Saltar para o conteúdo principal

FCCNFCT Digital Services

Access the national information on scientific and technological funding in Portugal

Activity Funded

Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies

Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares

Reference
UIDB/04349/2020
Project Start Date
2020-01-01
Project End Date
2024-12-31
Principal Investigator
Funding Program
Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017/2018) - Financiamento Base

Abstract

10.2 Summary in English for general dissemination purposes C2TN is a major National and International player in scientific and technological areas related to the Nuclear Sciences and Technologies and applications of Ionizing Radiation. Its motto “Radiation for Science and Society” entails the need to deliver scientific excellence and contribute to the solution of societal challenges in its areas of competence, namely Life and Health Sciences, Radiation Protection, Earth Sciences, Environment, Cultural Heritage and Materials Sciences. The Plan of Activities for 2018-2022 aims at strengthening and consolidating C2TN as an interdisciplinary centre of excellence engaged in research, development, innovation, services and advanced training, with a strategy articulated around: i) Scientific and technical excellence, furthering the internationalization of activities in its domains of specialization and exploring new topical areas such as Security, Space and Defense, Medical Physics and ion therapy. ii) Outreach and Dissemination, increasing the interaction with the society (public, schools, media) and consolidating the visibility of C2TN in the main national and in some international events and in the social media. Information technologies will be intensively used. iii) Funding sustainability, ensuring the diversification of funding sources and opportunities. This will allow the recruitment of young researchers and talents (students, Post-Docs, researchers) and will leverage the acquisition of new equipment. Under modern governance rules and promoting gender balance, RD&I activities will be undertaken in: - Advanced Materials, to further understand in more detail the correlation between structure - composition and processing with the final properties of advanced multifunctional materials and to develop new materials or materials with improved properties, for applications in physics and engineering, electronic sensors and devices, energy conversion, medical diagnostics and therapy. - Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Health Physics, including the design and preclinical evaluation of radiopharmaceuticals useful for a better management of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases with more effective and personalized diagnosis and/or treatments; quantification of the risks associated to low dose and protracted radiation exposures; assessment of the doses and risks due to the exposure to ionizing radiation of the patients and medical staff, to improve the Quality and Safety of health care. - Earth Systems, Radioactivity and Cultural Heritage, aiming at the improvement of the air quality and reducing the carbon footprint; the environmental protection, management of natural resources and global changes; the wastewater treatment and/or valorization; the decontamination of environmental pathogenic vectors to prevent infectious diseases and outbreaks; sustainable agro-industry and food safety; Cultural Heritage leverage and safeguard. 10.3 Summary in English for evaluation C2TN is a major National and International player in scientific and technological areas related to the Nuclear Sciences and Technologies and applications of Ionizing Radiation. Its motto “Radiation for Science and Society” entails the need to deliver scientific excellence and contribute to the solution of societal challenges in its areas of competence, namely Life and Health Sciences, Radiation Protection, Earth Sciences, Environment, Cultural Heritage and Materials Sciences. The Plan of Activities for 2018-2022 aims at strengthening and consolidating C2TN as an interdisciplinary centre of excellence and reference engaged in research, development, innovation, services and advanced training in its areas of expertise, towards a knowledge-based and sustainable society. The strategy to attain this goal will be articulated around the following pillars: i) Scientific and technical excellence, propelled by further internationalization in its domains of specialization and by exploring the application of its know-how and competences to new activities in areas such as Security, Space and Defense, among others. A new research line, devoted to Medical Physics and ion therapy, will be created to respond to the installation in the campus of a Centre for Hadrontherapy with a dedicated beam line for research, scheduled to be in place by 2022.The acquisition and installation of new medium scale scientific equipment and infrastructures are envisaged as of paramount importance to consolidate existing activities and foster new ones. The increase of the participation in R&D Networks and projects in the European Union Framework Programmes (EURATOM, Horizon 2020 and beyond) will be sought, extending the ongoing effort, in thematic areas such as Health, Materials, Environment, Security, among others. The membership of international Platforms and Associations and participation in CERN experiments and IAEA activities will be strengthened. ii) Outreach and Dissemination, increasing the interaction with the society (public, schools, media) through an Outreach Team to publicize C2TN´s activities and its societal relevance and to promote scientific culture. Research results will be mainly disseminated in Open Source. The visibility of C2TN will be increased and consolidated in the main national/international events related with its scientific domains, and in the social media. Information technologies will be intensively used. Public visits to laboratories and infrastructures operated by C2TN members will be organized; visits to schools and from schools will be increased. International Conferences, Workshops, Schools and Meetings on topics related to Nuclear Sciences and Technologies and applications of Ionizing Radiation will be organized, besides the existing monthly seminars, annual C2TN workshop and conferences. iii) Funding sustainability will be ensured by diversifying funding sources and opportunities to mitigate the precarious nature of contractual links with many researchers with PhD, under the newly adopted legislation, attracting and retaining young researchers and talents (students, Post-Docs, researchers), and to maintain operational the existing equipment and infrastructures as well as to leverage the acquisition of new equipment. This goal will be addressed by operating within C2TN a “Bureau on Internationalization and Support to Projects”, to publicize funding opportunities, promote networking, help submitting funding proposals, etc. The activities will be undertaken by five Research Groups contributing synergistically to the three Thematic Strands, a) Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Health Physics, b) Earth Systems, Radioactivity and Cultural Heritage and c) Advanced Materials. Last but not least, the involvement of young researchers, encouraged to lead small ad-hoc teams to keep abreast of and to address scientific hot topics and burning issues, will be further strengthened. C2TN proactively promotes gender balance at its Governance structure and on the membership of the research teams. The C2TN scientific Governance (3 male, 5 female), will be led by the C2TN President (Principal Responsible of this proposal), in close collaboration with the coordinators of the Groups and Thematic Strands. These meet monthly as a Coordination Committee to monitor, discuss and assess the progress of the Unit´s pluriannual project and to ensure the efficient management of resources, so that the main objectives of C2TN RD&I are achieved. These encompass: - The Advanced Materials quests to further understand in more detail the correlation between structure - composition and processing with the final properties of advanced multifunctional materials and to develop new materials or materials with improved properties, for applications in physics and engineering, electronic sensors and devices, energy conversion, medical diagnostics and therapy. - The Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Health Physics goals that includethe design and preclinical evaluation of radiopharmaceuticals useful for a better management of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases with more effective and personalized diagnosis and/or treatments; quantification of the risks associated to low dose and protracted radiation exposures; assessment of the doses and detrimental effects due to the exposure to ionizing radiation of the patients and medical staff, aiming to improve the Quality and Safety of health care, among others. - The Earth Systems, Radioactivity and Cultural Heritage aims for improving the air quality and reducing the carbon footprint; the environmental protection, management of natural resources and global changes; the wastewater treatment and/or valorization; the decontamination of environmental pathogenic vectors to prevent infectious diseases and outbreaks; sustainable agro-industry and food safety; Cultural Heritage leverage and safeguard making use of the available techniques and know-how.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade de Lisboa Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN/IST-ID)
  • Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento (IST-ID)

Funding 1.522.647,20 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

1.522.647,20 €