HIERARCHY

 

Hierarchical Assembly in Controllable Matrices

Education and Training of Early-Stage Researchers

Doctoral candidates and postdocs working at HIERARCHY receive comprehensive training in the Nanosciences. The Marie Curie ITN offers a training programme to provide early-stage and more experienced researches with a background in several areas of this interdisciplinary field, including materials chemistry and biochemistry, physics, advanced characterisation techniques, and commercial device development.

 

In addition, the program also offers educational and skills training opportunities relevant to the career development of young scientists, with a focus on communication and presentation skills, entrepreneurial skills, language courses, as well as classes on intellectual property rights, ethical issues, and cultural awareness. Training takes place at the network level but also locally at the host institutions.

Key Research Areas

The interdisciplinary research program of HIERARCHY focuses on the novel concept of hierarchical assembly in controllable matrices. This concept exploits liquid crystalline media as controllable matrices for programmed self-organization, which goes far beyond the possibilities of currently employed techniques.

A liquid crystal matrix in combination with a variety of simultaneously or sequentially applied external stimuli will yield a unique toolbox to build functional macroscopic structures with nanometer control.

Apart from developing methods for the generation and manipulation of complex structures, HIERARCHY also aims to apply them in a number of fields in optics (e.g. photonic crystals), the biosciences (sensors and separation devices), and chemistry (catalysis).

The Consortium

HIERARCHY brings together experts from leading European universities and industries in a consortium that will work towards new paradigms in the nanosciences. The involvement of partners from industry will enhance opportunities for the commercialisation of academic research.