International Researcher Exchange Programme (IREP)

Objective

Foster collaboration between European and international laboratories
To provide researchers from the European Union and countries associated with the Horizon 2020 research framework program with free of charge access to world-leading international research infrastructures or equipment.

Procedure

The applicant fills out an application form and submits it. It is essential that the applicant gets in contact with the host institute when applying for this call.
The evaluation results will be available 4 weeks after the deadline. Key evaluation criteria will be excellence and impact.
If the evaluation is positive, a contract is signed between the applicant, the host organisation and the KIT as coordinator of the StoRIES project.
After the exchange, a report on the exchange will be published on the StoRIES website and a presentation summarising the exchange activities needs to be presented in a StoRIES workshop. This event might be an online event.

Implementation

Five calls for proposals for the International Researcher Exchange Programme will be issued in October 2022, April 2023, October 2023, April 2024 and October 2024. Results of each approved exchange have to be described by participating researchers in a report no later than 3 months after the exchange visit. These reports will be published on a StoRIES webpage by the end of the calendar year in which the report was due.

Researchers from home institutes located in the EU or countries associated to Horizon 2020 can visit laboratories located in non-European countries or European countries not participating in the Horizon 2020 programme.

Financial Support

Applicants receive financial support for travel and accommodation expenses. The intention is to have a maximum support for travel expenses of 700 € and a maximum weekly support for accommodation expenses of 250 €. Although the maximum amount of this support can be discussed and negotiated with the host institution and the StoRIES management, as travel costs can vary greatly depending on the location and the cost of living can also differ from those in Europe. Financial support is granted for stays of 2 to 12 weeks. In order to receive the financial support, the 4th step of the procedure is essential.

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OPEN CALLS

SECOND StoRIES International Researcher Exchange Programme CALL

IREP Call No.: 2

Date of opening: 31.4.2023

Date of closing: 15.08.2023

Call topic: Technologies for improving Hybrid Energy Storage Applications including research to Accelerate Materials Discovery for energy storage materials

OPEN

The call is for researchers who wish to gain experience in international laboratories or research infrastructures to enhance their background for their work on hybrid energy storage applications. This includes, for example, facilities that provide support for the test and characterization of thermally driven systems, such as heat storages based on thermo-chemical materials and PCMs, heat pumps for heat upgrade, combined systems for thermal and electrical energy storage or provide materials acceleration platforms (MAPs).

If it is useful to enhance international collaboration on ontologies or Semantic Data Interoperability Platforms used to promote FAIR data workflows in materials discovery, an international stay is possible if it is well justified that virtual meetings are insufficient. These ontologies must provide machine-readable formalizations of materials knowledge, characterization, and data focused on energy storage materials. Another example is applications in the field of socio-economics, including environmental and eco-design analyses of energy storage systems through the application of Life Cycle Assessment methods. Here, too, it is necessary to justify why virtual meetings are insufficient.

Activities should help increase the innovation potential of specific hybrid energy storage applications.

1: Download your application form:

2: Fill it in, save it and upload it:

CHOOSE FILE

3: Submit your filled form:

SUBMIT

calls

FIRST StoRIES International Researcher Exchange Programme CALL

IREP Call No.: 1

Date of opening: 31.10.2022.

Date of closing: Deadline extended to 15.02.2023.

Call topic: Materials Acceleration Platforms (MAPs) and related technologies for improving Energy Storage Applications

The call topic envisages all activities that support the development of components/software or research on Materials Accelerations Platforms (MAPs) related to energy storage materials or technologies. This includes the production of energy storage carriers such as hydrogen, but not electricity.

Proposals focusing on materials research should demonstrate the innovation potential of the selected material types for energy storage technologies. Proposal with the background to optimise the operation of MAPs have to demonstrate the benefits for European material research facilities or planned research facilities. It is also possible to submit proposal with the background to generate data for the MAPs’ Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems, e.g. generate materials modelling data for the MAPs’ AI materials optimiser system.

The proposals should include a short sustainability-oriented assessment regarding e.g. the use of critical raw materials, possible environmental and economic impacts over the entire life cycle of the materials under consideration.

To apply for the call please use the application form available here.

Only proposals submitted by the 15st of January will be evaluated.