The ITS LEIF project is funded by the European Commission within the specific 6th Framework Programme ‘Structuring the European Research Area’, under the Action ‘Research Infrastructures’, implemented as an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (I3). The starting date for this network, which will run for four years, is January 2006. It has its roots in the Infrastructure Cooperation Network LEIF, which has been funded under the 5th framework programme from 2000 to 2004.
It is the main objective of the project to create a platform for interdisciplinary research based on the use of high-quality low-energy ion beams. ITS LEIF will combine the effort of 5 research infrastructures in 5 EU countries. 17 contractors and 14 associated groups from 18 EU member and associated states will participate. It fosters mutual exchange of personnel and instrumentation to counteract fragmentation in this important multidisciplinary field.
Research within ITS LEIF will mainly proceed at 5 infrastructures, which are forming the Distributed European Facility LEIF, and which provide Transnational Access for external research teams. Beam time is distributed according to the recommendations of a Proposal Selection Panel. Users from European countries others than the infrastructure are eligible for support regarding transport and subsistence. The five centres are :
- ARIBE, Caen, France
- H-EBIT, Heidelberg, Germany
- ZERNIKE-LEIF, Groningen, Netherlands
- ELISA, Aarhus, Denmark
- QU-LEIF, Belfast, United-Kingdom
4 Joint Research Activities (JRA1 – 4), which will improve and extend infrastructure performances by keeping their instrumentation at the cutting edge, will concentrate on the :
- development of sources and beams for complex ions,
- generation of low-energy, highly spatially and temporally resolved ion beams,
- construction of electrostatic storage rings and traps, and
- production and characterisation of biomolecular targets.
Such developed methods and instruments shall be jointly demonstrated in specific research fields (JRA5 and 6) where significant developments are expected:
- low-energy ion induced radiation damage in biomolecular systems,
- antimicrobial ion coating of medical devices and ion-impact enhanced chemical reactivity, and
- low-energy ion induced nanostructuring of insulator surfaces and thin films.
Cooperation will be strengthened by four network activities which interrelate the different projects, guarantee efficient internal and external communication, develop fruitful collaborations, disseminate the obtained knowledge, and develop joint strategies for further progress and applications. Of particular importance in ITS LEIF will be support and integration of young scientists.