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29 Oct 2014 Poland to Join the European Southern ObservatoryThe Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education Professor Lena Kolarska-Bobińska and ESO’s Director General Tim de Zeeuw signed an agreement (28 October 2014) that will lead to the country joining the European Southern Observatory (ESO) — the world’s most productive ground-based observatory. Since this agreement means accession to an international treaty, it must now be submitted to the Polish Parliament for ratification. The signing of the agreement followed its unanimous approval by the ESO Council during an extraordinary meeting on 8 October 2014.
more 24 Oct 2014 New members for the International Selection Committee of the Millennium Technology Prize
In its meeting on October 14, 2014, the Board of Technology Academy Finland decided to appoint two new members to the International Selection Committee of the Millennium Technology Prize. The new members are Professor Sir Peter Knight from Imperial College London, and Research Professor Merja Penttilä from Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT. The appointment of new members is made at the presentation of the Aalto University, the strategic partner of TAF with the Millennium Technology Prize.
Astronomy & Astrophysics has recently published the spectacular discovery of meteorite fragments 20 years after the corresponding bolide has been seen in the skies of the Czech Republic. This discovery was made possible by reanalysing the trajectory, which moved the impact line by 330 meters. Interestingly, the meteorites found on the ground are of different types, pointing to a parent asteroid of heterogeneous composition.
more 7 Oct 2014 1989: Thinking Revolution in East-Central Europe
International conference organized by the Department for the Study of Late Socialism and Post-Socialism of the Institute of Contemporary History of the ASCR and the Department for the Study of Modern Czech Philosophy of the Philosophy Institute of the ASCR was held October 2–3, 2014 at Villa Lanna in Prague. 1989 was a year of democratic revolutions and the fall of “real socialism” in Central Europe. Did it signal the end of revolutionary regimes and the beginning of a “restoration,” or rather the replacement of worn-out communist revolutions with a new, neoliberal revolution? Or, considering the nonviolent character of the events, did they really constitute a revolution at all?
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria are key players in the natural nitrogen cycle on Earth and in biological wastewater treatment plants. For decades, these specialist bacteria were thought to depend on nitrite as their source of energy. An international team of scientists led by Holger Daims, a microbiologist at the University of Vienna, has now shown that nitrite-oxidizing bacteria can use hydrogen as an alternative source of energy. The oxidation of hydrogen with oxygen enables their growth independent of nitrite and a lifestyle outside the nitrogen cycle. The study is published in the current issue of the journal "Science".
International symposium (16th – 19th July, Villa Lanna) brought together 35 participants from 13 countries to hear and discuss presentations on the life and work of one of the foremost European philosophers of the nineteenth century, Bernard Bolzano. Most of the 30 talks given were on philosophy but mathematics and theology were also well represented. More than a quarter of the participants were research students. Several news items drew attention to recent developments in Bolzano studies – in May we saw the complete English translation of Bolzano’s major work Wissenschaftslehre (Theory of Science). This year has seen almost three-quarters of the129 volumes of the Bernard Bolzano Gesamtausgabe appearing in print. The programme and other details of the meeting can be found at bolzano2014.wordpress.com. The meeting enjoyed generous sponsorship, participants were enthusiastic in their appreciation of it, and details of how presentations and papers will be disseminated will appear in due course.
It is with deep sadness we inform you of the sudden passing of Professor Olga Hudlická. Born in Prelouc, Czechoslovakia, Olga received her MD from Prague’s Charles University in 1950, then her PhD (1954) and DSc (1968) in the Institute of Physiology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences working on muscle blood flow and its regulation under different conditions. She was inspired by the pioneering work of Ernest Gutmann working in his laboratory alongside another important figure in UK Physiology, her lifelong friend Gerta Vrbova. In 1969 the political situation forced her to leave her beloved country and emigrate to England, where she remained in the Department of Physiology at the University of Birmingham until retirement in 1993.
In the summer of 2014, Vienna will host the largest event in the history of logic. The Vienna Summer of Logic (VSL) will consist of twelve large conferences and numerous workshops, attracting an expected number of 2500 researchers from all over the world.
more 3 Mar 2014 Advanced Physical Methods in Cell Biology and NanomedicineInstitute of Physics ASCR invites you to a seminar Advanced Physical Methods in Cell Biology and Nanomedicine by Oleg Lunov on March 19th, 2014 at 15:00 in the Lecture Hall of the Institute of Physics ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10/112, Prague 6.
more 24 Jan 2014 New ERC vice-president appointedAs of January 2014, Professor Núria Sebastián Gallés is the new Vice-President of the European Research Council (ERC). Elected by the ERC Scientific Council, Prof. Sebastián Gallés will join the two existing Vice-Presidents, Professors Pavel Exner (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic) and Carl-Henrik Heldin, in assisting the newly-appointed ERC President, Prof. Jean-Pierre Bourguignon (more information see here).
more 24 Jan 2014 Call for applications to Newton International FellowshipsA new round of Newton International Fellowships – an initiative to fund research collaborations and improve links between UK and overseas researchers - has now opened. The Newton International Fellowships are funded by the British Academy and the Royal Society and aim to attract the most promising early-career post-doctoral researchers from overseas in the fields of the humanities, the natural, physical and social sciences.
more 22 Jan 2014 Nikon Centre of Excellence at the Institute of Molecular Genetics
Nikon Company in the cooperation with the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR started on January 21, 2004 operation of a new Nikon Centre of Excellence (NCE) in Super Resolution Microscopy. The Super Resolution Microscopy is a revolutionary microscopic method enabling the observation of the smaller details especially in the cell biology, than it was possible until now with the conventional methods. The Nikon Centre of Excellence was opened by the director of the IMG Professor Václav Hořejší who stated: “The purpose of the centre is to combine the technical expertise of the world leading imaging manufacturer and the scientific expertise of the researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics. I believe that we will together contribute to the new developments in biomedical sciences”.
The Institute of Atmospheric Physics celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, having pondered and analyzed the atmosphere since 1964. The institute was established in as a continuation of the former Laboratory for Meteorology of the Geophysical Institute. Its main research focus is on processes taking place in the troposphere. In 1994, the former Ionospheric Department of the Geophysical Institute joined the IAP, thereby expanding its research domain. Now its work covers the whole atmosphere from the boundary layer up to interplanetary space.
The latest LIFE Focus publication takes stock of the achievements to date of the LIFE Nature strand of the LIFE programme. Titled Long-term impact and sustainability of LIFE Nature, the 60-page brochure provides a user-friendly snapshot of the detailed assessments contained in the ex-post (after project's end) evaluations of LIFE projects. This evaluation process involves visits by experts from the LIFE Monitoring Team to a random sampling of completed LIFE Nature projects a number of years after they have finished. Some 9% of all LIFE Nature projects have been evaluated thus far. As well as outlining the history and methodology of the ex-post evaluation process, this new publication draws on the results of that qualitative research, backed up by new interviews with key stakeholders across several EU Member States, to highlight the lessons that can be learned in terms of LIFE Nature's long-term impact and sustainability at both project and programme level. Download: Long-term impact and sustainability of LIFE Nature.
The European Young Researchers’ Award (EYRA) is granted to researchers demonstrating outstanding research performance and leadership. At the same time, the award aims to inspire early stage and experienced researchers to incorporate a European dimension and perspective into their research. The Award is granted each year but the prize-giving-ceremony is held every two years at the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) where the two recipients will present their work. The Award consists of a Certificate and a grant to cover travel and accommodation for the stay in the ESOF city. The EYRA 2014 Call for Post-doctoral candidates is NOW OPEN. The deadline for applications is 17 March 2014.
more 14 Jan 2014 ERC Consolidator Grants: Nearly €575 million to 312 mid-career top researchersThe European Research Council (ERC) has selected 312 top scientists in its first Consolidator Grant competition. These mid-career scientists are awarded a total of nearly €575 million. Grants are worth up to €2.75 million each, with an average of €1.84 million per grant. This new funding will enable already independent excellent researchers to consolidate their own research teams and to develop their most innovative ideas across the European Research Area.
more 7 Jan 2014 Open competition for the position of the Head of the Department of Seismotectonics
The director of the Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, in accordance with the Act No.283/1992 On the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, as amended by the Act No. 420/2005, and in accordance with the Statute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, announces an open competition for the position of the Head of the Department of Seismotectonics. The successful candidate will be responsible for the conception, planning and successful development of the scientific activities of the Department of Seismotectonics using the human and equipment potential of the department. He will be responsible for the results and outputs of the department. The applications must be delivered to abovesaid contacts by 23:59 on 2nd of March 2014 at the latest.
Technology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in cooperation with Slovak Organization for Research and Development Activities organized an international conference The EU HORIZON 2020 Programme and Teaming for Excellence in the European Research Area (H2020-TEERA 2013), which took place in Prague from 17th to 18th October, 2013. The conference launched the H2020 programme in the Czech Republic with special focus on forming high quality consortia needed to successfully solve the demanding projects of the programme.
more 23 Oct 2013 Ti:sapphire Lasers: Past, Present and Future
Institute of Physics ASCR invites you to a seminar Ti:sapphire Lasers: Past, Present and Future by Peter Moulton on November 6th, 2013 at 15:00 in the Lecture Hall of the Institute of Physics ASCR, Na Slovance 1999/2, Prague 6. The presentation will review a history of a tunable laser based on Ti:Sapphire (Ti3+ doped Al2O3) and it will show the crucial milestones of the development of this unique system for generation of ultrashort laser pulses. Recent practical and potential future applications of these laser systems, as well as possible directions of future research will be also covered.
One of the architectural jewels of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague is its Villa Lanna. The Editorial Staff of Academic bulletin decided it deserved recognition with a supplement the Academy’s official magazine, enclosed with the last issue. The Staff is indebted to Prof. Jan Bažant who kindly wrote the historical and artistic aspects of this magnificent edifice. On 8 October 2013, the Editorial Staff arranged a small celebration during which Professor Bažant guided a group on a tour through this outstanding Neo-Renaissance villa.
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