RCPTM succeeded in a prestigious grant competition Excellence in Research

RCPTM succeeded in a prestigious grant competition Excellence in Research, Operational Programme Research, Development and Education. Nanotechnology for Future, as this particular project has been named, won over 130 applications. In the course of five years, the centre will be granted 335 million Czech crowns for the development of nanotechnologies that should contribute to improving the quality of the environment and human health or using renewable energy resources.

The key tasks include developing new two-dimensional materials with unique magnetic and catalytic properties, nanolayers for advanced optical applications, hybrid nanomaterials deployed in the production and storage of hydrogen, and biomedical technologies or technologies applicable to waste water treatment or protection of the environment.

“Having succeeded in this grant competition secures the RCPTM’s position as one of the leading European nanomaterial research institutes that will be directly involved in European grants. The project will also strengthen the position of RCPTM in the existing scientific collaborations, such as the European laboratory for particle physics CERN or the Pierre Auger observatory in Argentina. Experts not only from the Czech Republic but also from USA, Hong Kong, or Italy will be managing the research programmes. 12 world-renowned scientists mainly from abroad are expected to participate in the project activities,” said Radek Zbořil, RCPTM Director.

Owing to the grant, we will be able to buy new equipment including a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a high resolution and a focused ion beam, which will enable detailed examination of the inner structure of nanomaterials. “RCPTM, which already has the most efficient transmission electron microscope in the Czech Republic, has the potential to become the leading microscopy centre in Europe,” added Radek Zbořil.