The Joint Research Centre is looking for researchers

 

The Joint Research Centre launched a call regarding open positions for scientists in the areas of natural sciences, quantitative sciences, human and social sciences, agricultural, environmental and earth sciences, and health sciences.

A selection procedure for fixed-term positions has been launched to set up a database of over 3000 successful candidates with a research background. They will be placed on a reserve list and called for interview according to the needs of the services.

Most of the positions will be available at the five JRC Institutes located in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. In addition, some positions will be offered in Brussels for other Commission Directorates-General.

Candidates must either have:

- a university degree of at least 3 years, and at least 5 five years of professional experience in one of the fields:

•     Natural Sciences
•     Quantitative Sciences
•     Human and Social Sciences
•     Agricultural, Environmental and Earth Sciences
•     Health Sciences

or

- a doctoral diploma in one of the fields mentioned – candidates who have not yet defended their doctoral thesis can apply under the condition they have obtained the doctoral diploma at the time they are called for an interview.

Candidates must be a citizen of one of the 27 EU Member States or of one of the associated countries to the 7th Research Programme.

Deadline for expressions of interest: 1 March, 2013 (12:00 CET).

For more information, please click here.

The Call text can be viewed here.

 

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Joint Research Centre (JRC) European Commission

Dr Maria Attard, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development has been appointed as National Contact Point for the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The mission of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of European Union policies. As a service of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national (European Commission, 2010).

On the occasion of a joint event organised by the JRC in cooperation with the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST), the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding on intensified research cooperation. Areas of such collaboration have been identified on the basis of mutual interest and include environment, biotechnology, information and communication technologies (ICT), energy, food safety and maritime affairs.

Both organisations have also agreed to host Maltese doctoral and post doctoral students in the various JRC Research Institutes. Candidates for grants funded by Malta's national programmes will be nominated by MCST or the University of Malta, and pre-selected candidates will be approved by the JRC. Maltese candidates to the EU grants will need to follow the common JRC grants procedures or apply for a Marie Curie fellowship.

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JRC Newsletter - March 2012

In this issue: Editorial by Connie Hedegaard – European Commissioner for Climate Action.
Cover story: Mapping the potential of renewable energy in Africa.

Among the news: JRC releases the first version of the INSPIRE Geoportal, EU Member States appear to be on track with 2020 renewable energy targets, soil degradation accelerates in Europe and new model predicts whether chemicals accumulate in our bodies.

Click here to read more.

RSS - click here for instant news on your desktop.

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JRC signs Letter of Intent with the US Department of Energy on e-mobility and smart grids

JRC signs Letter of Intent with Washington, 29 November – At the Transatlantic Economic Council meeting the Director-General of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has signed a Letter of Intent for closer cooperation with the US Department of Energy (DoE) on e-mobility and smart grids. The Letter of Intent creates the basis for the establishment of two Electric Vehicle and Smart Grid Interoperability centres, one at Argonne National Laboratories, in the US, and one at the JRC facilities in Ispra, Italy.

Click here to read more. 

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JRC signs agreement with the Academies of Sciences of the Danube region Member States

Attached here is a link to the latest JRC news release on an agreement for closer cooperation between the JRC and the Academies of Sciences of the Danube region Member States.

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JRC report on Critical Metals in Strategic Energy Technologies

Following the release of a Commission report on critical raw materials in 2010, scientists at the JRC highlighted in a new report that five metals, essential for manufacturing low-carbon technologies, show a high risk of shortage. Reasons for this lie in Europe's dependency on imports, increasing global demand, supply concentration and geopolitical issues. The report recommends actions to prevent shortages and thus allow a smooth implementation of the Commission's Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of low carbon technologies.

Click here to read more.

Click here to access the full report.

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November 2011 issue of the JRC newsletter

The latest edition of the JRC Newsletter has been published and can be downloaded here. In this issue: Editorial by Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Cover story: EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. Among the news: photovoltaics features among the fastest growing industries in the world, the JRC prepares the final phase of Europe’s nuclear stress tests, CO2 emissions soar despite efforts by industrialised countries and JRC joins an initiative on global agriculture monitoring. Read more by clicking here.

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JRC starts preparations for the final phase of Europe’s nuclear stress tests

Between October and December, a JRC-run secretariat will organise and prepare a series of peer reviews on Europe’s nuclear power plants (NPPs), to be carried out by experts from the European Commission and the countries involved in early 2012. The peer reviews represent the final phase of three succeeding stages foreseen for testing the safety of the European nuclear plants.

Following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant the European Council called for a review of the safety of all EU nuclear power plants, on the basis of a comprehensive and transparent risk and safety assessment called ‘stress tests’. 17 countries participate in the test, including 14 EU Member States operating nuclear power plants and Lithuania – which recently closed its last unit at Ignalina NPP – as well as Switzerland and Ukraine. Discussions are ongoing with other neighbouring countries to apply similar risk and safety assessment in the future.

Click here to read more.

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Space-Weather Awareness Dialogue: from understanding to action

The Space Weather Awareness Dialogue, a conference co-organized by the JRC and Directorate –General Enterprise and Industry, was held on 25-26th October 2011 in Brussels. Key stakeholders from the public and private sectors discussed the potential impact of extreme space weather events on modern technological infrastructures in space and on the ground.

The main interest of high-level representatives from industry, infrastructure operators, governments and research organisations was to identify related scientific, operational and policy challenges for disaster prevention, preparedness and response, risk mitigation but also to make recommendations for concrete actions to protect susceptible infrastructures. The conference underlined the need for increased coordination between stakeholders – promoted by the JRC and demanded by participants – identifying better the need for scientific support in this area, triggering respective research, awareness, mitigation plans and protection measures in many different industry sectors.

Click here to read more.

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Innovation and technology transfer: JRC launches European TTO Circle

On 19 October the JRC and the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) were the final signatories of a Memorandum of Understanding within the European TTO Circle, a network of the technology transfer offices of 21 of the largest public research organisations in Europe. The signature marks the official launch of the European TTO Circle, an initiative of the JRC with the overall aim to strengthen Europe's ability to create innovative products and services for the market.

Click here to read more.

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JRC and EASAC sign agreement for closer cooperation

On 18 October the JRC and the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen co-operation between the two organisations. Dominique Ristori, Director General of the Joint Research Centre, and Sir Brian Heap, President of EASAC, signed the agreement during a ceremony at the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium.

The ceremony took place in the context of the Polish Presidency of the European Union, and also involved Maria Elżbieta Orłowska, Secretary of State, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland and  Dr. Paul Rübig, Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of Scientific Technology Options Assessment (STOA) panel. The speakers highlighted several relevant issues in science and research today, such as the importance of linking science and society and the need to promote evidence-based policymaking, strengthening scientific inputs for effective regulations.

Click here to read more.

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Nanomaterials: JRC-EASAC report and Commission recommendation

On 18 October the JRC and the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) presented a joint report on the state-of-the-art knowledge on safety aspects of engineered nanomaterials.

The report "Impact of engineered nanomaterials on health: considerations for benefit-risk assessment" coincides with the adoption by the European Commission of a recommendation on a new common definition of nanomaterials, based on scientific advice from the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) and the JRC.

Click here to read more.

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From lab to market: European public research organisations join forces on technology transfer to power innovation"

Grenoble (France), 19 October – The Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) were the final signatories of a Memorandum of Understanding within the European TTO Circle, a network of the technology transfer offices of 21 of the largest public research organisations in Europe. The signature marks the official launch of the European TTO Circle, an initiative of the JRC with the overall aim to strengthen Europe's ability to create innovative products and services for the market.

Click here to read more.

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The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the European Research Area (ERA) to find out how the European research environment can be radically improved. Click here for more info.

This public consultation aims at gathering views and evidence from stakeholders on the key obstacles which have to be tackled to achieve a well-functioning ERA. The outcome of the consultation will help the Commission to decide on those issues, which should be addressed as priorities when preparing the ERA Framework by 2012. Thus it is important that all research actors and interested Stakeholders are encouraged to participate.

Please click here to read the letter from the Commissioner for Science, Research and Innovation, Ms Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.

For the Press Release please click here.

For the Q&A please click here. 

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New tachograph features for enhanced road safety

In a recent legislation proposal, the European Commission envisaged technological improvements for a mandatory recorder of professional drivers’ activities known as tachograph. The proposal takes into account the findings and recommendations emerging from several JRC studies.

The digital tachograph has been in use since 2006 as part of a regulation aiming to improve road safety, professional drivers’ working conditions and fair competition between road transport companies. The device records drivers’ rest and driving hours, as well as speed of the vehicle. The revised tachograph legislation as proposed by the Commission will make full use of new technological opportunities such as satellite positioning. It will help to reduce fraud and cut the administrative burden related to the tachograph's use.

Click here to read more. 

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JRC scientists win a Data Fusion Contest

A team of JRC scientists were among the winners of the Data Fusion Contest 2011 which challenged scientists to use the same set of high resolution spatial imagery to show their technical advances. The two other winning teams were from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Montreal. The competition was organised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a non-profit professional association dedicated to technological innovation in the electrical engineering, computer science and electronics. It counts over 400 000 members in some 160 countries, 45% outside the United States.

This year contest was focused on multi-angular acquisitions over the same target area. Given the wide choice of possible applications, participants were free to choose the research topic. DigitalGlobe, a US commercial vendor of space imagery and geospatial content, provided a set of multi sequence images from its satellite WorldView 2. The high resolution imagery, collected over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, included a mixture of large commercial buildings and private houses, as well as the airport and some community parks.

Click here to read more.

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Top EU R&D companies expect a 5% investment rise a year

Leading research and development (R&D) companies across Europe expect their global investment efforts to grow 5% per year from 2011 to 2013. This exceeds last year's expectations – set at 2% - and represents a significant upturn compared to 2009, when the same companies forecasted 2.6% cuts in their R&D investments. The findings were published on Wednesday 10 August in the annual survey carried out by the JRC Institute for Prospective and Technological Studies (IPTS).

It is the sixth EU Survey on R&D Investment Business Trends to analyse the R&D investment expectations of the 1000 European companies which invest most in R&D.

Click here to read more.

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JRC's software to help identify sea polluters

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) will be supplied with JRC's software package SUMO to improve its oil pollution detection system. This new capability can help Member States authorities to improve their response and prevention activities to pollution from ships.

Entirely developed by the JRC's Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC), SUMO (“Search for Unidentified Marine Objects”) is a tool for the automatic detection of vessels based on

Click here to read more.

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JRC reports highlight severity of the drought in the Horn of Africa

Two special reports published by the JRC highlight that the current drought in the Greater Horn of Africa is creating the most serious food insecurity situation in the world.

The Drought Bulletin for the Greater Horn of Africa and a Special issue of the Food Security Bulletin show a preliminary analysis of the severe drought which is causing a famine in Southern Somalia.

Click here to read more.

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JRC develops new testing methods for contaminated sports drinks from Taiwan

Brussels, 29 July 2011 -

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre has developed three new methods to detect an illegal clouding agent which can be found in sports drinks imported from Taiwan. In late May, the Taiwanese authorities informed the European Commission that significant amounts of phthalates were illegally added to certain categories of sports drinks. These chemicals are believed to affect reproductive performance and fertility, and have been linked to developmental problems with children. Under a request from the Commission's Directorate-General for Health and
Consumers, the JRC developed and validated three new testing methods that allow the substance to be rapidly and accurately detected. The methods are freely available on the JRC website and are intended to facilitate the work of laboratories in the EU and world-wide involved in the testing of suspected products. Testing laboratories are invited to submit their feedback regarding the performance of the methods to the JRC, which will analyse the findings and improve the methods, if
necessary.

The Taiwanese Food and Drug Administration has published the names of 879 products of more than 300 producers that contained high amounts of phthalates. More than 200 products from 34 producers were exported to 22 countries. These include some EU Member States, in particular Germany and the UK, where some products were withdrawn from the market. What are phthalates?
Normally, producers of sports drinks, jelly and fruit pulps use a palm-oil based product to obtain a cloudy appearance, but in the Taiwanese incident, this was largely replaced by the two cheaper substances: bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (commonly abbreviated DEHP), and - in one case - di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DINP).

DEHP and DINP are commonly used as plasticizers in many plastic products. These substances, however, are prohibited in the production of food, and their use in plastic toys and childcare products is restricted in the EU.

Click here to read more.

References

The three analytical methods on the JRC website

List of products that contained high amounts of phthalates, published by the
Taiwanese Food and Drug Administration

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Enlargement and Integration Workshop Italy (29 Nov 1st Dec 2011)

The Joint Research Centre, in the frame of its activities in Enlargement and Integration, is organizing a Workshop on NanoBiotechnology on Nov 29-Dec1st 2011. It would like to invite experts from the NMS and Candidate countries to participate to the workshop and present their activities, and would be very glad if you could put us in contact with scientists of your academia for that purpose. The presentation of the workshop is in the document attached here.

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JRC presents first complete catalogue of EU smart grid projects

The JRC presented on Thursday 7 July the first comprehensive catalogue of smart grid projects in Europe. The report – launched in Warsaw during the conference "Scientific Support to a Competitive European Low Carbon Economy: Energy, Transport and Emerging Technologies" - is based on a review of 219 projects, accounting for a total investment of about €5.5 billion.

Smart grids are intelligent electricity networks which will play a key role in reaching the EU's energy efficiency goals for 2020. The JRC report showcases how smart grids can help integrate more renewables, accommodate electric vehicles, give more control to consumers over their energy consumption, avoid blackouts and restore power quickly when outages occur.

Click here to read more.

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JRC-DG Environment Press Release on the future of harmonised environmental information in Europe

Towards harmonised environmental information in Europe: have your say on standards that will affect everybody's life

Brussels, 29 June 2011 - Arranging a cross border emergency rescue, preventing major environmental damage or comparing energy consumption of buildings in different countries will soon be faster and easier thanks to improved data sharing in the EU.

With INSPIRE – Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe – the European Union is creating a common standard to make environmental information quickly and easily accessible. This will translate into clear benefits for European citizens, ranging from improved emergency services to a healthier everyday environment. Common standards will help to cut costs and improve the basis for decision making at all levels. Views are now being sought on the suitability of the proposed standards (see link below).

Common standards will contribute to improving success rates in cases where access to correct information is essential. This will help prevent unfortunate incidents such as one involving a fire brigade in the South of France, which was delayed due a lack of access to updated and integrated data. INSPIRE will also play an important role in calculating how countries reach EU objectives in reducing energy consumption: today the error margin can be as high as 20%.

Hundreds of experts from across Europe have been working together for several years to agree common definitions in important policy areas such as energy, climate change, biodiversity, the marine environment, and human health. The proposed standards are now open for public consultation and testing to assess their usability across disciplines and nations.

Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "The INSPIRE standards will help us improve the environment. The more we have a common understanding in Europe of what we talk about, the better we can work together for the benefit of environment. I hope many people will tell us what they think about it."

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, and thus responsible for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) which does the technical coordination of INSPIRE, said: "With material and expertise made available by over 650 public and private organisations and coordinated by the JRC, INSPIRE is a knowledge-base of tremendous potential. Common environmental data standards are crucial not only for policymaking but also for underpinning scientific research and ultimately the deployment of innovative and sustainable technologies"

Common yardsticks for Europe's environment open for public examination

Data specifications covering 25 themes including land cover, buildings, soil, land-use, energy, health and safety are now open for public consultation until 21 October 2011.

This means that everyone can have a say on standards that will harmonize the EU-wide approach to data about natural risk zones, atmospheric conditions, meteorological geographical features, oceanographic geographical features, sea regions, habitats and biotopes, species distribution, and energy and mineral resources.

Once adopted, the standards will facilitate cross-border integration and analysis of environmental data, modelling, and forecasting activities in many policy areas.

Studies have shown that the benefits of INSPIRE are both economic and social: while allowing faster and less expensive environmental impact assessment, INSPIRE brings improved business opportunities and creates synergies between public administrations.

INSPIRed by 2020

The launch of this consultation coincides with the INSPIRE Conference which takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 27 June to 1 July 2011. This event brings together 700 representatives from governments and the private sector to explore how INSPIRE can contribute to Europe's 2020 strategic goals under the theme "INSPIRed by 2020 – Contributing to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth."

Background

The INSPIRE Directive came into force on 15 May 2007 and will be implemented in various stages, with full implementation required by 2019. It aims to create a spatial data infrastructure which enables the sharing of spatial information among public sector organisations and facilitates public access to spatial information across Europe.

The consultation is open at the link here.

For more details click here.

Press Release link can be found by clicking here.

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Molecular technologies to help tackle fishing fraud


A new JRC report shows how molecular technologies can help in the fight against illegal practices and support traceability- including of processed products such as canned fish - 'from ocean to fork'.

Labelling fish and fish products with a false species name or declaring false geographic origins are two common fraudulent techniques in the fisheries sector. The report "Deterring illegal activities in the fisheries sector" describes how molecular methods, such as those based on DNA-technology, make it possible to identify species even in processed products, without the need for expert knowledge.

Click here to read more.

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EEDAL 2011: discussing the potential of human behaviour in the energy efficiency field

The 6th International Conference for Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting (EEDAL), co-organised by the JRC and the Danish Energy Association, was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, 24 - 26 May.

More than 250 participants, coming from all over the world (USA, China, South Africa, Europe, Australia, Japan, ...) took part in about 120 presentations, discussing the latest research results and exchanging and disseminating information on energy efficiency issues.

Click here to read more.

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Young scientific talents awarded


The JRC participated for the first time in Jugend forscht, the biggest youth science and technology competition in Europe which had a record participation of 10,677 this year.

Ten talented inventors aged between 18 and 20 received the new JRC travel prize at the ceremony in Kiel, Germany, on Saturday 21st May and can look forward to a two-day visit of JRC's largest site in Ispra, Italy.

Click here to read more.

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JRC Annual report 2010 now available


This report provides an overview of the activities, accomplishments and resources related to the JRC's work carried out during 2010 and includes figures on staff, budget and publications.

In her foreword, Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, in charge of research, innovation and science, highlights the need for policy making based on the best possible advice and affirms that "the JRC has built an excellent reputation as a world-class provider of scientific and technical support to European policy makers and legislators". The Commissioner refers as well to the role of the JRC as a "trusted and truly independent voice advising us on what is on the horizon in order to take timely policy decisions".

Click here for more info.

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Advancing the science of developmental neurotoxicity testing

The JRC is hosting the Third International Conference on Alternatives for Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing (DNT3) on 10-13 May 2011 in Varese, Italy. The event brings together over 100 scientists and representatives from academia, industry and governmental organisations working on children's health, alternatives to animal testing and environmental protection.

Click here for more info.

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JRC launches the "Technology Transfer Offices Circle"


In line with one of the commitments of the Innovation Union Communication, the JRC has launched the "TTO (Technology Transfer Offices) Circle", which met for the first time at the end of April at the premises of the European Space Agency in Noordwijk (NL).

Commitment 21 establishes that "The European Commission will facilitate effective collaborative research and knowledge transfer within the research Framework Programmes and beyond. It will work with stakeholders to develop a set of model consortium agreements with options ranging from traditional approaches to protect IP through to more open ones. Mechanisms are also needed to further strengthen knowledge transfer offices in public research organisations, in particular through trans-national collaboration".

Click here for more info.

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First Sino-EU Symposium on Nanotechnology in Consumer Products

Researchers from the JRC and the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine (CAIQ) discussed food safety and consumer protection related to nanoscience in the first Sino-EU symposium dedicated to nanotechnology, held on 14-15 April 2011 in Beijing. The event was co-organised by JRC's Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP) and the CAIQ. It is a fruit of increased cooperation between the two partners, which followed a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2010.

Click here to read more.

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Unique Tsunami Alerting Device enters field testing


A new Tsunami Alerting Device (TAD) has been developed by the JRC to directly alert people at risk in the event of an incoming tsunami wave. When an earthquake occurs, innovative software automatically calculates within minutes the results of tsunami propagation predictions and activates a siren.

Thorough testing of the prototype device begun on 20 April in Setubal (Portugal), in collaboration with the local Civil Protection authorities.

Click here to read more.

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Smart grids: Europe's future electricity system will save money and energy

In a Communication released on Tuesday 12 April, the European Commission set policy directions to drive future European electricity networks towards a better energy efficiency. A report prepared by JRC's Institute for Energy (IE) on smart grids, due for publication in mid 2011, significantly contributed to the Communication.

Click here to read more.

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JRC Enlargement and integration action: 40 posts available at the JRC

The JRC has launched a call for 40 seconded national experts and grantholders as part of its enlargement and integration actions. The job opportunities are available for experts from research organisations, national enforcement laboratories and scientists from the following countries: Albania, Croatia, Iceland, Montenegro, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR of Macedonia, Israel, Serbia and Turkey. 

In addition, the JRC offers specialised enlargement and integration workshops and advanced training courses within its areas of competence. The workshops are set up to allow competent organisations in the new Member States, candidate countries, potential candidate countries, FP7 associated countries, European Neighbourhood Policy countries and Russia to study the scientific and technical methods and techniques underpinning EU policy implementation. They also provide an opportunity for EU organisations to learn about the methods currently used in those countries and for both parties to discuss how the EU legislation should be implemented in the future.

Click here to read more.

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New JRC spin-off company to work on the Nucleonica portal

As of March 2011, a new JRC spin-off company, Nucleonica GmbH, has been created. This company was established by a former staff member to undertake the further development of the Nucleonica portal – a nuclear science web portal developed at the JRC’s Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU).

The Nucleonica portal provides users with access to various web-based nuclear science applications and programmes, social networking tools, basic nuclear data on more than 3800 radionuclides, and an array of databases, graphics, and other informative material.

Click here for more info.

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JRC helps to set up an emergency operation centre in Haiti


The EU will assist Haiti in reinforcing its capacity to respond to natural disaster emergencies. The JRC will lend technical support to the programme.

On 28 March a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the European Union and Haiti, represented by the Ambassador of the EU, Lut Fabert, and the Haitian Minister of Interior, Paul-Antoine Bien-Aimé. The Memorandum of Understanding includes the provision of the emergency operations centre for the Haitian Civil Protection as well as equipment to support emergency preparedness and response interventions. The JRC has been requested by the EU's Foreign Policy Instrument Service to provide the technical support in the design and establishment of the emergency operations centre and related training activities.

Click here to read more.

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Food security or the need to do more with less on a global scale

During the workshop on the "Future of Global Food and Farming - How can Science Support Food Security? " that was held on March 30 in Brussels, representatives from various European, national and international organisations highlighted the need to increase the sustainability of the food system in order to secure the world population's access to adequate, sustainable and good quality food.

Representatives from both organising entities: the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the UK Government Office for Science highlighted the need to act globally as well as the concept of "sustainable intensification" of agriculture, or how to do more with less.

Click here for more info.

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WHO and JRC announce new evidence of health effects of noise


Environmental noise (noise pollution) poses a health risk. According to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), prepared with support of the JRC, environmental noise leads to a disease burden that is second in magnitude only to that from air pollution, among environmental factors in Europe,

Whereas the direct consequences of noise pollution lead to permanent hearing loss and impairments, the indirect health effects encompass a wide range of health complications resulting from increased anxiety, psychological distress, depression, and communication problems. In chronic cases this can result in cardiovascular problems.

Click here to read more.

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Universities with financial autonomy are less vulnerable to cuts

European universities with the greatest financial autonomy (i.e. the capacity to allocate funds internally) have the most diversified sources of income. This makes them less dependent on a single income stream and therefore less vulnerable to cuts in government funding.

This is one of the main findings of the report "European University Funding and Financial Autonomy", which was published today by the JRC's Institute for Prospective Technological Studies.

Click here to read more.

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6th Summer School on Actinide Science and Applications

Please click here to access the flyer that announces the 6th Summer School on Actinide Science and Applications organised by the JRC.

Registration information for students and young researchers and the programme are available here.

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JRC: Science without borders at AAAS

25 scientists from various different countries and institutions including FBI, NASA, IAEA, the World Bank, UN and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took part in the eight scientific sessions organised by the JRC at the Annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Considered widely as the most important 'science stakeholder' gathering event of the year, the 177 edition was held in Washington between Feb. 17 and 21. JRC speakers were also invited into other 4 scientific sessions.

Please click here for more info.

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JRC Press Release: Better mapping of human settlements to support crisis management operations

When a major disaster strikes in remote parts of the world, knowing if the area is populated, and how densely, is crucial for the effective organisation of humanitarian operations. The Global Human Settlements Layer (GHSL), developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), will soon provide this detailed information for the first time on a global scale. The breakthrough is new advanced algorithms, developed by the JRC, that allow automatic analysis of medium resolution data provided by European satellites. The first test results confirm that the combined use of ICT technologies permit fast and precise mapping of built-up areas, anywhere in the world. In addition, the algorithms allow massive datasets to be processed more efficiently and rapidly, making it possible to monitor the changes in human settlements regularly and equally importantly, to collect the same information from heterogeneous satellite data. This can help to reduce risks in areas that experience recurrent disasters and to focus post-disaster humanitarian interventions on the most likely populated places in disaster affected countries and regions.

Please click here to read more.

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NOAA & JRC: Enhanced transatlantic research collaboration

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) have agreed to formally explore strengthening their cooperation in areas of common interest.

A letter of intent signed today by Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, and Dominique Ristori, JRC Director-General, expresses the organisations' interest to further explore and propose cooperative activities on issues as diverse as environmental contaminants, coastal hazards, space weather, climate change and crisis management.

Click here for more info.

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February / March 2011 issue of the JRC newsletter

The latest edition of the JRC Newsletter has been published and can be downloaded here. In this issue: Editorial by Nikola Todorov, Minister of Education and Science of the FYR of Macedonia. Among the news: presentation of the first Innovation Union Scoreboard, options to reduce air emissions from maritime transport, a new method to 'fingerprint' authentic products such as Trappist beer, a reassessment of the melting temperature of a nuclear material, and a description of how satellite information can be used to better manage crises as well as to protect biodiversity. A section of the newsletter is devoted to the JRC Excellence Awards.

Click here for more info.

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First certified reference material for nanoparticle size analysis

JRC scientists have developed the world's first certified nanoparticle reference material based on industry-sourced nanoparticles. This new material will help ensure the comparability of measurements worldwide, thereby facilitating trade, ensuring compliance with legislation and enhancing innovation.

Click here for more info.

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JRC sets up a digital observatory to monitor protected areas

The JRC has developed a digital observatory to monitor protected areas, which are set up to counteract biodiversity loss. In October 2010, the United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity conference of the parties in Nagoya set stringent new targets to be reached by 2020. At least 17% of terrestrial and inland water and 10% of coastal and marine areas have to be protected. In support to these initiatives, the JRC and its partners have developed a Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA), an information system aiming to provide accurate maps, environment indicators and alerts on protected ecosystems. It is facilitating the preservation of life diversity in the planet's marine and terrestrial protected areas.

Click here for more info.

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JRC launches Europe's first repository of nanomaterials

The JRC has launched the first European repository of nanomaterials. It contains most types of nanomaterials that are currently assumed to be used in significant volumes in consumer products. These materials will be used as a reference point by laboratories that carry out safety assessments on nanomaterials, to make sure that their results are comparable to those of other laboratories. This responds to a need expressed by experts in international standardisation organisations.

Nanotechnology is one of the most promising technological developments today. Nanomaterials are increasingly used in innovative applications and products. The new repository includes among other materials carbon nanotubes, silver nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide, zinc oxide, bentonite, gold and silicon dioxide.

Click here for more info.

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New task force to support Euratom participation in international research

The European Commission has set up a new task force (EUROGIF) to facilitate the participation of Member States in the activities of Generation IV International Forum (GIF), an international organisation that aims to foster international R&D collaboration on advanced nuclear systems.

Click here for more info.

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Green Paper From Challenges to Opportunities: Towards a Common Strategic Framework for EU research and innovation funding

The Commission has on 9 February adopted a Green Paper 'From Challenges to Opportunities: Towards a Common Strategic Framework for EU research and innovation funding' (COM(2011)48). This Green Paper launches a public consultation on the key issues to be taken into account for future EU research and innovation funding programmes. The outcome of the consultation will subsequently feed into the preparation of the Commission's formal proposals for these programmes, which are due to be adopted before the end of 2011.

The consultation website is available here. Submissions can be made until 20 May 2011 


The Green Paper can be accessed here.

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JRC Press Release: Small material, big impact: European Repository of Reference Nanomaterials will improve safety assessment

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has just launched the first European repository of nanomaterials with a representative range of 25 different types of reference nanomaterials. This will support safety assessment to ensure consumer protection and confidence in many innovative applications and products. Nanotechnology is one of today's most promising technological developments. By enabling a harmonised risk assessment the repository can contribute to the success of nanotechnology and its products. Standardised methodologies and materials are necessary to obtain worldwide comparable test results and to provide reliable data for policy and regulatory decision

Click here for more info.

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JRC New Reports 

New reports and news shown below may be found on the JRC web-page.

    * Bromate in drinking water: JRC finds new testing method fit for purpose
    * JRC-ITU researcher Klaus Mayer in the most 100 influential Germans
    * New biomass classification based on the chemical composition
    * December 2010 / January 2011 issue of the JRC newsletter
    * Improved stakeholder dialogue on alternatives to animal testing
    * All EU countries highly involved in fostering public transnational R&D collaboration    
    * Remote patient monitoring and treatment can improve care provision

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JRC news: Reducing emissions from shipping: Commission's Joint Research Centre sets out some options

Maritime transport causes about 4% of global man-made CO2 emissions which makes its carbon footprint approximately as high as Germany's. There is no regulation of international maritime transport emissions yet, but this is currently under discussion in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In respect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, shipping is the most environmentally-friendly mode of transport. However, if no action is taken, it is estimated that emissions from ships will increase by 150-200% by 2050. At present, around 50,000 merchant ships transport 90% of global goods and make maritime transport indispensable for the world economy. A report published today by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), provides the first comprehensive overview of methodologies for estimating air emissions from shipping, describes technological solutions and analyses policy options for reducing carbon emissions and air pollution in this sector.

Read more by clicking here.

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JRC news: study published on "Heavy metals in seafood: Satisfactory results of interlaboratory comparison".

A new study which benchmarks the abilities of laboratories around the world to measure heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, methylmercury and inorganic arsenic) in seafood has been published today by the Joint Research Centre. The outcome of the exercise was generally positive, with 80 to 96% o laboratories obtaining satisfactory scores, depending on the heavy metal considered. This result corroborates seafood consumers' protection in the EU, where the levels of lead, cadmium and total mercury are regulated by law.

You may read more information by clicking here.

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JRC press release: New Commission research facility will contribute to reliable measurements and testing throughout Europe

On 23 November, a new scientific facility to develop measurement standards in challenging areas such as life sciences was inaugurated at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in Geel, Belgium. Better healthcare, safer food and environmental protection are just some of the ways in which accurate measurements enhance our quality of life.

You may find more information by clicking here.

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JRC Newsletter - November/December 2010


This issue features an editorial by Dominique Ristori, Deputy Director General for Energy at the European Commission on Europe's policies for a responsible use of nuclear energy. This month's issue also has news on the JRC's innovation projects competition as well as recent research results on corporate R&d investment, soil biodiversity, fisheries science and mass spectrometry.

Click here to go to the newsletter.

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JRC Workshop : EUROPEAN COMMISSION JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE (JRC)
      TRAINING, RESEARCH AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT THE INSTITUTES


The Institute for Sustainable Development of the University of Malta, in collaboration with the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) has organised a workshop on Friday, October 2010 about the opportunities for research and employment with the JRC Institutes around Europe.

There are seven Institutes supported by the European Commission that offer a range of opportunities for researchers looking at expanding their horizons and spend time working and researching abroad.

The JRC has recently published its calls for researchers in the various fields. This is a unique opportunity for bright European researchers that wish to enhance their careers with the JRC. The workshop has provided the opportunity for researchers to find more information about these opportunities. Ms Milena Raykovska from the European Commission was the guest speaker at the workshop. 

The Institute and MCST provide information about the JRC activities and events through this webpage and by clicking here.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology coordinates the national contact point network for FP7 which includes the JRC NCP.

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JRC News Release : Information on the JRC programme on improving measurements in chemistry: first graduates of JRC-mentored Master's degree.

The first group of graduates of a new European Master's degree received their diplomas at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Geel, Belgium. The degree, "Measurement Science in Chemistry", was based on training initiatives developed by the JRC's Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM).

Click here to read more.

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JRC News Release : Top EU firms cut investment less than US rivals, but Europe still well behind.

The European Commission's 2010 "EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard" shows that R&D investment by top EU companies fell by 2.6% in 2009, even though sales and profits fell much more, by 10.1% and 21.0% respectively. The fall in R&D investment by leading players in the US, at 5.1%, was twice as sharp as in the EU, but the worldwide reduction was lower, at 1.9%. Japanese firms maintained their level of investment. Companies based elsewhere in Asia - China, India, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan - continued the high R&D growth seen in previous years. Japanese car maker Toyota is the world's biggest R&D investor (€6.8bn) for the second consecutive year. Three EU companies feature in the top ten: Volkswagen, the biggest investor based in Europe with €5.8bn, Nokia and Sanofi-Aventis. The Scoreboard covers the top 1400 companies worldwide.

Click here to read more.

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What's new on the JRC Website?


Natural disasters: technologies for preparedness and response
13/10/2010

EurOCEAN 2010: European research ready for maritime challenge
13/10/2010

Registrations open for conference on Future-oriented Technology Analysis
11/10/2010

Chemicals: workshop on computational approaches to risk assessment
08/10/2010

SETIS website: improved access to info on low-carbon energy technologies
08/10/2010

JRC collaboration with NASA results in earth science data transfer to Africa
07/10/2010

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JRC News Release

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has published the new JRC competitions for researchers in eight areas:

1. Chemistry, Biology and Health Sciences

2. Physics

3. Structural Mechanics

4. Quantitative Policy Analysis

5. Spatial Sciences

6. Environmental Sciences

7. Energy Sciences

8. Communication/Information Technology

For the upcoming competitions, EPSO has now in place a selection procedure where the JRC will choose the best candidates by means of a CV sift before they are invited to an Assessment Centre in Brussels.

This is a unique opportunity to attract the brightest European researchers. We are carrying out an EU-wide communication campaign to advertise the competitions in the 27 Member States by publishing advertisements in the career supplements of national newspapers and research journals, and by placing announcements on social and professional networks.

As nothing works better than word of mouth, we encourage you to spread the news to friends and colleagues who might be interested in applying. Registration will be open from 30 September until 4 November.

For more information on the JRC competitions please check below:

Registration

JRC Website

Facebook

Twitter

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JRC News Release: Report on concrete measures to avoid mixing of GM and conventional maize

A report presented today by Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli to the Agriculture Council concludes that specific measures relating to storing and the application of isolation distances can help limit or avoid the co-mingling of genetically modified (GM) maize with conventional and organic maize. In particular, the Best Practice Document, prepared by the European Coexistence Bureau (ECoB) and published by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), notes that storing seeds adequately and applying spatial isolation are the best ways to limit or avoid co-mingling. Alternative practices based on temporal isolation (shifting flowering times of GM and non-GM fields) are possible in several EU countries with specific climatic conditions.

Click here to read more

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JRC News Release: Major ICT companies join European Commission initiative to reduce electricity consumption

Information & communication technology (ICT) equipment and services consume over 8% of electrical power in the EU and produce about 4% of its CO2 emissions. These figures could double by 2020. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) manages voluntary codes of conduct for ICT companies to reverse this trend. Today in Brussels at the "ICT 2010-Digitally Driven" event, 16 more ICT firms have agreed to reduce the electricity consumption of their broadband equipment and data centres. This should reduce their electricity consumption, in many cases by 50%. Although a voluntary measure, 36 of Europe's biggest ICT companies already apply the codes of conduct. The Digital Agenda for Europe adopted by the Commission in May 2010 (IP/10/581, MEMO/10/199, MEMO/10/200) wants to ensure that the ICT sector leads the way on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

Click here to read more

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JRC News Release: New atlas highlights the value of Europe's soil biodiversity and reveals how it is under threat

The European Commission's own research body, the Joint Research Centre, publishes today, for the first time, an indicator-based map of potential threats to soil biodiversity, in order to guide decision-makers in protecting this crucial resource. The biodiversity within our soils plays a vital role in agriculture and in the water and carbon cycle. The atlas highlights areas within Europe where soil biodiversity is most at risk of decline relative to the current situation – notably parts of the UK, the Benelux countries and Northern France, although there are areas of high risk also in several other Member States. It provides a comprehensive source of information for researchers, policy makers and teachers. It will be launched at the conference 'Soil, Climate Change and Biodiversity – Where do we stand?' (Brussels, 23 & 24 September 2010).

Click here to read more

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Conference - The Politics and Economics of European Energy Security


An annual JRC workshop on European Energy Security was held during 18-19th November in Amsterdam at Marriott Hotel. Its aim is to bring policymakers, the academic community, and other key stakeholders together with a view to ensuring that the EU has a coherent energy security policy, and to inject new thinking into the broader European debate around energy security

Click here to read more

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News Release - Biofuels Sustainability : JRC designs methodology to calculate carbon stock changes

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre has substantially contributed to the new EU system established to ensure that European biofuels and bioliquids come from sustainable sources and meet the highest environmental standards. A key tool is the JRC's methodology to quantify changes to the amount of carbon in soils and biomass when land use changes as a result of biofuels production. This is an important factor in the sustainability assessment. The methodology follows the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories and is supported by comprehensive global data collected by the JRC. The methodology was the basis for the Commission decision on the guidelines for the calculation of land carbon stocks.

Click here to read more

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News Release - Renewables

Renewables account for 62% of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU in 2009
The "Renewable Energy Snapshots" report, published today by the JRC, shows that renewable energy sources accounted for 62% (17GW) of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU27 in 2009. The share rose from 57% in 2008. For the second year running, wind energy accounted for the largest share of the new capacity: 10.2 GW out of the 27.5 GW built, representing 38% of the total. In absolute terms, renewables produced 19.9% of Europe's electricity consumption last year.

Click here to read more

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News Release - Food Allergies, the enemy within

Allergy to peanut is one of the most common food allergies in the UK, but surprisingly unknown in Greece. The EU-funded four-year project, EuroPrevall, has shown that the triggers of food allergy vary greatly from country to country, findings that have important implications for people with food allergies, the food industry and society as a whole.

Click here to read more

 

19 June 2013
http://www.um.edu.mt/isd/jrceuropeancommission