CEICS

The collaboration between the groups of Prof. Pau Ballester at ICIQ and Prof. Eduard Llobet at URV has allowed the development of a sensor highly selective for benzene in air with a lower limit of detection to the extent permitted by law. The work has been published in Advanced Functional Materials and selected for the back cover.

CRG, ICIQ, ICN2,ICFO, IFAE and IRB Barcelona come together in this new institution. The Barcelona Institute emerges as one of the leading scientific institutes in Europe, ranking fourth in the number of ERC grants awarded per volume of researchers. ts Board of Trustees is formed by non-profits and renowned international scientists including Profs. Rolf Tarrach (Chair), Joan Massagué, and Ignacio Cirac, among others. The Barcelona Institute will promote joint research strategies, transfer of technology, and graduate programs.

The first group of 30 secondary school students to participate in the URV's science workshops arrived on 29 June. In total four groups of 30 students will take part in the week-long workshops which will run until 24 July. They will participate in activities relating to science, technology and innovation at the Sescelades campus and will also be able to enjoy cultural and leisure activities.

Agustín Mihi, a researcher with the Nephos researcher group at the URV's Department of Electronic, Electrical and Automatic Engineering, has been awarded a Starting Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). The grant is worth 1.5 million euros over a period of five years and is for a project to create photonic structures for controlling the propagation of light in emerging technologies such as solar cells, sensors and the next generation of LEDs.

The 100 under 50 ranking, which is compiled by the journal "Times Higher Education", has placed the URV in 80th position in its list of the top 100 universities in the world under the age of 50. It is the second year running that the URV features in the top 100 of this ranking, which has been conducted since 2012.