1. ERA-NET on Materials (including Materials for Energy) NMP-14-2015

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €12,750,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: The proposed ERA-NET aims at coordinating the research efforts of the participating Member States, Associated States and Regions in the field of materials, continuing the activities started by M-ERA.NET, for materials research and innovation, especially enabling low carbon energy technologies, and to implement a joint transnational call for proposals (resulting in grants to third parties) with EU co-funding to fund multinational innovative research initiatives in this domain.

Expected impact:
• Synergies and coherence in key fields of industrial materials research at national and regional level;
• Implementation of relevant parts of the Materials Roadmap Enabling Low Carbon Energy Technologies (SEC(2011)1609), and relevant objectives of the SET-Plan (COM (2009)519).

2. Novel nanomatrices and nanocapsules NMP-06-2015

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €64,430,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: Proposals should address applications for safe, controlled and reliable novel nanomatrices and nanocapsules containing active ingredients (e.g. drugs in nanomedicine, vitamins or anti-oxidants for cosmetic and personal care products, or cleaning and antimicrobial agents for housecleaning products), as well as their manufacturing processes. Different types of nanomatrices and nanocapsules are required, depending on the nature of the material (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) to be incorporated. Technical challenges relate to the production techniques involved (such as coacervation or phase separation) for improving the stability of the nano formulation and the active ingredients (payload) involved; development of novel mechanisms for the release of the payload (e.g. in response to changes in temperature or pH) is a further challenge. Nanomatrices or nanocapsules as carriers for targeted delivery could also be addressed. Safety considerations and contribution to standardization should be an integral part of the projects.
For this topic, proposals should include an outline of the initial exploitation and business plans, which will be developed further in the proposed project.

Expected impact:
• Supply of safe, energy- and resource-efficient manufacturing systems for nanomatrices and nanocapsules, with the potential for radical improvements in therapy and/or quality of life;
• Benefit the European healthcare and/or consumer sectors through novel new systems and improved collaborations between the key actors in the value chain;
• Paving the way for the future commercialisation of such products, based on an analysis of the efficacy, safety and cost-benefit of products utilising nanomatrices/nanocapsules for the end-users or patients.
• Identification of gaps in standards, paving the way for future pre-normative activities in the field.
• Promoting safe-by-design approaches in collaboration with the EU nano-safety cluster and contributing towards the framework of EU nanosafety and regulatory strategies.

3. Manufacturing and control of nanoporous materials NMP-03-2015

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €64,430,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: Proposals should address the development and demonstration in relevant industrial environments of reliable processes control and manufacturing routes, to obtain nanoporous materials with controlled porosity distribution or gradient aiming at improved mechanical properties, reliable permeation rate, different electrical properties, anti-fouling or other bio-, photo- or thermo-chemical/physical properties.
Proposals should demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed approaches and technologies, through a pilot line aimed at the production of semi-finished products. The process and the material proposed should support and reflect developing guidance and standards relating to nanomaterials aspects.
For this topic, proposals should include an outline of the initial exploitation and business plans, which will be developed further in the proposed project.
Wherever possible, proposers could actively seek synergies, including possibilities for funding, with relevant national/regional research and innovation programmes and/or cumulative funding with European Structural and Investment Funds in connection with smart specialisation strategies. For this purpose the tools provided by the Smart Specialization Platform, Eye@RIS3 may be useful. The initial exploitation and business plans will address such synergies and/or additional funding. Exploitation plans, outline financial arrangements and any follow-up will be developed further during the project. The results of these activities as well as the envisaged further activities in this respect should be described in the final report of the project.

Expected impact:
• Supporting European competitiveness through accelerated market uptake of nanoporous materials in one or more of the following application fields: transport; energy; construction and building; biomedical; catalysis; sensors; filtration, purification and chromatography; This non-exhaustive list does not preclude submission and selection of proposals addressing other application fields;
• Improvement in cost-effectiveness and sustainability of nanoporous materials with a verified market viability of the pilot line;
• New market opportunities through introduction of novel products enabled by nanoporous materials;
• Demonstrated scaling-up of production of nanoporous materials, leading to higher production volumes, improved reliability and repeatability of products with lower production cost;
• Improvement in technical knowledge concerning manufacturing processes of nano porous structuring of materials with innovative methods and solutions.
• Contribution to on-going and future standardisation work in the field.
• Promoting safe-by-design approaches in collaboration with the EU nano-safety cluster and contributing towards the framework of EU nanosafety and regulatory strategies.

4. Integration of novel nano materials into existing production lines NMP-02-2015

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €64,430,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

Scope: Development and demonstration in operational environments; the integration of technologies and processing for using novel nanomaterials in production; to improve the control and monitoring of the conditions required for the use of nanomaterials in industrial processes; to increase the level of robustness and repeatability of such industrial processes; to optimize and evaluate the increased performances of the production lines in terms of productivity and cost-effectiveness; to assess the functionality and performance of the produced component/product.
For this topic, proposals should include an outline of the initial exploitation and business plans, which will be developed further in the proposed project.
Wherever possible, proposers could actively seek synergies, including possibilities for funding, with relevant national / regional research and innovation programmes and/or cumulative funding with European Structural and Investment Funds in connection with smart specialisation strategies. For this purpose the tools provided by the Smart Specialization Platform, Eye@RIS3 may be useful. The initial exploitation and business plans will address such synergies and/or additional funding. Exploitation plans, outline financial arrangements and any follow-up will be developed further during the project. The results of these activities as well as the envisaged further activities in this respect should be described in the final report of the project.

Expected impact:
• Accelerated market uptake of nanomaterials and products in one or more of the following sectors: fibre, yarn and textile; biomedical products, packaging products; energy; construction and building; and transportation. This non-exhaustive list does not preclude submission and selection of proposals addressing other sectors.
• Improvement in existing manufacturing processes and equipment through integration of nano materials, demonstrating better resource efficiency, safety, sustainability and recyclability of a wide variety of components and final products.
• Improvement in technical knowledge on the integrated manufacturing processes for nanomaterials in terms of productivity, environmental performance and cost-effectiveness.
• Contribution to development of business plans that encourage private sector investment for future business growth.
• Promoting safe-by-design approaches in collaboration with the EU nano-safety cluster and contributing towards the framework of EU nanosafety and regulatory strategies.

5. Next generation tools for risk governance of nanomaterials NMP-30-2015 (2 stage)

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €148,370,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Stage 2 – 08-09-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: Research should focus on the testing, the calibration and the further development of risk prioritisation (or banding) tools for both human and environmental risks, with emphasis on:
a) the use of inputs from computational toxicology and/ or ‘high concern grouping approaches’ in risk banding tools to identify potential hot spots for risk,
b) Scientific foundation of the ‘risk bands’, by linking the hazard based with ‘dose’ relevant exposure banding,
c) Inclusion of data and monitoring strategies on the efficacy of risk mitigation measures and
d) Alignment with user capacities and needs, including ensuring the ability of the nanomaterial sector to avail of risk transfer/insurance.
The selected project should identify the major processes of individual and societal decision making, placing particular attention on the aspect of uncertainty. To ensure the highest possible quality in regulatory decision making, emphasis should be given to the development of guidance for important issues in Risk Assessment, based on in-depth analysis of the current scientific basis concerning the addressed hazards and the possible exposure, and joining forces with other projects

Expected impact:
• A framework for the risk governance of nanomaterials entering the market by developing tools for risk appraisal, risk transfer and guidance for risk communication;
• Demonstration in specific industrial settings or industrial sectors of the feasibility of the developed approaches and tools through worked examples as case studies and pilots with outcomes as guidance, good practices and tools for risk management and risk communication;
• Leveraging and building on current knowledge related to hazard mapping, exposure and control banding and risk prioritization as well on inter/national and company level risk governance and risk dialogue efforts with key stakeholders including regulators and insurers.

6. Increasing the capacity to perform nano-safety assessment NMP-29-2015 (2 stage)

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €148,370,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Stage 2 – 08-09-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: Projects should enhance the understanding of the mechanisms underlying any observed adverse effects from engineered nanomaterials, and ultimately link the potential for such adverse effects to specific physical or chemical nanoscale properties.
They should establish and demonstrate the basis for the development of appropriate tools to maximise read across (taxa and nano properties) and assess which tools or endpoints may not necessarily be applicable across the board. These approaches should aim to support the grouping of nanomaterials, to help in developing intelligent testing strategies and identifying “nanomaterials or properties of concern” that need to be tested more thoroughly.

Expected impact:
• New screening tools to enhance the efficiency of end-rate at which nanomaterial hazard profiling can be performed
• Facilitate faster definition of nanomaterials toxicity mechanisms
• Enable “safer by design” approaches, tailored to stakeholders’ needs (modellers, industry and regulators)
• Data in a recognised and accessible database for use beyond the lifetime of the project
• Provision of solutions to the long-term challenges of nanosafety and nanoregulation.

7. Novel materials by design for substituting critical materials NMP-23-2015 (2 stage)

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €148,370,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Stage 2 – 08-09-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

Scope: Many technologies with significant socio-economic benefits face material requirements that are, or may be, problematic due to their instable, insecure or price-volatile supply. Research is needed in particular to improve our fundamental understanding of the development of new material solutions with a reduced or completely eliminated critical content, while maintaining or enhancing the performance of the materials, components and products. Examples may be the critical raw materials or those materials which may be hazardous or pose a risk to human health and/or the environment.
Proposals are called for to investigate the development of such materials by rational design, with focus on the combination of theory with large-scale computational screening. Validation by experimental methods should be included.

Expected impact:
• Reduced use or substitution of critical materials for well-defined technologies;
• Improved performance of industrial products in the longer term;
• Safer and/or more sustainable materials, components and products;
• Contribute to achieving the EU policy: Tackling the challenges in commodity markets and on raw materials; and other relevant EU policies.
• Contribute to achieving the objectives of the EIP on Raw Materials.

8. Fibre-based materials for non-clothing applications NMP-22-2015 (2 stage)

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €148,370,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Stage 2 – 08-09-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

Scope: Proposals should aim to develop engineered fibre-based materials for novel, smart, high-value and high-performance non-clothing parts and products for technical and industrial use. New approaches and production technologies will enable a broader spectrum of industrial applications, taking into account, as appropriate, issues of sustainability, recycling, safety, energy, and self-cleaning or other functionalities. Portable final products may also be considered.
In order to ensure the industrial relevance of the research, the cost effectiveness and commercial potential of the innovative technologies compared to state-of-the-art solutions currently available on the market should be quantitatively monitored during the project. A market estimate should be outlined in proposals and developed in projects, with recommendations for future industrial uptake.
Proof of concept in terms of product and/or process must be delivered within the project, excluding commercially usable prototypes, but convincingly demonstrating scalability towards industrial needs. Dedicated multiscale modelling and characterisation, and standardisation or the production of (certified) reference materials may also be addressed.
For this topic, proposals should include an outline of the initial exploitation and business plans, which will be developed further in the proposed project.

Expected impact:
• Increase in competitiveness and sustainability of European multiple sectors industry through innovative high value products and manufacturing processes;
• Employment and training through engagement in cutting edge technologies in various sectors, e.g. transport, construction, sport and leisure etc.

9. Materials for severe operating conditions, including added-value functionalities NMP-19-2015 (2 stage)

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €148,370,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Stage 2 – 08-09-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: Projects should develop bulk materials that can function within an aggressive environment without property degradation, synthesise new structures with useful properties, and force chemical reactions that normally result in damage to proceed along selected pathways that are either benign or initiate the self-repair of damage.
Projects should include appropriate numerical tools (e.g. density functional theory, molecular dynamics) to capture the multi-scale evolution of damage (e.g. friction/corrosion or corrosion/irradiation synergies should be considered); and predictive modelling tools for materials operating in extreme environments. Standardisation and/or the production of (certified) reference materials may also be addressed as an integrated part of the proposal.
Proof of concept in terms of product and/or process must be delivered within the project, excluding commercially usable prototypes, but convincingly demonstrating scalability towards industrial needs. The cost effectiveness and commercial potential of the innovative technologies compared to state-of-the-art solutions currently available on the market should be quantified during the project, with the involvement of end users. The environmental sustainability and end-of-life considerations of each proposed solution should also be assessed with special emphasis on efficient materials usage.
For this topic, proposals should include an outline of the initial exploitation and business plans, which will be developed further in the proposed project.

Expected impact:
• Increase in competitiveness and sustainability of European industry through high value products and manufacturing processes in the application sector;
• Employment and training through engagement in cutting-edge technologies.

10. Extended in-service service of advanced functional materials in energy technologies (capture, conversion, storage and/or transmission of energy) NMP-16-2015 (2 stage)

Planned Opening Date – 22-10-2014
Total Call Budget – €148,370,000
Deadline Date – 26-03-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Stage 2 – 08-09-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: Proposals should investigate the long-term in-service degradation of functional materials that have already demonstrated enhanced performance in terms of energy capture, conversion, storage and/or transmission, and the capability of a production at a scale that could warrant an industrial uptake. Proposals must include relevant modelling and testing under realistic conditions at pilot level. They should focus on improving the practical understanding of long-term in-service degradation on the performance of the functional material and its impact on the overall performance of the technology components and systems. The development of improved materials solutions, as well as relevant roadmaps and a catalogue of good practices, should be included.
For this topic, proposals should include an outline of the initial exploitation and business plans, which will be developed further in the proposed project.

Expected impact:
• Reduction of the capital (CAPEX) and/or operating (OPEX) expenditures in specific low carbon energy technologies;
• Implementation of relevant parts of the Materials Roadmap Enabling Low Carbon Energy Technologies; and relevant objectives of the SET-Plan.

Societal Challenges

11. Technology for district heating and cooling EE-13-2015

Planned Opening Date – 10-12-2014
Total Call Budget – €21,850,000
Deadline Date – 04-06-2015 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Scope: Project proposals should address one or more of the following areas:
• Develop, demonstrate and deploy a new generation of highly efficient, intelligent district heating and cooling systems which are capable of integrating multiple efficient generation sources, including different kinds of renewable energy, cogeneration, waste heat from industrial or other sources and storage, and which can be operated at different temperature levels. Such systems can be new schemes or refurbished and optimised existing DH systems. These systems might combine hybrid technologies and/or new thermal carrier fluids to improve the overall efficiency; help decrease the end user cost of transporting thermal thermal/cold energy, be compatible and connected with intelligent electricity and gas networks; and utilize surplus electricity from the grid. Such systems should be compatible with and capable of integration with low-energy buildings, including nearly zero energy buildings (low-temperature district heating).
• Bring down heat distribution losses and integrate storage through the use of innovative pipe and capacity design, high performance insulation materials, reduced operating temperatures, intelligent, efficient system for fluid handling carriers or intelligent metering, control and grid optimisation strategies, including from analysing smart meter data, consumer interaction and behaviour.
• Develop optimisation, control, metering, planning and modelling tools such as intelligent thermal agile controllers embedding self-learning algorithms helping optimise the overall efficiency of technology-hybrid systems and IT supervision systems capable of delivering real performance indicators likely to modify consumption behaviour.
• Develop new solutions for low temperature heat recovery and recirculation.

Expected Impact:
• Reduce the energy consumption of space and water heating by 30 to 50% compared to today’s level.
• Contribute to wider use of intelligent district heating and cooling systems and integration of renewables, waste and storage.