Project acronym IONPAIRSATCATALYSIS
Project Design Principles of Ion Pairs in Organocatalysis – Elucidation of Structures, Intermediates and Stereoselection Modes as well as Assessment of Individual Interaction Contributions
Researcher (PI) Ruth Maria Gschwind
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAET REGENSBURG
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE5, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary Ions are nearly omnipresent in chemistry and biochemistry. By providing the highest intermolecular interaction energies, ionic interactions have an extreme impact on molecular structures, which are the key to molecular functions. Experimentally determined structures of small contact ion pairs in solution are very rare and sometimes lacking in complete research fields. In addition, despite the amazing progress in theoretical and supramolecular chemistry, the subtle interplay of interactions in small organic ion pairs remains largely unknown. As a result design principles for small organic ion pairs in solution are not available. To solve this general problem there is an urgent and actual need of the synthetic community, because ion-pairing catalysis is the actual hot topic in asymmetric catalysis. There, new catalysts have to be screened with high effort in a black box mode and reviews state that structural and mechanistic studies will be an essential part of the further progress in the field. In previous projects spread over the fields of organometallic, bioorganic, supramolecular and medicinal chemistry as well as transition metal catalysis and organocatalysis, we gained special NMR expertise in the structure elucidation of ion pairs and reaction intermediates as well as the assessment of intermolecular interactions. Now in this project, nearly all of these various techniques and approaches will be combined in a new and so far unprecedented way and complemented by techniques used for protein ligand interactions and extreme low temperature measurements. With this unique combination, NMR approaches will be developed and applied to elucidate the structures of catalytically active ion pairs and their intermediates in solution and to dissect their intermolecular interactions. The resulting detailed design concept for small ion pairs in solution will revolutionize not only ion-pairing catalysis but all scientific fields working with organic ion pairs in solution.
Summary
Ions are nearly omnipresent in chemistry and biochemistry. By providing the highest intermolecular interaction energies, ionic interactions have an extreme impact on molecular structures, which are the key to molecular functions. Experimentally determined structures of small contact ion pairs in solution are very rare and sometimes lacking in complete research fields. In addition, despite the amazing progress in theoretical and supramolecular chemistry, the subtle interplay of interactions in small organic ion pairs remains largely unknown. As a result design principles for small organic ion pairs in solution are not available. To solve this general problem there is an urgent and actual need of the synthetic community, because ion-pairing catalysis is the actual hot topic in asymmetric catalysis. There, new catalysts have to be screened with high effort in a black box mode and reviews state that structural and mechanistic studies will be an essential part of the further progress in the field. In previous projects spread over the fields of organometallic, bioorganic, supramolecular and medicinal chemistry as well as transition metal catalysis and organocatalysis, we gained special NMR expertise in the structure elucidation of ion pairs and reaction intermediates as well as the assessment of intermolecular interactions. Now in this project, nearly all of these various techniques and approaches will be combined in a new and so far unprecedented way and complemented by techniques used for protein ligand interactions and extreme low temperature measurements. With this unique combination, NMR approaches will be developed and applied to elucidate the structures of catalytically active ion pairs and their intermediates in solution and to dissect their intermolecular interactions. The resulting detailed design concept for small ion pairs in solution will revolutionize not only ion-pairing catalysis but all scientific fields working with organic ion pairs in solution.
Max ERC Funding
1 994 685 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-04-01, End date: 2019-03-31
Project acronym iTools4MC
Project Hypervalent Iodine Reagents: A Tool Kit for Accessing Molecular Complexity
Researcher (PI) Jérôme Waser
Host Institution (HI) ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE5, ERC-2013-StG
Summary "Against the backdrop of an ever-expanding world population and increasingly limited resources, progress in chemistry, and organic chemistry in particular, is essential for the future of humanity. In the last century, transition metal chemistry has completely changed the field of synthesis. Nevertheless, it is often based on rare and toxic metals. Traditional organic chemistry, on the other hand, makes use of cheap and innocuous organic molecules but at the cost of more limited reactivity. Herein, we propose to design new hypervalent iodine reagents, which will combine the high reactivity of metals with the lower toxicity and cost of main group elements while opening new horizons for the synthesis of organic molecules.
The most important impact of the project will be to accelerate the innovative circle of progress, especially for research in medicinal chemistry. An extremely useful toolbox, an ""iKit"", will become available for medicinal chemists. The optimal outcome would be a ""magic iodine bullet"", which the chemist can use to install a chemical functional group on an organic molecule of his or her choice.
An added impact of the project will be greater understanding of the reactivity of hypervalent iodine reagents and their interplay with metal catalysts, leading to unforeseen applications. This understanding can lead to the development of reactions catalytic in iodine, which can be useful not only for research, but also for the larger scale production of chemicals.
Based on the successful outcome of this project, an unlimited number of organic transformations will be possible in the future. Applications will not be solely limited to synthetic chemistry, as there exists the possibility for emergent development of other well-defined reagents tailored to meet the needs of scientists in chemical biology and materials science."
Summary
"Against the backdrop of an ever-expanding world population and increasingly limited resources, progress in chemistry, and organic chemistry in particular, is essential for the future of humanity. In the last century, transition metal chemistry has completely changed the field of synthesis. Nevertheless, it is often based on rare and toxic metals. Traditional organic chemistry, on the other hand, makes use of cheap and innocuous organic molecules but at the cost of more limited reactivity. Herein, we propose to design new hypervalent iodine reagents, which will combine the high reactivity of metals with the lower toxicity and cost of main group elements while opening new horizons for the synthesis of organic molecules.
The most important impact of the project will be to accelerate the innovative circle of progress, especially for research in medicinal chemistry. An extremely useful toolbox, an ""iKit"", will become available for medicinal chemists. The optimal outcome would be a ""magic iodine bullet"", which the chemist can use to install a chemical functional group on an organic molecule of his or her choice.
An added impact of the project will be greater understanding of the reactivity of hypervalent iodine reagents and their interplay with metal catalysts, leading to unforeseen applications. This understanding can lead to the development of reactions catalytic in iodine, which can be useful not only for research, but also for the larger scale production of chemicals.
Based on the successful outcome of this project, an unlimited number of organic transformations will be possible in the future. Applications will not be solely limited to synthetic chemistry, as there exists the possibility for emergent development of other well-defined reagents tailored to meet the needs of scientists in chemical biology and materials science."
Max ERC Funding
1 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31
Project acronym JAXPERTISE
Project Joint action expertise: Behavioral, cognitive, and neural mechanisms for joint action learning
Researcher (PI) Natalie Sebanz
Host Institution (HI) KOZEP-EUROPAI EGYETEM
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), SH4, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary Human life is full of joint action and our achievements are, to a large extent, joint achievements that require the coordination of two or more individuals. Piano duets and tangos, but also complex technical and medical operations rely on and exist because of coordinated actions. In recent years, research has begun to identify the basic mechanisms of joint action. This work focused on simple tasks that can be performed together without practice. However, a striking aspect of human joint action is the expertise interaction partners acquire together. How people acquire joint expertise is still poorly understood. JAXPERTISE will break new ground by identifying the behavioural, cognitive, and neural mechanisms underlying the learning of joint action. Participating in joint activities is also a motor for individual development. Although this has long been recognized, the mechanisms underlying individual learning through engagement in joint activities remain to be spelled out from a cognitive science perspective. JAXPERTISE will make this crucial step by investigating how joint action affects source memory, semantic memory, and individual skill learning. Carefully designed experiments will optimize the balance between capturing relevant interpersonal phenomena and maximizing experimental control. The proposed studies employ behavioural measures, electroencephalography, and physiological measures. Studies tracing learning processes in novices will be complemented by studies analyzing expert performance in music and dance. New approaches, such as training participants to regulate each other’s brain activity, will lead to methodological breakthroughs. JAXPERTISE will generate basic scientific knowledge that will be relevant to a large number of different disciplines in the social sciences, cognitive sciences, and humanities. The insights gained in this project will have impact on the design of robot helpers and the development of social training interventions.
Summary
Human life is full of joint action and our achievements are, to a large extent, joint achievements that require the coordination of two or more individuals. Piano duets and tangos, but also complex technical and medical operations rely on and exist because of coordinated actions. In recent years, research has begun to identify the basic mechanisms of joint action. This work focused on simple tasks that can be performed together without practice. However, a striking aspect of human joint action is the expertise interaction partners acquire together. How people acquire joint expertise is still poorly understood. JAXPERTISE will break new ground by identifying the behavioural, cognitive, and neural mechanisms underlying the learning of joint action. Participating in joint activities is also a motor for individual development. Although this has long been recognized, the mechanisms underlying individual learning through engagement in joint activities remain to be spelled out from a cognitive science perspective. JAXPERTISE will make this crucial step by investigating how joint action affects source memory, semantic memory, and individual skill learning. Carefully designed experiments will optimize the balance between capturing relevant interpersonal phenomena and maximizing experimental control. The proposed studies employ behavioural measures, electroencephalography, and physiological measures. Studies tracing learning processes in novices will be complemented by studies analyzing expert performance in music and dance. New approaches, such as training participants to regulate each other’s brain activity, will lead to methodological breakthroughs. JAXPERTISE will generate basic scientific knowledge that will be relevant to a large number of different disciplines in the social sciences, cognitive sciences, and humanities. The insights gained in this project will have impact on the design of robot helpers and the development of social training interventions.
Max ERC Funding
1 992 331 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-08-01, End date: 2019-07-31
Project acronym KNOWING
Project Epistemic intersections in early modern England: the place of literature
Researcher (PI) Subha Mukherji
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), SH5, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary "This project uncovers the interface between imaginative literature and epistemology in its wider sense in early modern England (1500-1700). This period of intense literary production also saw the cultural forces of humanism and the Reformation collide; crucial shifts in the law; scientific advancement; and dramatic expansion in trade and travel. At stake across the board was knowledge: its theories and technologies, its excitements and anxieties. We examine intersections between literary forms and apparently disparate areas of thinking about ways of knowing:
• theology
• natural philosophy
• economic thinking
• law
Subsequent disciplinary segregation has obscured the understood relations among these disciplines: epistemic transactions vital to the experiences of knowledge and belief which so deeply vexed and shaped the period’s thought.
Our quarry is the specific intervention of literary texts in this conversation. What does literature know, or tell us, that other discourses cannot, or do not, because of their disciplinary investments? What aspirations to objectivity or assurance will it not share with science, religion or the law? How does it complicate economic ideas of insurance by translating them to affective notions of risk and surety? And how do these cognate practices engage with literary constitutions of knowledge? To recover the multiple frame against which this culture articulates its conceptions of knowledge, we read these fields as coeval but distinct. Across the five years, we use two thematic foci to explore and institutionalise the blind spots of knowledge, thereby rewriting the story of early modern epistemology:
i) knowing and knowingness;
ii) doubt and unknowing
To grasp the dialogic relations, we must harness specialist expertise in each discipline. Research will be organised along the four disciplinary strands in the first four years, with literary engagement as a constant, the final year consolidating the project with specific events."
Summary
"This project uncovers the interface between imaginative literature and epistemology in its wider sense in early modern England (1500-1700). This period of intense literary production also saw the cultural forces of humanism and the Reformation collide; crucial shifts in the law; scientific advancement; and dramatic expansion in trade and travel. At stake across the board was knowledge: its theories and technologies, its excitements and anxieties. We examine intersections between literary forms and apparently disparate areas of thinking about ways of knowing:
• theology
• natural philosophy
• economic thinking
• law
Subsequent disciplinary segregation has obscured the understood relations among these disciplines: epistemic transactions vital to the experiences of knowledge and belief which so deeply vexed and shaped the period’s thought.
Our quarry is the specific intervention of literary texts in this conversation. What does literature know, or tell us, that other discourses cannot, or do not, because of their disciplinary investments? What aspirations to objectivity or assurance will it not share with science, religion or the law? How does it complicate economic ideas of insurance by translating them to affective notions of risk and surety? And how do these cognate practices engage with literary constitutions of knowledge? To recover the multiple frame against which this culture articulates its conceptions of knowledge, we read these fields as coeval but distinct. Across the five years, we use two thematic foci to explore and institutionalise the blind spots of knowledge, thereby rewriting the story of early modern epistemology:
i) knowing and knowingness;
ii) doubt and unknowing
To grasp the dialogic relations, we must harness specialist expertise in each discipline. Research will be organised along the four disciplinary strands in the first four years, with literary engagement as a constant, the final year consolidating the project with specific events."
Max ERC Funding
1 996 743 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-10-01, End date: 2019-09-30
Project acronym L-POP
Project Language-Processing by Overlapping Predictions: A Predictive Coding Approach
Researcher (PI) Christian Fiebach
Host Institution (HI) JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITATFRANKFURT AM MAIN
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), SH4, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary "This project aims at elucidating fundamental neural computations underlying language processing. While we have gained enormous insights into the localization of language in the brain and the temporal sequence of language processes (e.g., syntactic vs. semantic), we know very little about the actual computations underlying language processing. I propose that the framework of predictive coding can fill this gap. Predictive coding is a fundamental theory of sensory processing in the brain that has recently gained enormous attention in psychology and neuroscience. While models of language assume a bottom-up driven processing stream from sensory areas through different linguistic processing stages (e.g., phonetic, syntactic) towards semantic interpretation, predictive coding postulates that high-level brain systems actively construct models of the external world and pass resulting predictions about upcoming events to lower sensory systems. Only if predictions are violated, a prediction error is signalled in a bottom-up fashion to higher areas where internal models are adjusted to minimize prediction error. Here, I postulate that language-processing is the result of multiple overlapping predictions from different sources of linguistic information, if available. I propose a research program that (a) explores the presence of neurophysiological markers of predictive coding during language processing, (b) tests quantitative hypotheses from predictive coding concerning strength and precision of prediction error signals, for established language effects, and (c) explores the domain generality of identified mechanisms. To this end, established electrophysiological and brain activation markers of sentence processing will be combined with advanced model-based data analysis tools. Finally, a comprehensive functional architecture of language shall be established that incorporates dynamically reconfigurable feedforward and feedback information flow in the language system."
Summary
"This project aims at elucidating fundamental neural computations underlying language processing. While we have gained enormous insights into the localization of language in the brain and the temporal sequence of language processes (e.g., syntactic vs. semantic), we know very little about the actual computations underlying language processing. I propose that the framework of predictive coding can fill this gap. Predictive coding is a fundamental theory of sensory processing in the brain that has recently gained enormous attention in psychology and neuroscience. While models of language assume a bottom-up driven processing stream from sensory areas through different linguistic processing stages (e.g., phonetic, syntactic) towards semantic interpretation, predictive coding postulates that high-level brain systems actively construct models of the external world and pass resulting predictions about upcoming events to lower sensory systems. Only if predictions are violated, a prediction error is signalled in a bottom-up fashion to higher areas where internal models are adjusted to minimize prediction error. Here, I postulate that language-processing is the result of multiple overlapping predictions from different sources of linguistic information, if available. I propose a research program that (a) explores the presence of neurophysiological markers of predictive coding during language processing, (b) tests quantitative hypotheses from predictive coding concerning strength and precision of prediction error signals, for established language effects, and (c) explores the domain generality of identified mechanisms. To this end, established electrophysiological and brain activation markers of sentence processing will be combined with advanced model-based data analysis tools. Finally, a comprehensive functional architecture of language shall be established that incorporates dynamically reconfigurable feedforward and feedback information flow in the language system."
Max ERC Funding
1 552 740 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-07-01, End date: 2019-06-30
Project acronym LATIN INTO HEBREW
Project Latin Philosophy into Hebrew: Intercultural Networks in 13th and 14th Century Europe
Researcher (PI) Alexander Fidora Riera
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The intercultural networks between Arabic, Christian and Jewish communities of learning during the Middle Ages have played a decisive role in the evolution of Western thought and have helped to shape the European identity. Until now, scholarly research has focused almost exclusively on the transmission of Arabic philosophy and science into Latin. The influence of Latin texts on Jewish thought has been largely neglected. The goal of this project is to study how Latin-Christian texts written at Toledo were received in the Jewish tradition of the 13th and 14th centuries, and to draw an intellectual topography of the intercultural and interreligious networks that extended across Europe. The work will involve the philosophical analysis of various texts together with their translations and reception, showing how the networks between the different religious communities in the Mediterranean can be understood as an attempt to work on a shared philosophical tradition. This tradition provided a common and continuous medium for dialogue between the faiths, based upon a commitment to philosophical reason. Our approach will be combined with historical and philological research on the conditions and methods of transmission and translation of Latin texts into Hebrew. In addition, the project aims at editing and translating some of the Hebrew texts of reference. The project is only possible in a trans-disciplinary research group, for it requires philosophical, historical and philological skills as well as a high degree of familiarity with the different traditions involved.
Summary
The intercultural networks between Arabic, Christian and Jewish communities of learning during the Middle Ages have played a decisive role in the evolution of Western thought and have helped to shape the European identity. Until now, scholarly research has focused almost exclusively on the transmission of Arabic philosophy and science into Latin. The influence of Latin texts on Jewish thought has been largely neglected. The goal of this project is to study how Latin-Christian texts written at Toledo were received in the Jewish tradition of the 13th and 14th centuries, and to draw an intellectual topography of the intercultural and interreligious networks that extended across Europe. The work will involve the philosophical analysis of various texts together with their translations and reception, showing how the networks between the different religious communities in the Mediterranean can be understood as an attempt to work on a shared philosophical tradition. This tradition provided a common and continuous medium for dialogue between the faiths, based upon a commitment to philosophical reason. Our approach will be combined with historical and philological research on the conditions and methods of transmission and translation of Latin texts into Hebrew. In addition, the project aims at editing and translating some of the Hebrew texts of reference. The project is only possible in a trans-disciplinary research group, for it requires philosophical, historical and philological skills as well as a high degree of familiarity with the different traditions involved.
Max ERC Funding
511 574 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2012-02-29
Project acronym LATTAL
Project The Latin Talmud and its Influence on Christian-Jewish Polemic
Researcher (PI) Alexander Fidora
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), SH5, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary "While polemics and dialogue between Judaism and Christianity are as old as the Christian religion itself, one can clearly distinguish different periods, trends and intensities in the relations between the faiths. A significant landmark in this long and complex history is the Latin translation of large sections of the Talmud, the most important Jewish post-biblical text and the basis for the development of Rabbinic Judaism.
When during the 13th century Christian theologians started to examine and translate the Talmud from Hebrew and Aramaic into Latin, they were faced with a huge body of texts which represented centuries of legalistic and homiletic materials. The discovery of this immense post-biblical Jewish literature became a source of fascination for Christians who believed that this text, which encompasses every aspect of Jewish life, was fundamental both for refuting the Jewish faith and for substantiating the truth of Christianity. This realization heralded a rethinking of the place of Jews in Christian society and redefined Christian-Jewish dialogue and polemic.
The purpose of our project is to edit and publish the largest extant collection of Talmudic passages translated from Hebrew into Latin, that is, the ""Extractiones de Talmud"", while studying this ground-breaking document in the context of the trial and burning of the Talmud in 1240-42 and its aftermath.
This project addresses vital questions of Jewish and Christian identity, still relevant to the 21st century, and can only be carried out by a transdisciplinary research team including specialists from Latin Philology, Hebrew Studies and History."
Summary
"While polemics and dialogue between Judaism and Christianity are as old as the Christian religion itself, one can clearly distinguish different periods, trends and intensities in the relations between the faiths. A significant landmark in this long and complex history is the Latin translation of large sections of the Talmud, the most important Jewish post-biblical text and the basis for the development of Rabbinic Judaism.
When during the 13th century Christian theologians started to examine and translate the Talmud from Hebrew and Aramaic into Latin, they were faced with a huge body of texts which represented centuries of legalistic and homiletic materials. The discovery of this immense post-biblical Jewish literature became a source of fascination for Christians who believed that this text, which encompasses every aspect of Jewish life, was fundamental both for refuting the Jewish faith and for substantiating the truth of Christianity. This realization heralded a rethinking of the place of Jews in Christian society and redefined Christian-Jewish dialogue and polemic.
The purpose of our project is to edit and publish the largest extant collection of Talmudic passages translated from Hebrew into Latin, that is, the ""Extractiones de Talmud"", while studying this ground-breaking document in the context of the trial and burning of the Talmud in 1240-42 and its aftermath.
This project addresses vital questions of Jewish and Christian identity, still relevant to the 21st century, and can only be carried out by a transdisciplinary research team including specialists from Latin Philology, Hebrew Studies and History."
Max ERC Funding
1 292 700 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-10-01, End date: 2018-09-30
Project acronym LATTICE
Project Lattices in Computer Science
Researcher (PI) Oded Regev
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE5, ERC-2007-StG
Summary A lattice is defined as the set of all integer combinations of $n$ linearly independent vectors in $\R^n$. These geometrical objects possess a rich combinatorial structure that has attracted the attention of great mathematicians over the last two centuries. Lattices have an impressive number of applications in mathematics and computer science, from number theory and Diophantine approximation to complexity theory and cryptography. Over the last two decades, the computational study of lattices has witnessed several remarkable discoveries. Most notable are the development of the LLL algorithm by Lenstra, Lenstra and Lovasz and Ajtai's discovery of lattice-based cryptographic constructions. I propose to pursue these research directions and attempt to discover new connections between lattices and computer science. A particular focus will be put on applications in cryptography, as these can lead to many advances in the field and are also of great practical importance. I believe that the extraordinary properties of lattices have the potential to revolutionize many other areas of computer science such as complexity, cryptography, machine learning theory, quantum computation, and more. My scientific goals include obtaining stronger and more practical lattice-based cryptographic constructions, resolving important questions regarding the complexity of lattice problems, finding sub-exponential time algorithms for lattice problems and exploring some novel applications of lattices to areas such as Markov chains and machine learning theory.
Summary
A lattice is defined as the set of all integer combinations of $n$ linearly independent vectors in $\R^n$. These geometrical objects possess a rich combinatorial structure that has attracted the attention of great mathematicians over the last two centuries. Lattices have an impressive number of applications in mathematics and computer science, from number theory and Diophantine approximation to complexity theory and cryptography. Over the last two decades, the computational study of lattices has witnessed several remarkable discoveries. Most notable are the development of the LLL algorithm by Lenstra, Lenstra and Lovasz and Ajtai's discovery of lattice-based cryptographic constructions. I propose to pursue these research directions and attempt to discover new connections between lattices and computer science. A particular focus will be put on applications in cryptography, as these can lead to many advances in the field and are also of great practical importance. I believe that the extraordinary properties of lattices have the potential to revolutionize many other areas of computer science such as complexity, cryptography, machine learning theory, quantum computation, and more. My scientific goals include obtaining stronger and more practical lattice-based cryptographic constructions, resolving important questions regarding the complexity of lattice problems, finding sub-exponential time algorithms for lattice problems and exploring some novel applications of lattices to areas such as Markov chains and machine learning theory.
Max ERC Funding
822 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2012-08-31
Project acronym LAYERENG-HYBMAT
Project Molecular-Layer-Engineered Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Materials
Researcher (PI) Maarit Johanna Karppinen
Host Institution (HI) AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE5, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary "On-demand-designed and precision-synthesized multicomponent or hybrid materials with unorthodox combinations of properties are potential keys to fascinating next-generation devices. At the same time there is a strong scientific desire to create a comprehensive repertory of basic understanding, design strategies and experimental tools to construct such outstanding smart materials from different building blocks and to shape them into sophisticated hierarchical architectures.
In LAYERENG-HYBMAT I propose a fundamentally new category of nanocomposite materials, that is, layer-by-layer grown coherent inorganic-organic hybrid materials where the cohesion between the layers is based on covalent bonding. Such materials are – once carefully designed and fabricated – able to display in a single material a tailored combination of properties of conventional inorganics and organics, and even beyond. The core hypothesis is that such intimately fused outstanding hybrids are materialized in a simple but extremely elegant manner by mimicking the state-of-the-art thin-film technology, i.e. ALD (atomic layer deposition), originally developed for purely inorganic thin films. The proposed method combines ALD and MLD (molecular layer deposition) cycles and enables the layer-by-layer deposition of coherent inorganic-organic thin films and coatings through sequential self-limiting gas-surface reactions with high precision for the composition and polymer-chain dispersity. With additional nanostructuring capacity these materials have the potential to open up new horizons in electronics, photonics, thermoelectrics, diagnostics, packaging, etc.
The project builds on my long experience in frontier new-material research on other types of multilayered materials and successful proof-of-the-concept ALD/MLD experiments, and addresses all the fundamental aspects of new-material design, modelling, precision synthesis, property tailoring and function characterization."
Summary
"On-demand-designed and precision-synthesized multicomponent or hybrid materials with unorthodox combinations of properties are potential keys to fascinating next-generation devices. At the same time there is a strong scientific desire to create a comprehensive repertory of basic understanding, design strategies and experimental tools to construct such outstanding smart materials from different building blocks and to shape them into sophisticated hierarchical architectures.
In LAYERENG-HYBMAT I propose a fundamentally new category of nanocomposite materials, that is, layer-by-layer grown coherent inorganic-organic hybrid materials where the cohesion between the layers is based on covalent bonding. Such materials are – once carefully designed and fabricated – able to display in a single material a tailored combination of properties of conventional inorganics and organics, and even beyond. The core hypothesis is that such intimately fused outstanding hybrids are materialized in a simple but extremely elegant manner by mimicking the state-of-the-art thin-film technology, i.e. ALD (atomic layer deposition), originally developed for purely inorganic thin films. The proposed method combines ALD and MLD (molecular layer deposition) cycles and enables the layer-by-layer deposition of coherent inorganic-organic thin films and coatings through sequential self-limiting gas-surface reactions with high precision for the composition and polymer-chain dispersity. With additional nanostructuring capacity these materials have the potential to open up new horizons in electronics, photonics, thermoelectrics, diagnostics, packaging, etc.
The project builds on my long experience in frontier new-material research on other types of multilayered materials and successful proof-of-the-concept ALD/MLD experiments, and addresses all the fundamental aspects of new-material design, modelling, precision synthesis, property tailoring and function characterization."
Max ERC Funding
2 358 102 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31
Project acronym Learning&Achievement
Project Cognitive and Biological Factors of Mathematical Learning and Achievement
Researcher (PI) Roi Cohen Kadosh
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2013-StG
Summary Mathematical competence is essential for an individual’s functioning in society and for societal prosperity and progress in general. Crucially, the specific cognitive and biological factors that determine high, average, or low mathematical achievement are still poorly understood. The current project aims to address this gap by examining the link between mathematical achievement (cognitive factors) and brain indices (biological factors) across the developmental trajectory and for different competency levels. Specifically, the projects objectives are: 1) identify the critical cognitive and biological components, as well as the dynamic developmental sequence, necessary for the normal development of mathematical abilities; 2) unravel the cognitive and biological factors that contribute to and/or restrict neuroplasticity in mathematical learning. This knowledge may be used in the future to improve prevention, identification, and classification of children with impaired numeracy such as developmental dyscalculia; and 3) develop and test well-defined, evidence-based methods for improving mathematical learning. In addition, one of the objectives of the proposed project is to provide experimental knowledge that will have high ecological validity, by examining mathematical learning and achievement while subjects are studying in a classroom setting. I will use an innovative multimethod approach that integrates cognitive and developmental psychology together with neuromodulation, neurophysiology, and neurochemistry, which will provide a comprehensive understanding of the cognitive and brain bases of mathematical learning and cognition. While such knowledge will offer substantive advances for the fields of psychology, education, and neuroscience, it also has broad societal implications, as the high ecological validity provides insights in translational approaches for improving the lives of children and adults with low mathematical abilities.
Summary
Mathematical competence is essential for an individual’s functioning in society and for societal prosperity and progress in general. Crucially, the specific cognitive and biological factors that determine high, average, or low mathematical achievement are still poorly understood. The current project aims to address this gap by examining the link between mathematical achievement (cognitive factors) and brain indices (biological factors) across the developmental trajectory and for different competency levels. Specifically, the projects objectives are: 1) identify the critical cognitive and biological components, as well as the dynamic developmental sequence, necessary for the normal development of mathematical abilities; 2) unravel the cognitive and biological factors that contribute to and/or restrict neuroplasticity in mathematical learning. This knowledge may be used in the future to improve prevention, identification, and classification of children with impaired numeracy such as developmental dyscalculia; and 3) develop and test well-defined, evidence-based methods for improving mathematical learning. In addition, one of the objectives of the proposed project is to provide experimental knowledge that will have high ecological validity, by examining mathematical learning and achievement while subjects are studying in a classroom setting. I will use an innovative multimethod approach that integrates cognitive and developmental psychology together with neuromodulation, neurophysiology, and neurochemistry, which will provide a comprehensive understanding of the cognitive and brain bases of mathematical learning and cognition. While such knowledge will offer substantive advances for the fields of psychology, education, and neuroscience, it also has broad societal implications, as the high ecological validity provides insights in translational approaches for improving the lives of children and adults with low mathematical abilities.
Max ERC Funding
1 999 859 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-05-01, End date: 2019-04-30
