THE NFSAT NEWSLETTER SERVES THE ARMENIAN SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND ITS FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
Newsletter N9
April 2010
ECSP – the 2009 Early Career Support Program is an innovative program,
originally suggested by NFSAT. The main goal of this initiative is to
support the most promising young researchers to stay in Armenia and
establish careers in research that will contribute to the development
of Armenias knowledge-based economy. The NFSAT initiative supported
by the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF) and the
State Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science
of the Republic of Armenia (SCS MES RA). As a result of the national
merit based competition a total of nineteen grants have been awarded
to early-career researchers in Armenia. Eleven one-year grants of
$4,000 have been awarded in the framework of Category A competition
to support Armenian full-time graduate students, as well as eight
two-year grants of $18,000 have been awarded in the framework of
Category B competition to support recent Ph.D. recipients.
For the 2009 ECSP program, NFSAT received funds from CRDF, which
equally cost shared with SCS MES RA. CRDF funds were made available
via funding from the U.S. Department of State.
The complete list of grantees can be found in our website:
2. Achievements under NFSAT’s University Research Programs
Closely adhering to the policy on a competitive basis to support future
science and technology in Armenia, NFSAT initiated two multipurpose
university programs: "BRAU" (Basic Research in Armenian Universities)
and "UCEP" (University Centers of Excellence Program).
Along with the main goal to develop the research capabilities of
Armenian State Universities, these programs also include educational
and integration components. By this programs NFSAT intends to
create unique environment, namely, Research and Education Centers
(REC), where young researchers and promising students will have
a chance to take advanced courses and carry research works using
modern equipments in close contact with senior researchers of the
international level competitive science fields and aggressively
integrated in the International Scientific Community.
2.1. Basic Research in Armenian Universities (BRAU) The three year
award "Polymer Synthesis and Investigations" with the budget of
300,000USD has been completed. For the BRAU program, NFSAT combined
$150,000 resources provided by CRDF, $60,000 supported by the host
University (State Engineering University of Armenia) and $90,000
supported by the Ministry of Science and Education of Armenia.
The various modern equipments, chemicals and laboratory inventory, as
well as computers and accessories, totaling more than $150,000, have
been purchased in the framework of this program, and, in fact, created
a modern research and education center (REC). In the framework of joint
research works Yerevan State University, Tbilisi State University, RAS
Institute of Chemical Physics has also used the REC facilities equipped
by BRAU program. During the project period more than 50 scientific
publications have been published, including publications in referred
International journals and abstracts of the International Conferences.
The annual International Conferences, organized in the framework of the
project, allowed to develop scientific contacts with leading scientists
from Russia, Germany, USA and to carry out joint researches. As a rule,
Young Scientific Section was also organized by the young researchers
and students of REC.
By the financial support of BRAU program REC members traveled to other
countries for project-related purposes and for scientific collaboration
(Moscow, Chernogolovka) and presented REC research results at the
International conferences (Tbilisi, Georgia, Goslar-Hahnenklee,
Germany).
During the award period a large group of participants has been
involved in the REC’s activities: 15 members of research and
teaching staff and 15 young researchers and students (graduate
and undergraduate). A series of lectures on the advanced topics
related to the project field has been organized for the SEUA (State
Engineering University of Armenia) and YSU (Yerevan State University)
graduate, undergraduate, Master and PhD students. On the basis of
special research and educational courses prepared in the framework
of BRAU program three books have been published, which are intended
for Master and PhD students of University education and wide range
of scientific researchers:
S.P.Davtyan, A.O.Tonoyan, "High temperature superconductors.
Superconducting polymer-ceramic nanocomposites".
S.B. Antonyan, S.P. Davtyan, "Colloid Chemistry. Nanoparticle
obtainment methods".
S.P. Davtyan, A.O. Tonoyan, "Hybrid and intercalated nanocomposites
and their properties".
To improve skills in English language by the financial support of
BRAU project English language courses were organized for the students
involved in REC.
During the project period 4 Ph.D. theses and 8 Master theses have
been defended.
2.2. University Center of Excellence Program (UCEP) The main goal of
the UCEP activities was the establishment of the three modern Centers
in Yerevan State University (YSU) in a competitive basis. For the UCEP
activities, NFSAT combined $150,000 resources provided by CRDF and
$150,000 supported by the host University – YSU. Three merit-based
projects (out of10) have been awarded by $100,000 for each for a
two-year period:
Superconductivity & Scientific Instrumentation, Project Director: Dr.
Samvel Gevorkyan.
Algebraic and geometric studies for condensed matter physics, Project
Director: Dr. Tigran Hakobyan, Quantum information technologies &
new nonlinear materials, Project Director: Dr. Gagik Kryuchkyan.
a) The Center of "Superconductivity & Scientific Instrumentation"
The research and educational team of 9 persons includes 6 young
researchers and students, two of which got their Ph.D. theses on
the basis of the award results. Regular weekly seminars for young
researchers and students have been organized within the framework of
the award. More than 30 papers in total have been published and talks
have been delivered at the International Conferences and Workshops
during the award execution period. Two students could attend the
Advanced International Schools in Europe.
Fig. 1. Dr. Samvel Gevorkyan (right) with young researcher Bilor
Kurghinyan in "Superconductivity & Scientific Instrumentation"
Research&Educational Center created in framework of UCEP.
Along with a basic research, the goal of the Center was focused also
on the commercialization of obtained results. An Armenian start-up
company, i.e. "Precision Sensors / Instrumentation Inc." ("PSI"),
was established in 2008, which was recognized as the best in Asia
(the winner Prize is shown in Fig. 2 (right), and one of the top
six finalists of the world level "Global Security Challenge’s" 2008
years competition in London (see the gained Cup in Fig.2 – left). The
competition was based on the advanced technologies offered to support
world global security problems. "PSI" was also among the top three
finalists of the 2009 years European "GSC" Final competition in
Athens (the gained Prize is shown in Fig. 3). Unprecedented for the
Republic of Armenia such International recognition of the Armenian
technology enabled the Center to sign Teeming Agreements with the
"Singapore Technologies Dynamics", as well as with the U.S. "United
Detection Technologies" ? to move ahead to the c! ommercialization of
the group’s fine SFCO Platform Technology. The Armenian Ministry of
Defense has also shown its interest in this unique technology, and
the related long-term, large-scale contract discussion is currently
in progress. "Geological Survey" of the Norway has also expressed
interest in this technology, particularly in using the Center’s
Center’s new principle of operation seismic detector for the strong
earthquakes prediction.
Fig. 2. The Prize and Cup gained by the YSU "Superconductivity &
Scientific Instrumentation" Center at the 2008 years "Global Security
Challenge" competition () in Singapore
(right) and London (left).
Fig. 3. The Prize gained by the YSU "Superconductivity and Scientific
Instrumentation" Center at the 2009 years "Global Security Challenge"
competition in Athens.
b) The Center of "Algebraic and geometric studies for condensed
matter physics" The UCEP project "Algebraic and geometric studies
for condensed matter physics" has been devoted to the application of
advanced mathematical tools to the condensed matter problems. Awarded
REC team involved 4 senior and 4 young researchers and students.
Fig. 4. Dr. Tigran Hakobyan (left) and Dr. Armen Nersisyan (left-back)
with young researchers of "Algebraic and geometric studies for
condensed matter physics" Research and Educational Center created in
framework of UCEP.
A computer cluster based on HP blade architecture with total capacity
of 512 Gflops (billions floating point operations per second) has been
purchased, installed, and prepared for numerical simulations in the
frames of this award. In summary, 35 papers have been prepared. Among
them 25 have been published in well known international referred
journals. The students have been participated in a significant
number of papers. The team members had, in summary, 22 talks at 9
international conferences and 12 seminar talks abroad. Many papers
have been prepared in collaborations with the scientists from the
foreign institutions, such as JINR (Dubna), CBPF (Rio de Janeiro),
INFN (Frascati, Italy), Hannover, Gettingen, Kaiserslautern, and
Wuppertal Universities (Germany). There were 14 research visits abroad
(4 by students) for establishing or continuing collaborations.
c) The Center of "Quantum information technologies and new nonlinear
materials" The main goal of this project was to organize the Center
of quantum information technologies and new nonlinear materials at
Yerevan State University. The REC team of 8 persons includes 5 young
researchers and students.
Fig. 5. Dr. Gagik Kryuchkyan (right) with young researchers of
"Quantum information technologies and new nonlinear materials"
Research and Educational Center created in framework of UCEP.
By the financial support of the award it the Cluster (YSU-2) at 32
nodes with Grid environment was created in the Physical Department of
YSU, which was used for the computer modeling and high performance
calculations on the problems of the project. The universal software
package for parallel numerical simulation on the Cluster in areas of
applied quantum information and laser physics has been elaborated. The
other software package in the field of crystal growth is in the
stage of development. The research results have been published in 22
research articles mainly in high rated international referred journals,
as well as 11 abstracts of the International Conferences.
The International Workshop on "Modern Problems in Optics and Photonics"
(August 27-September 2, 2009, Yerevan, Armenia) has been organized
by members of the team. During the project period one of the young
researchers’ Ph.D. theses has been defended.