MARIE CURIE ACTIONS MARIE CURIE EUROPEAN European Human resources COMMISSION Research Area & mobility KI-32-09-199-EN-C INSPIRING RESEARCHERS The Marie Curie Actions are widely recognised as a shining example of what European funding does for researchers. They have helped to change the R&D human resources landscape in Europe, giving tens of thousands of excellent researchers the opportunity to gain new knowledge and expertise within the best research groups through prestigious mobility fellowships. But the Marie Curie Actions are not only about making researchers mobile or helping them acquire new skills; they are also about ensuring that researchers enjoy a rewarding career and are motivated and inspired. The Actions promote better, more stable careers through employment INSPIRING RESEARCHERS contracts with full social security rights instead of traditional stipends. This book presents stories of the passionate researchers shaping your world and shows how an effective policy was crucial to them attaining excellence in research. ACTIONS Project Information Interested in European research? European Commission Research*eu is our monthly magazine keeping you in touch with Marie Curie Actions Inspiring Researchers main developments (results, programmes, events, etc.). Luxembourg: Publications Offi ce of the European Union It is available in English, French, German and Spanish. A free sample copy or free subscription can be obtained from: 2010 — 352 pp. — 21.0 x 14.8 cm European Commission Directorate-General for Research ISBN 978-92-79-14328-1 Communication Unit doi 10.2777/85517 B-1049 Brussels Fax (32-2) 29-58220 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-eu EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Research How to obtain EU publications Directorate L — Science, economy and society Unit L5 — Communication Publications for sale: • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu); Contact: Tonia Jiménez • from your bookseller by quoting the title, publisher and/or ISBN number; • by contacting one of our sales agents directly. You can obtain their European Commission contact details on the Internet (http://bookshop.europa.eu) or by sending Offi ce SDME 02/81 a fax to +352 2929-42758. B-1049 Brussels Free publications: • via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu); Tel. (32-2) 29-92192 • at the European Commission's representations or delegations. You can Fax (32-2) 29-58220 obtain their contact details on the Internet (http://ec.europa.eu) or by E-mail: [email protected] sending a fax to +352 2929-42758. EUROPEAN COMMISSION INSPIRING RESEARCHERS ACTIONS 2010 Directorate-General for Research EUROPE DIRECT is a service to help you fi nd answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed LEGAL NOTICE Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the following information. A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Publications Offi ce of the European Union, 2010 ISBN 978-92-79-14328-1 doi 10.2777/85517 © European Union, 2010 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER Marie Curie Actions: Inspiring Researchers Marie Curie Actions have been inspiring researchers for many, of their fi ndings and be socially dependable. They need to many years. We have built a legacy which has been nurtured disseminate their research results extensively to enthuse the through successive Framework Programmes, and which has wider public with the extent of their discoveries. made Marie Curie a global success. This legacy is now being passed to a new ‘owner’, Madame Odile Quintin, in a new During their careers, researchers will be exposed to different Directorate-General, where I am sure it will thrive just as it has environments, interact with numerous colleagues from different done in the past. I would like to wish Madame Quintin and disciplines and countries and act as vehicles to transfer their Marie Curie all the best for the future. knowledge to other researchers. This is why researchers are often on the move, chasing new ideas in new surroundings and Working as a researcher is probably one of the most exciting pushing the limits of conventional knowledge. However, this jobs one can have. It is intellectually challenging, requires often comes at a cost, and researchers regularly endure lack of passion, dedication and patience, but it is also extremely career stability as well as unfavourable employment conditions gratifying. There is nothing more exhilarating than having as without basic rights, in stark contrast to other professionals of a profession the task of discovering something previously an equivalent experience and level of responsibility. unknown to humanity. Particularly when these discoveries can improve our health, protect the environment, allow us to Researchers’ careers are thus very particular and demanding, communicate better, or look beyond the limit of the universe. requiring a lot of dedication. This is why the European Commission Then again, such activity comes with added responsibilities, has created and developed the Marie Curie Actions – for the since researchers always have to ponder the consequences benefi t of the researchers themselves, helping them to follow a 3 fruitful and stable career path while ensuring that they receive All the successful Marie Curie projects featured in this book competitive salaries with full social security rights. Top quality show that scientifi c excellence depends on nurturing the human research needs highly skilled professionals who feel fulfi lled factor. Discover the inspiring stories behind the researchers and are able to have a work-life balance. funded over the years by the EU Marie Curie programme. The European Commission supports the development of an José Manuel Silva Rodriguez open European labour market for researchers, free from all Director-General for Research forms of discrimination, as well as the diversifi cation of skills and career paths, both of which are essential to advance science and to underpin innovation in Europe. The Marie Curie Actions are particularly crucial to reaching this objective, and for over a decade they have played a key role in structuring the European Research Area by stimulating researchers’ career development. 4 Contents Introduction . .8 SEEDING CAREERS . 56 Artemis . 60 FOSTERING COLLABORATION. 12 Biomem . 64 Comode . 68 Aquachem . 16 Cooperative Breeding . 72 Carbio . 20 CSimHValves . 76 Catalysts Tomography. 24 Glues. 80 Cronus-EU . 28 InterDeC . 84 Heterolics. 32 Kaprow . 88 Hydrogen 1S-2S. 36 Nascent . 92 Raptor Ecotox . 40 NeuroEmpathy . 96 Smart . 44 Oestrogen Receptor . 100 Spatstat . 48 Paphos . 104 Tracks . 52 Penelope . 108 Pumping up the Heart . 112 Semeai . 116 5 INDUSTRY IMPORTANCE . 120 BRAIN GAIN . 176 CAB . 124 Adaptunpredict. 180 EnzyMat. 128 CSS-Omics . 184 NucSys . 132 ElsaQuintana-NCSCs . 188 Target-Breast . 136 Exner_Borisov . 192 Teamoholic. 140 HIVOxford . 196 Marine Magnetism . 200 Modpap . 204 GENDER BALANCE . 144 Nanoswitch . 208 Pipkigko. 212 Aquabase . 148 Targeting PCD in PD . 216 Drug-Discovery. 152 EARA-EST . 156 Gladnet . 160 COMMUNICATING SCIENCE. 220 Migrant Children . 164 Nanbioptic . 168 BCR . 224 Nanomatch . 172 Bimore. 228 CENS-CMA . 232 Floods . 236 Nanomag-Lab . 240 Nephilid Spiders . 244 Wise . 248 6 WORLDWIDE RESEARCH . 252 RECOGNISED ACHIEVEMENTS . 304 ATTACC . 256 Amgiss . 308 Bioseb . 260 Axiom. 312 Cause Kidney Damage . 264 HQPrecision . 316 Caveolins . 268 IceArray. 320 Episcon . 272 Macnet-UWB . 324 Parsem . 276 Quest for Unifi cation . 328 Neural Circuit . 280 Spinswitch . 332 Weapons Restrictions. 336 FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKING CONDITIONS . 284 STRUCTURING THE RESEARCH LANDSCAPE . 340 Eurythron . 288 Innate Immunity . ..