EPFL to lead 5.7 million Euro Marie Curie Initial Training Network
EPFL’s Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurements (LPQM, a joint laboratory of STI and SB) will coordinate a European consortium of academic and industry partners combining both research and training in the emerging field of Cavity Optomechanics.
This Initial Training Network (ITN) is part of the European Marie Curie actions and aims at offering early-stage researchers the opportunity to improve their research skills, join established research teams and enhance their career prospects. In a highly competitive selection process for these funding, Professor Tobias Kippenberg, head of the LPQM, declares: “I am extremely delighted that we have been able to secure this highly competitive grant scheme with success rates well below 10%.” The network of 10 partners was awarded a total of 5.7 million Euros to support 17 PhD students together with 10 Post Doctoral researchers and will run for 4 years.
Involved in this ITN project “Cavity Quantum Optomechanics” (cQOM) are: University of Vienna, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, University Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University Gent, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen Nürnberg, University Degli Studi di Camerino, IBM Research GmbH, Attocube Systems AG and EPFL (which acts also as the coordinator).
Since the consortium includes industry partners, intellectual property rights showed as a critical issue and required 2 months of intense negotiations. Dr. Adam Swetloff of the Grants Office successfully led the at times delicate negotiations.
While the ITN focuses largely on fundamental research relating to the quantum mechanical properties of coupling micro- and nanomechanical oscillator to the light field, this research also has applied facets which relates to making more sensitive sensors for acceleration, force or displacement which are relevant in a wide range of technological applications.
The Marie Curie training network combines scientific research and excellence in education, allowing fellows to attend workshops, summer schools, conferences and having short-term secondments among the partners.
The LPQM has hired Mrs. Susanne Nieke as the administrative Coordinator of the project cQOM.