Scientists Vie for $1.3 Billion in European Funds

Race is on for EU's $1.3 billion science projects 

Tue, 01/15/2013 - 11:01am

Frank Jordans, Associated Press

In this May 9, 2011 file picture people use a infrared-DIC microscopy to do multi-neuron patch-clamp recording in the Blue Brain team and the Human Brain Project (HBP) laboratory of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Blue Brain team has come together with 12 other European and international partners to propose the Human Brain Project (HBP), a candidate for funding under the EU's FET Flagship program. The Blue Brain Project is an attempt to create a synthetic brain by reverse-engineering the mammalian brain down to the molecular level. AP Photo/Keystone/Laurent GillieronBERLIN (AP)—Call it Europe's Got Talent for geeks.

Teams of scientists from across the continent are vying for a funding bonanza that could see two of them receive up to €1 billion ($1.33 billion) over 10 years to keep Europe at the cutting edge of technology.

The contest began with 26 proposals that were whittled down to six last year. Just four have made it to the final round.

They include a plan to develop digital guardian angels that would keep people safe from harm; a massive data-crunching machine to simulate social, economic and technological change on our planet; an effort to craft the most accurate computer model of the human brain to date; and a team working to find better ways to produce and employ graphene—an ultra-thin material that could revolutionize manufacturing of everything from airplanes to computer chips.

The two winners will be announced by the European Union's executive branch in Brussels on Jan. 28.

More - Link >>> http://www.rdmag.com/news/2013/01/race-eus-13-billion-science-projects

Sources: Associated Press, R & D Magazine.

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