A team of scientists from Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University received a grant from the European Commission HORIZON-INFRA-2023-EOSC-01-01 – Build on the science cluster approach to ensure the uptake of EOSC by research infrastructures and research communities within the framework of OSCARS – Open Science Cluster Action for Research & Society. Its coordinator is Volodymyr Kotsiubynskyi, Head of the Department of Materials Science and New Technologies.
The project will result in the creation of the Advanced Materials Open Science Centre (PNU-OpenLab). The Centre will become a part of the university’s research infrastructure and an element of the ecosystem, which will include the PNU-NanoLab (Nanotechnology Lab for Materials Science, Energy and Medicine) and the PNU-FabLab (Prototyping, 3D Printing and Design Lab).
The main tasks of the Centre will be the consolidation of the research and development activities of Ukrainian scientists in the field of obtaining, investigating, and technological implementation of new materials (including nanomaterials) following the principles of Open Science (access to full-text databases of scientific and technical information, scientific literature, experimental data).
It is envisaged that opportunities will be created for the joint use of PNU research infrastructure in the synthesis and study of new materials and that the Centre will be integrated into the CERIC (Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium) system to promote the development of science and industry in Ukraine.
It is planned to expand the capabilities of the PNU infrastructure to provide scientific services in studying the properties of substances and materials, which will be important for maintaining defence capabilities and meeting the needs of critical infrastructure.
An important component of the Centre’s activities will be the involvement of researchers in Open Science processes through seminars for students and young scientists to demonstrate the possibilities of using the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) resources.
The Centre’s work will be conducted in line with the European Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) strategy to optimise the use of scientific equipment and to form a generation of FAIR-oriented scientists and researchers (FAIR – Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability).
The global goal of the Centre is to facilitate the entry of Ukrainian scientists into the European Research Area.