Video clip presenting the AIDAinnova project to collaborate on common detector projects in line with the European Strategy update. The video presents the project’s background and goals. The main focus was put on the main challenges behind detectors technologies and demonstrate the passion of scientists and engineers working on the project. (Video: CERN)
From medical imaging to weather forecasting, from airport security to art restoration, detectors in unexpected places are improving our daily lives.
Started in 2021, the CERN-coordinated AIDAinnova project aims to provide state-of-the-art upgrades to research infrastructures, such as test beams, in order to unfold the scientific potential of detector technologies. The project involves three RTOs (Research and Technology Organisations) and 34 academic institutions in 15 countries, in co-innovation for common detector projects, strengthening the competence and competitiveness of the industrial partners in other markets.
This includes exploration applications of novel technologies, increase of the efficiency and quality of the beam test and irradiation facilities, thus rendering European Industry ready for large series production of HEP detectors.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101004761.
Over the past five years, the ARIES (Accelerator Research and Innovation for European Science and Society) project has brought together 41 partners from academia and industry from 18 different European countries in the aim of developing key accelerator technologies to make present and future machines more efficient, affordable, reliable and sustainable.
Under the coordination of CERN, the project has been breaking new ground for the accelerator community, and this Horizon 2020-funded effort has now borne his fruits: the European ecosystem of accelerator centres is now stronger than ever, with easily accessible facilities, well-highlighted synergies and new plans to improve current technologies and infrastructures.
Video presentation of the ARIES project when it started as a new initiative to improve particle accelerators and make them more compact and easier to use outside research. (Video: CERN)
One of the project’s main endeavours was the facilitation of transnational access. In the aim of providing a wide range of European researchers and industry with access to top-class accelerator research and test infrastructures, ARIES set up a network of 14 accelerator test facilities across Europe. The programme allows users to carry out tests within five separate domains: magnet, material, electron and proton beam, radiofrequency, and plasma beam. With over 23 000 hours of testing for 307 users, the scheme generated interesting new science and expanded the project’s user community.
ARIES was critical in investigating and promoting new perspectives for accelerator research and development. It created a breeding ground for research in plasma and laser-based acceleration, a field now driven in Europe by EuPRAXIA, another promising EU-funded project. Furthermore, ARIES support was key in ensuring the continuation of initiatives such as studies on high-temperature superconductivity or the revival of the studies on muon colliders. In 2022, a prototype electron gun for electron lenses was assembled and tested by four ARIES collaborators, and breakthrough results were achieved in the fields of thin superconducting films and materials for extreme thermal management.
The use of accelerator to remove harmful emission from ship exhaust was a remarkable example of how society could profit from particle accelerator technologies.
Strong interaction with industry was promoted as a key objective. The project could benefit from an enhanced industrial participation, with the involvement of seven industries and one association, and ran three new co-innovation programmes with industry. It also identified and supported a wealth of technologies with societal and environmental applications, such as a particle accelerator system to remove harmful emission from ship exhaust.
With its mission now fulfilled, ARIES is now coming to a close. However, its succession is ensured thanks to two new projects: started in April 2021, I.FAST will continue and further advance on ARIES’ legacy of joint R&D activities with industry to develop ideas and technologies for the next generation of particle accelerators. In parallel, EURO-LABS will further the transnational access tradition of ARIES, bringing research centres even closer together by creating a new, synergetic network of research facilities for accelerator, detector and nuclear technologies.
In the aim of providing a wide range of European researchers and industry with access to top-class accelerator research and test infrastructures, ARIES set up a network of 14 accelerator test facilities across Europe.
(Image: CERN)
Strap
The EU-funded ARIES project has succeeded in opening new avenues for the accelerator community
Since 2021, the EU-funded I.FAST project has been developing innovative technologies common to multiple accelerator platforms and defining strategic roadmaps for future development. Under CERN coordination, the community of 49 beneficiaries contributes to preparing for the next step of particle physics research, improving the sustainability of accelerator-based science and meeting the specific needs of societal applications.
The project’s Internal Innovation Fund (IIF) was created to stimulate the innovation in accelerator technologies. The primary objective of the fund is to encourage I.FAST beneficiaries to identify innovative solutions with viable industrial or commercial potential. This fast-track, competitive process will finance emerging technologies, processes, research, business models and other innovative solutions, at both development and prototype stages.
Technologies supported by the IIF shall be capable of advancing the state of the art in fields related to the I.FAST thematic areas. They shall also contribute to improving the sustainability of particle accelerator technologies, by reducing accelerators’ electricity consumption or footprint, by improving their performance for an equivalent impact, or by serving direct environmental purposes.
The thematic areas of interest include:
Novel particle accelerator concepts and technologies
High luminosity accelerators for light sources
Innovative superconducting magnets
Innovative superconducting thin film coated cavities
Advanced accelerator technologies and materials
Sustainable concepts and technologies
Societal applications
Technology Infrastructure
Individual projects will receive from 100 to 200 kEUR in funding until the exhaustion of the available fund (1.000.000 euro). The supported projects must include at least one I.FAST beneficiary and one industrial partner in their consortia.
To submit your proposal, complete the web submission form on the I.FAST website by September 15, 2022.
Find out more about the application process by visiting the I.FAST website or by contacting Marcello Losasso, the fund manager.
The use of accelerated particles is now an established medical technique for cancer therapy, providing to the radiation oncologists an alternative tool for the fraction of tumours that are not curable with conventional X-rays. Heavy ions, like carbon, are effective for some tumours resistant to X-rays and protons, but their use is so far limited by the size and cost of the required infrastructure, mainly synchrotron and gantry – the beam delivery system.
Figure 1: Comparison between footprint of the accelerator hall in case of standard resistive magnet synchrotron (top picture) and in case of using SC magnets (bottom picture). [ E. Benedetto et al., “Comparison of accelerator designs for an ion therapy and research facility,” CERN, Switzerland, CERN-ACC-Notes-2020-068 and NIMS note 001, Dec. 2020.]
In order to reduce the machine and gantry footprint and cost, various European initiatives, as SIGRUM and the advanced version of SEEIIST, are planning to use an advanced ion gantry and, eventually, a synchrotron based on Nb-Ti superconducting (SC) magnets, a cheaper option compared to conventional solutions based on resistive magnets (Fig. 1).
More recently, two projects funded under Horizon 2020, HITRIplus and I.FAST, have launched a collaboration to investigate the next generation of ion therapy magnets both for gantry and for accelerator as they have both obtained funding for work packages on superconducting magnets.
The Heavy Ion Therapy Research Integration plus (HITRIplus) brings together all four European ion therapy centres with leading EU industries, academia, and research laboratories. Its WP8 (Superconducting Magnet Design) will explore a novel, robust, cost-effective magnet design for a light rotatable gantry and for the accelerating synchrotron. As of now, it is reviewing possible solutions and assessing the use of various types of superconductor and magnet layouts. The collaboration will then design, manufacture and test a magnet demonstrator, which will be a curved CCT (Canted Cosine Theta) dipole, wound with classical Nb-Ti.
Figure 2: Sketch of compact ion gantry based on 3 SC CCT 90° magnets. Courtesy of TERA foundation.
Continuing the tradition of FP6-CARE, FP7-Eucard, FP7-Eucard2 and H2020-ARIES programs, the Innovation Fostering in Accelerator Science and Technology (I.FAST) is a vast program consisting of 48 members, mostly being Research Institutes and Universities active in the field of particle accelerators. Similarly to HITRIplus program, I.FAST has a work package on superconducting magnets, WP8 (the number is pure coincidence), with the same research institutes of HITRIplus WP8. Its scope is to study the CCT magnet design in High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) together with industry, for particle therapy with hadrons (namely heavy ions). I.FAST WP8 has the goal to bring the HTS CCT technology to maturity to allow for a later design of a full HTS system. If successful and if the time scale fits, HTS technology will be operating at higher temperature than 5 K with consequent simplification of the cooling system and energy saving.
Figure 3: 3D view of the CCT magnet assembly.
With 15 meetings held in less than a year (eight for HITRIplus and seven for I.FAST), the collaboration between the research institutes is progressing well. The participants have selected common targets for the magnet: 80 mm of free bore, 4 T of central field with a field ramp rate of about 0.4 T/s. Performance of the various design options are being evaluated against these targets, which are suitable for a gantry application for carbon ion therapy with beam rigidity of B*ρ = 6.6 Tm, corresponding to the fully stripped ion energy of 430 MeV/nucleon, where the curvature radius of the gantry, ρ, is 1.65 m for field of 4 T.
Figure 4: CCT curved dipole with sketch of field lines (in arrows form).
While HITRIplus and I.FAST will share a common thermal design, both will develop CCT type magnets with different topology and material. I.FAST is working on two straight CCT magnets, the first one is a combined function (dipole + quadrupole) magnet based on Nb-Ti with fine filaments for low losses (sketch in Fig. 3), and the second one, the main outcome, is a straight CCT based on HTS. HITRIplus has taken up the challenge to build a curved magnet demonstrator with a very small bending radius of 1.65 m. The provisional baseline of HITRIplus is to have Nb-Ti conductor wound as CCT (Fig. 4), conduction cooled with impregnation, since HTS technology is not yet mature to be tested in a curved geometry proven (it is the job of I.FAST to prove it, however in a simpler straight shape). For both programs, due to indirect cooling and ramped operation, the thermal design will be more critical than for the usual steady state operating mode with wet coil layout.
In January 2022, the European Commission announced the selection of the first three Horizon Europe projects with CERN participation. Submitted under the Research Infrastructure programme, these projects promise new developments in transnational access to accelerator and detector research facilities, new digital twin engines, and a European Open Science Cloud.
“2021 was the first year of the new EU Framework Programme, Horizon Europe, and we have seen continued interest of CERN teams for participation in EU projects with 29 proposal submitted so far” explains Svetlomir Stavrev, Head of the EU Projects Management and Operational Support section at CERN. “CERN was one of the most successful international organisations in the Horizon 2020 framework programme. The selection of the first Horizon Europe projects gives us confidence in our success for the years to come!”
A new, synergetic network of research facilities for accelerator and detector technologies, such is the promise of the EURO-LABS project. “The transnational access project brings together, for the first time, the three communities engaged in nuclear physics, accelerator science and technology, and detectors for high-energy physics, pioneering a super community of sub-atomic researchers” explains Ilias Efthymiopoulos, EURO-LABS deputy scientific coordinator. CERN will grant access to several of its facilities and will also contribute to the scientific coordination and project management of EURO-LABS. The project brings together 31 participants from 16 countries and will start on 1 September 2022 for a duration of four years.
In the aim of supporting the growing number of research use cases, interTwin will build the prototype of a universal digital twin engine, a software able to virtually replicate any physical device, product or entity thanks to machine learning and software analytics. “The project will bring together modelling and simulation experts in high-energy physics, radio astronomy, astroparticle physics, climate research, and environmental monitoring” says Maria Girone, Chief Technical Officer of the CERN openlab. CERN provides solutions in the fields of advanced AI workflow method lifecycle, complex simulation and modelling. The project gathers a consortium of 28 participants from 12 countries and will begin on 1 September 2022 for three years.
To create an ever more tailored environment for researchers and improve the interoperability of their discoveries, FAIRCORE4EOSC will develop new core components of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). “The project will integrate CERN-developed InvenioRDM and Zenodo as digital repository solutions that are well integrated with EOSC core components, particularly to offer a FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) infrastructure for research software archival” adds Jose Gonzalez Lopez, Digital Repositories Section Leader. The project brings together a consortium of 22 partners from 10 European countries. It will start on 1 May 2022 and will run for three years.
From quantum-resistant cryptography to advanced robotics, from two-dimensional materials to extreme data mining, over twenty Horizon Europe calls have been identified by CERN’s EU Projects Office as of potential interest for the organisation. If you are considering EU funding for your R&D projects, please do not hesitate to visit the CERN EU Projects website and contact the EU Office.
The first three Horizon Europe projects with CERN participation, spanning engineering, accelerator technology and computer science, have been approved for funding
2021 ended, and so did the last calls of Horizon 2020 (H2020). While H2020 projects will continue for several years, you may now submit your new proposals to Horizon Europe (HE) calls. But what difference does it make? What changes, and what doesn’t, with Horizon Europe?
As the first funded HE projects with CERN participation being announced, let’s highlight three key points regarding Horizon Europe, compared to Horizon 2020:
Horizon Europe is an evolution, not a revolution (with a slightly increased overall budget)
To make it simple, Horizon Europe is a €95.5 billion programme for research and innovation that will last for 7 years (2021-2027). HE is structured in three main areas, which are called pillars. In each Pillar, several calls are published each year on the Portal. CERN is mostly concerned by Pillar 1, but also to a lesser extent, by Pillar 2.
If you are familiar with H2020 pillars and calls, you will not be lost:
HE is still structured into three Pillars.
Pillar 1 barely changed (only Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) calls moved to Pillar 3).
Pillar 2 now integrates Global challenges.
As novelty, we can name Missions which will be transversal calls (not linked to a given Pillar).
With HE comes a new Corporate MGA (Model Grant Agreement)
Easier to use thanks to a standardised data sheet at the beginning and the Annex 5 for Specific Rules (if applicable) at the end, Horizon Europe’s MGA gives also more importance to Open Science and FAIR data.
CERN remains eligible for funding
Associated Countries to Horizon Europe evolve. Although Switzerland is no longer associated to Horizon Europe (does it ring a bell, like in 2014?), CERN, as non-governmental organisation, remains eligible for funding.
You want to go into more details regarding the changes between Horizon Europe (FP9) and Horizon 2020 (FP8)? Please have a look to our website, where you will find a presentation with a comparative overview of both programmes, the main legal changes, the main financial changes, and the main changes in the MSCA.
May you have further questions, or want to apply to a Horizon Europe call, please get in touch with us: eu.projects@cern.ch
As the first funded Horizon Europe projects being announced, let’s highlight three key points to keep in mind regarding Horizon Europe, the 9th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.
On 18-19 January 2022, the EU projects office organised the second edition of the “EU funded projects-demystified!” training.
With 12 participants, the second edition has been a success among the CERN community. Nikolaos Charitonidis, HiRadMat facility coordinator “found the training very useful, giving practical insights on how to prepare and deal with a large-scale EU project”.
Containing six modules, the training “taught […] how to gather and structure the information needed to translate an idea into a proposal” explains Anna Manou, IT-EU assistant. From the proposal phase to the final periodic report, with information about the administrative, legal and financial aspects and communication, the training gives a better knowledge, whether you want to submit a proposal or want to know more about EU projects.
“The practical details or the hints that the trainers provided on how these proposals are seen from the other side of the table were extremely useful.”, illustrates Nikolaos Charitonidis. More than a training, you will learn tips and hints on how to submit a successful project and how to handle it better when funded.
Another edition will take place at the end of summer; stay tuned for more information by registering to the EU newsletter.
Over one hundred Horizon Europe 2021-2022 calls have been identified by CERN’s EU Projects Office as of potential interest for the organisation. In order to give you a flavour of what’s in there for you, the Office has handpicked a selection of interesting ones for 2022 as outlined below.
From quantum-resistant cryptography to advanced robotics, from two-dimensional materials to extreme data mining, the highlighted calls carry opportunities for CERN, for your research and for your career. Furthermore, they display the full diversity of what can be the purpose of an EU project: fundamental research of course, but also societal applications and market opportunities.
If your research topic is not covered in the table below,
check the full list curated by the CERN’s EU Projects Office here;
and/or browse the European Commission portal for an overview of all the calls.
Applying to a call is a specific art to achieve success and for this reason, the Office has set up a training to help CERN personnel understand what is an EU Project, how they work and, more especially, how to apply to one. This training also provides information about the structure, content and novelties of Horizon Europe, the new EU framework programme for research and innovation.
Topic
Title
Opening date
Deadline date
HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-10
Innovative materials for advanced (nano)electronic components and systems
In November 2021, CERN hosted the laureates of the 31st EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) – the biggest science fair for young students in the European Union – for a visit of its facilities and experiments. The contest, funded under Horizon 2020, aims to attract young people to a career in science and research.
The 2019 winners, a team of three Polish students based in the Netherlands, designed a drone that could return from the lower layers of the stratosphere with a scientific payload to the launch location and were rewarded with a week-long visit of CERN for their efforts. Unfortunately, due to restrictions related to the pandemic, CERN has had to postpone the visit, initially planned for 2020, to 2021.
Two of the winners, Lukasz and Mateusz, could eventually make it to CERN, where they visited the laboratory’s many facilities and experiments, from CERN’s Synchrocyclotron to ATLAS, and IdeaSquare. As part of their visit, they were invited to print metal objects on the Organization’s metal 3D-printers. Mateusz designed a piece inspired by cave paintings left behind by early humans while Lukasz created a replica of an octupole magnet inspired by their visit to the Antiproton Decelerator.
Lukasz and Mateusz expressed their deep gratitude for an experience which they said strengthened their resolve to continue their academic studies. They voiced interest in applying for student internships at CERN to further explore the many facets of engineering.
