During the 26th edition of the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), Thomas Andrew Morgan who won the EuCheMS special prize for best chemistry contribution for his work on the effect of UV light on vitamin D2 concentration in oyster mushrooms.
EUCYS, organised by DG Research and Innovation, is an initiative of the European Commission that was set up in 1989 with the goal of promoting cooperation and interchange between young scientists and guiding them towards a future career in science and technology.
Source: http://www.euchems.eu/news/

Stairway to Excellence
The Stairway to Excellence (S2E) project was launched in the beginning of this month with the aim of helping new Member States to optimise the usage of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and Horizon 2020 in order to promote research, development and innovation.
The project, managed by the Smart Specialisation Platform of the Joint Research Centre and the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, will focus on countries that have joined the EU since 2004 and will build on the work initiated by the Smart Specialisation Platform, which currently assists more than 150 European regions to create their research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3).
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/

Promoting alternatives to animal testing
In support of EU legislation on safety of chemicals, the JRC has published a state-of-the art review of test methods and non-testing (computational) approaches that help promote the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal experiments - known as the 3Rs - in the safety assessment of chemicals. The report "Alternative methods for regulatory toxicology – a state-of-the-art review" focuses on "non-standard" methods, i.e. those that are not included in current regulatory guidelines.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/

Biofuels - Sustainability Schemes
In order to receive government support or count towards mandatory national renewable energy targets, biofuels used in the EU (whether locally produced or imported) have to comply with sustainability criteria. These criteria aim at preventing the conversion of areas of high biodiversity and high carbon stock for the production of raw materials for biofuels.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/

Funding Updates and Awards

Erasmus+ Key Action 2 - Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education 2015
Deadline: 10 February 2015
Source: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/

A selection of Horizon 2020 calls

Call for proposals to identify and implement novel ways to highlight the work funded by the ERC and reach out a wider public
Deadline: 16 December 2014
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/research/

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)
Deadline: 13 January 2015
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/research/

Call for proposals for starting grant
Deadline: 3 February 2015
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/research/

Consultations and Roadmaps

Public Consultation on defining criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors in the context of the implementation of the plant protection product regulation and the biocidal products regulation.
The European Commission has launched an on-line consultation to help define criteria for endocrine disruptors as required by the regulations on biocidal and plant protection products. Input is sought from stakeholders and the public on various options for the criteria and for their implementation.
Because of the potential socio-economic impacts linked to how the criteria will be defined and the complexity of the issue, the Commission needs to carry out an impact assessment, and to consult the public. The scope of the impact assessment is set out in a roadmap. Until the new criteria are set, protective interim criteria are in place.
Deadline: 16 January 2015
Source: http://europa.eu/

Business Updates

Erasmus+InfoDay: Knowledge Alliances and Sector Skills Alliances
The Erasmus+InfoDay: Knowledge Alliances and Sector Skills Alliances will take place in Brussels on 12th November 2014 with the aim of the event is to explain the funding opportunities available under "Knowledge Alliances" and "Sector Skills Alliances".
Knowledge Alliances are transnational, structured and result-driven projects, notably between higher education. One of these alliances main purposes is to stimulate the flow and exchange of knowledge between higher education and enterprises.
Source: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/

Upcoming EuCheMS Recognised Events

10th International Conference on Polysaccharides-Glycoscience
22 - 24 October 2014
Prague, Czech Republic
Website: http://www.polysaccharides.csch.cz/

NUTRICON 2014
27 - 28 October 2014
Skopje, Macedonia
Website: http://keyevent.org/

1st Erwin Schrödinger Symposium 2014
26 - 28 November 2014
Vienna, Austria
Website: http://www.esg-nano.ac.at/

EuCheMS General Assembly 2014

23 - 24 October
Toruń, Poland
Programme and registration available here.
This year´s special session will be dedicated to the European Research in Chemistry and will take place on Thursday 23 October. You can check the invited speakers here.

Chemistry for the Future of Europe - Energy, Food, Environment

25 - 27 November 2014
Rome, Italy
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/

Joint conference on Employability of Chemists and EUROMASTER Measurement Science in Chemistry Graduation Ceremony 2014

12 December 2014
Royal Academy of Sciences, Brussels, Belgium

This conference is co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences (EuCheMS) with the contribution of the European Chemistry Thematic Network Association (ECTN) and the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic). Updates will soon be available here.

Energy Science Technology 2015

20 - 22 May 2015
Karlsruhe, Germany
Website: http://www.est-conference.com/
Call for papers is now open, more info at http://bit.ly/1tndPUB

Forthcoming Events

Putting Science into Standards: Power-to-Hydrogen and HCNG
21 – 22 October 2014
Petten, Netherlands
Website: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/

10 years ERA-NET Bioenergy - Research results and future strategies
11 November 2014
Hannover, Germany
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/

Brokerage Event for Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing
13 November 2014
Brussels, Belgium
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/

EuCheMS Newsletter November issue

Do not miss EuCheMS Newsletter latest issue with information on 5th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress (5ECC) in Istanbul, an interview with Prof Helena Grennberg, chair of the 5ECC scientific committe, EYCN activities in Istanbul, and much more! You can read it all here.

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Produced for EuCheMS by Nineta Majcen.
The information given by EuCheMS in this EuCheMS Brussels News Update has been carefully formulated but is necessarily based on information available and consequently EuCheMS does not accept responsibility if it is in any way inaccurate or incomplete. In this respect EuCheMS does not accept any duty of care and will not be liable for any losses or damages arising from inaccurate or incomplete information. EuCheMS acknowledges that a disclaimer cannot restrict liability at law for personal injury or death arising through a finding of negligence.
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