The M-CUBE research project is coordinated by Aix Marseille University (AMU) and led by the Fresnel Institute and the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine (CRMBM). M-CUBE has been selected by the European Commission and is funded for 4 years from the 1st of January, 2017.
FET-OPEN calls aim at funding collaborative projects from first class consortia that propose novel ideas for radically new technologies.
AMU coordinates the M-CUBE consortium which gathers 8 world-class academic actors and 2 very promising SMEs. M-Cube aims at changing the paradigm of High-Field and Ultra High-Field MRI antennas to offer much better insight of the human body and enable earlier detection of diseases and conditions. The main objective of the project is to go beyond the limits of existing clinical imaging using an MRI scanner and radically improve spatial and temporal resolutions on image quality. Indeed, current clinical use of High-field and Ultra High-Field MRI scanners is constrained by the lack of homogeneity of the resulting image and by constraints related to the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the Radio Frequency (RF) fields associated with the magnetic resonance. To date, methods used to tackle image inhomogeneity and high SAR levels involve increasing the number of active RF antennas, which in turn renders these solutions both complex and expensive. The M-Cube solution relies on innovative systems using passive metamaterial structures to avoid multiple active elements. These systems are expected to make High-Field MRI fully diagnostically relevant for physicians. To achieve these results, the M-Cube consortium will develop a disruptive metamaterial antenna technology for high field and ultra high field MRIs. Physicists, medical doctors and industrial actors will work closely together for the duration of the project to create a “patient-centered” solution that will pave the way for more accurate diagnostics in the context of personalized medicine and will enable the earlier detection of diseases and other conditions.
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market.
Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness.
Seen as a means to drive economic growth and create jobs, Horizon 2020 has the political backing of Europe’s leaders and the Members of the European Parliament. They agreed that research is an investment in our future and so put it at the heart of the EU’s blueprint for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and jobs.
By coupling research and innovation, Horizon 2020 is helping to achieve this with its emphasis on excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. The goal is to ensure Europe produces world-class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation.
Horizon 2020 is open to everyone, with a simple structure that reduces red tape and time so participants can focus on what is really important. This approach makes sure new projects get off the ground quickly – and achieve results faster.
The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation will be complemented by further measures to complete and further develop the European Research Area. These measures will aim at breaking down barriers to create a genuine single market for knowledge, research and innovation.
Two year work programmes announce the specific areas that will be funded by Horizon 2020. Look out for them on the online Participant Portal as they can be used as a calendar for the calls for proposals (‘calls’), to be published during the year. The Participant Portal is your entry point for electronic administration of EU-funded research and innovation projects, and hosts the services for managing your proposals and projects throughout their lifecycle.
Each call gives more precise information on the questions that the Commission would like you to address in your proposals. All calls can be found in the EU’s Official Journal – the official source for all EU documents – as well as on the Participant Portal.
EC participant portal : click here
FET (Future Emerging Technologies) Open calls for projects support the early-stages of the science and technology research and innovation around new ideas towards radically new future technologies. It also funds coordination and support actions for such high-risk forward looking research to prosper in Europe.
FET Open calls for collaborative research and innovation actions that satisfy the FET Open ‘gatekeepers’:
– breakthrough scientific and technological target
– foundational
– novelty
– high-risk
– long-term vision
– interdisciplinary
