Date | February 1-5, 2026

  Place | Bad Hofgastein, Austria
  Registration | from Septembre 1st to January 1st

 Submission deadline for an oral communication | November 23rd

 Submission deadline for a poster communication | December 21st

  Website & e-mail | www.cecp.at ; info[at]cecp.at 

"The meeting aims to bring together scientists from different European countries in one place to discuss their results. Many experts in the field of photochemistry will be present, giving all participants the opportunity to engage in interesting scientific exchanges. In addition, scientists from countries outside Europe are expressly invited to attend the meeting in order to facilitate a truly international exchange of knowledge. During the sessions, there will be a series of lectures and short presentations. The focus of the conference will be on the poster sessions in the evening. Every evening after dinner (buffet), there will be an evening event, the end time of which is almost open. This time can also be used for scientific discussions."

Topics covered by the meeting:

• organic photochemistry
• inorganic photochemistry
• theoretical photochemistry
• applied photochemistry
• photophysics
• spectroscopy
• kinetics of photochemical reactions
• mechanisms of photochemical reactions
• energy conversion
• ultrafast processes

After the success of the first ICS minisymposium on polyelectrolytes in 2023, the next edition brings together prominent scientists from Strasbourg and around the world to discuss the recent developments in the field. This international event is open to all (Master and PhD students, Post-docs, and researchers).

  Date |  19 January 2026

  Place | Institut Charles Sadron (ICS), Amphithéâtre Henri Benoît 

Speakers | 

• Jasper van der Gucht, Wageningen University and Research
• Matthew Tirrell, University of Chicago
• Marleen Kaamperman, University of Groningen
• Evan Spruijt, Radboud University
• Claudia Bonfio, University of Cambridge
• Guillermo Monreal Santiago, University of Strasbourg
• Delphine Chan-Seng, ICS
• Jérôme Combet, University of Strasbourg & ICS

  Date |  09 December 2025

  Place | Institut Charles Sadron (ICS), Amphithéâtre Henri Benoît 

Speakers | 

• 9h30 -  Françoise Méchin (IMP, INSA Lyon) Controlling the properties of insulating poly(urethane-isocyanurate) foams through chemistry and process conditions
• 10h10 - Olivier Mondain-Monval (CRPP, Bordeaux University) What can we do with macroporous Silicone polymers?
• 10h50 - Pause
• 11h10 - Marco Costantini (IPC, Polish Academy of Sciences) Digitally Designed, Additively Made: New Frontiers in Porous Materials
• 11h50 - Arnaud Spangenberg (IS2M, Université de Haute-Alsace) Programmable materials for light-induced 3D & 4D printing

  Date |  NOVEMBER 21^st, 2025

  Place | Faculty of Chemistry, Strasbourg

  Website | https://jcd2025.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en 

   Deadline to submit a poster or oral cumminication | OCTOBER 31^st, 2025

"This event aims to bring together academic and industrial scientists from different domains, all concerned by the development of a more sustainable chemistry. The first edition in Lyon in 2019 was a great success, and beyond the quality of the presentations, was the catalyst for numerous scientific exchanges. This was followed by a second edition at CNAM (PARIS) in SEPTEMBER 2023. Our ambition is for this day to become a recurring forum for exchange and dissemination of information on current developments and innovations in sustainable chemistry, both in public laboratories and in industry.

The third edition will focus on i) the recycling/reuse of co-products and waste (circular economy), environmental protection (water/air and soil), ii) the exploitation of renewable raw materials and iii) the development of eco-efficient processes (new environments and new technologies).

Doctoral and post-doctoral students, but not only..., are invited to participate through posters and/or oral communications, with the opportunity to enrich both their academic and industrial network in this fast-growing field.

Three Prizes will be awarded - the YOUNG RESEARCHER DivCD Prize, & the Best Poster/Oral Comm Prizes. This year, the event will be held at the Faculty of Chemistry in STRASBOURG." 

Cheick Oumar Diarra, Carlo Massobrio, and Evelyne Martin

Heat transport in a crystalline polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), is studied using molecular dynamics. The potential energy is described by density functional theory (DFT) with an additional correction to account for van der Waals dispersion forces. The approach-to-equilibrium molecular dynamics (AEMD) method is used to create and analyse thermal transients and target transport along or between polymer chains. As expected, the approach leads to a length-dependent thermal conductivity of the system along the covalent polymer backbone. Less expectedly, we observe heat transfer between two polymers, i.e. along a non-covalent heat path, and quantify this transfer using a thermal conductance.

This year, the following types of projects will receive funding:

•  2.5 PhD projects, (co-funding possible)
•  2 Starting Grants (20 k€ each)

The eligibility criteria are detailed in the instruction sheet and application forms that you can download here. 

Jiang Jing,  Emilie Steveler,  Amira Mounya Gharbi, Sébastien Marbach, Pascal Didier, Gilles Ulrich, Ibrahim Bulut, Nicolas Leclerc, Wilfried Uhring,

Jérémie Léonard, Benoît Heinrich, Patrick Lévêque and Thomas Heiser 

Exciton dynamics play a crucial role in determining the efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices and photo-detectors. However, establishing clear correlations between molecular structure and exciton diffusion length remains a significant challenge, limiting the rational design of more efficient materials. In this study, we investigate exciton transport in thin films of a planar dumbbell-shaped electron donor composed of discotic triazatruxene end-groups and an electron-deficient central unit. These molecules self-assemble into unique bridged-columnar structures, which are known to support efficient charge transport, although their impact on exciton dynamics had not yet been explored. Using a combination of time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), spatially resolved TRPL, and exciton–exciton annihilation measurements, we examine how structural order influences exciton diffusion in both the columnar- nematic and crystalline phases. We show that crystallization leads to a twofold increase in exciton diffusion length, reaching values comparable to those observed in state-of-the-art non-fullerene acceptors. Although the molecules exhibit a typical Stokes shift that is not particularly favorable for Förster energy transfer (FRET), ecffiient exciton transport is nonetheless achieved—enabled by long exciton lifetimes and anisotropic energy transfer within its distinctive bridged-columnar architecture. These results, supported by FRET analysis, highlight the effectiveness of the molecule's tailored dumbbell-shaped design and its ability to self-assemble into ordered structures that support both long-range exciton diffusion and efficient charge mobility.

Cheick Oumar Diarra, Julien Taillieu, Mauro Boero, Thomas Heiser, Evelyne Martin

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology offers a solution to the global demand for sustainable energy production and harvesting due to its affordability, versatility, and moderate environmental impact. Recent advancements have led to an increased efficiency in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, making practical applications feasible. However, these advancements have also raised fundamental questions regarding exciton transport mechanisms. A precise understanding of the relationship between the exciton diffusion length and material structure is crucial for improvements and applications. We formerly assessed a method to extract the exciton diffusion coefficient [Diarra, C. O.  Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2023, 25, 15539–15546] via first-principles dynamical simulations in the excited state. Here, we propose a novel approach to compute the radiative lifetime using the same method. This provides an additional crucial parameter contributing to the exciton diffusion length. We benchmark the validity of the method on a specific semiconducting polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). The resulting exciton diffusion length is found to be in close agreement with the available experimental data.

 Date | 16 April 2025

 Location | IS2M, Mulhouse

Save the date for our 2025 annual HiFunMat conference.

This day aims to give us a privileged opportunity to meet each other and share our latest results and ongoing projects, and to discover the variety of research issues developed in HiFunMat. Furthermore, this event is the ideal opportunity to create new links or strengthen existing ones, so that new collaborations and innovative ideas can emerge. The program aims to display the large range of research topics studied in HiFunMat, and covers the three themes targeted by HiFunMat: Materials for energy, health and environment.

Registration is free, but mandatory. More information on registration and abstract submission here

The event began with an inspiring speech by Catherine Florentz, who highlighted HiFunMat as the "coup de cœur" of the jury among the 15 ITIs. She proudly noted that HiFunMat, was the only temporary ITI received the highest possible grade, "A+." This grade was shared with just two other ITIs, both of which are former LabEx initiatives. Catherine emphasized HiFunMat’s strong interdisciplinarity, the invaluable contributions of its technicians to the research consortium, their active involvement in student training, and the consortium’s remarkable scale—comprising 250 researchers across four campuses: Mulhouse, Esplanade, Cronenbourg, and Medicine.

Following her remarks, we were honored to welcome Rémi Barillon and Jean-François Brilhac, vice-presidents in charge of research and doctoral training at Unistra and UHA, respectively.

The morning session included a comprehensive review of HiFunMat's 2025 initiatives and perspectives. Fouzia Boulmedais, ITI coordinator, presented the research-focused plans, while Mehdi Vahdati, a member of the Graduate School committee, detailed the Graduate School’s objectives.

The afternoon featured engaging scientific presentations from laureates of previous project calls. The presenters and their projects included:

• Catherine Galindo | IPHC | ProBIOTIon | Seed Money 2021
• Madeline Vauthier | ICS | NanoHeatCAPs | Seed Money 2021
• Laure Biniek | ICS | COMPOMOF | Seed Money 2022
• Igor Kulic | ICS | DREAM | Seed Money 2022
• Carlotta Figliola | ICPEES | SMARTY | Starting Grant 2021
• Tristan Asset | ICPEES | ANIMALS | Starting Grant 2022
• Aurélie Hourlier Fargette | ICS | FoamFibMat & PhyStraFoam | Starting Grant 2021 & RIC 2023
• Béatrice Heurtault & Stéphane Bellemain Laponnaz | LCAMB & IPCMS | Hydro NHC | PhD 2021
• Arnaud Spangenberg | IS2M | PHOTOCAT | PhD 2021

For a complete list of funded projects, please visit: Discover all our research projects.

The meeting concluded with heartfelt acknowledgments to all members, including administrative and management support teams, and ended on a high note with a convivial cocktail.

Following this, Madeline Vauthier introduced the Egal’ITI committee and presented the mentoring program (https://hifunmat.unistra.fr/mentoring/mentors) offered by ITI HiFunMat. Her talk set the stage for an informative presentation by Gilles Ulrich, director of the Chemistry Doctoral School, who discussed possible funding sources for Master students interested in doing a PhD and shared valuable tips on navigating websites to find funding opportunities.

The second half of the morning was structured around two roundtable discussions. The first roundtable focused on career paths after a master’s degree. It featured Swann Schmitt (Quality Control & Analytical Development Assistant Engineer), Antoine Egelé (CNRS Engineer), and Sakina Mammadova (HiFunMat labeled PhD student).

After sharing a traditional Galette des Rois, the second roundtable commenced, showcasing diverse professional perspectives. Speakers included Guillermo Monreal Santiago (Associate Professor at the University of Strasbourg), Carlotta Figliola (CNRS Researcher), and Serena De Piccoli (Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Polypeptide). During these discussions, students had the opportunity to engage with the speakers, ask questions, and gain insights into their career journeys and expertise.

The morning was a success, thanks to the valuable contributions of our speakers, who provided thoughtful answers and practical advice to the students. Their input greatly enriched the experience, leaving participants with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for their academic and professional futures.

 10-12 October 2025

Last week, the André Malraux Library hosted the Village des Sciences in the frame of the "Fête de la Science," coordinated by Marie-Laure Voirand. Members of the Egal'ITI committee (M. Rabineau, J. Rodon-Fores, M. Galerne, and C. Loth) from the ITI HiFunMat participated by organizing an interactive stand on materials science. Two afternoons were dedicated to school visits, while Saturday was open to the general public, including families and children of all ages.

Both adults and children eagerly engaged in the workshops run by our committee. Participants created alginate beads, introducing them to the fascinating world of polymers. Puzzles made from images contributed by HiFunMat members, handcrafted by students, added a creative touch to the event. Additionally, a quiz about materials science highlighted their applications in fields such as health, environment, and energy. A microscope was also available, offering a closer look at materials on a microscopic scale. The activities sparked curiosity, with many parents and children asking insightful questions.

HiFunMat students and members volunteered with enthusiasm to animate the stand, ensuring a lively and educational experience for all.

Three other stands, hosted by the Zoological Museum, Octolab, and CyberGrange, offered children and parents the chance to explore various scientific fields through a fun rally.

The event was a resounding success, as in previous years, and we look forward to welcoming new enthusiastic participants next year!

"It is with great pleasure that we announce the renewal of our consortium.

I would like to thank the the international jury for its evaluation work and the Presidency for its renewed confidence.

I would also like to thank the entire team at the ITI office, the University's finance department, the DNUM, the administrative team at the Faculty of Physics and Engineering and the partner faculties (Chemistry and FST Mulhouse), the UHA and the administrative teams at the CNRS Alsace delegation and the ICS who supported us.
None of this would have been possible without the support of a number of people, both when the project was being set up and over the last 4 years, the members of the management committee, the members of the graduate school management committee, the members of the executive committee, Egal-ITI and the steering committees.

We will continue with the same energy to develop our consortium in line with the recommendations of the evaluation committee and institutional guidelines."

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Press communication

« Nous avons souhaité concevoir cette école dans le but d’aborder non seulement les aspects techniques des matériaux, mais aussi leur positionnement dans la transition écologique. L'objectif principal était de sensibiliser les étudiants des domaines de la chimie, physique, biologie à l'importance des sciences humaines et sociales dans la transition écologique et de les encourager à prendre du recul par rapport à leurs disciplines respectives », explique Valérie Caps, elle-même chercheuse en chimie verte et coorganisatrice de cette semaine de formation.

L’école avait ainsi une double ambition: refléter la variété des apports technologiques des matériaux dans la dépollution (de l’eau, de l’air, des sols), le recyclage, la restauration écologique et ancrer ces technologies dans un contexte sociétal plus large, en abordant des sujets tels que l'acceptabilité, l’éthique, l’engagement, la coopération entre disciplines, avec les acteurs du monde socio-économique.

« Nous avons convié des intervenants en sciences humaines et sociales déjà impliqués dans des projets interdisciplinaires sur l’environnement », ajoute la chercheuse. La première journée de l'événement a notamment été marquée par une conférence de Julien Delord (INSPE), enseignant-chercheur en philosophie, qui a exploré les défis de la soutenabilité de la transition écologique. La juriste Marie-Pierre Camproux-Duffrene (SAGE), a éclairé le rôle crucial du droit dans ce processus. L’économiste Anne Rozan (ENGEES) a mis en avant les leviers comportementaux, individuels et collectifs, qui peuvent être activés pour impulser le changement.

Chaque journée se terminait par un atelier conçu pour initier des discussions interdisciplinaires et mieux comprendre les conditions et les enjeux de l’interdisciplinarité. Le premier atelier portait sur la manière d’établir des liens entre les différentes disciplines et a souligné l'importance à la fois de dépasser les frontières disciplinaires et de s'impliquer en tant que chercheur auprès des divers acteurs de la société civile. « Penser collectivement à des problèmes complexes comme la transition écologique requiert en effet de dépasser les frontières entre disciplines, mais aussi entre scientifiques, décideurs, collectivités, entreprises et citoyens[1] », détaille Valérie Caps. Le deuxième atelier a porté sur les liens entre interdisciplinarité et transition environnementale au regard de l’interconnexion des objectifs de développement durable et le dernier sur les relations entre interdisciplinarité, connaissances situées, diversité et égalité . « Le concept de connaissances situées explique que les connaissances sont produites par des acteurs imprégnés de leur propre vision, dans un contexte donné. Les sciences ne sont donc pas neutres et la diversité des acteurs, approches, disciplines est d’autant plus primordiale pour permettre d’élargir cette vision et de lui donner du sens dans un contexte global », affirme la scientifique.

Cet esprit transdisciplinaire a été maintenu tout au long de l’école. Les présentations techniques intégraient en effet des réflexions sociétales, et des interventions en duo favorisaient le dialogue entre disciplines.  « La réussite de l’évènement, analyse Mélodie Galerne, manager de l’ITI, repose sur ce dialogue entre différentes disciplines. Les intervenant.es des journées plus techniques ont tous souligné les connexions entre leurs travaux de recherche et les autres disciplines ».

Parmi les moments forts, une session sur les socio-écosystèmes et les Zones Ateliers,[2] et la présentation d’un projet de recherche participative impliquant des élèves du primaire par Bénédicte Lebeau (IS2M) et Laurence Gondet (IPHC), ont illustré la collaboration entre chercheurs et société civile.

Autre temps marquant de cette semaine riche, une conférence grand public de Jérôme Santolini, chercheur engagé, intitulée « Etre scientifique aujourd’hui » dans le contexte de crises climatique, social et politique. « Nous avons travaillé en petits groupes avec des citoyens venus pour l’occasion sur ces questions de responsabilité et d’engagement du chercheur. Cela nous a permis de prendre du recul et de réfléchir ensemble à comment interagir pour que la science puisse accompagner la société utilement dans cette transition écologique », commente Valérie Caps.

L'école d'été s'est conclue par une table ronde où les étudiants ont restitué leur réflexion, partageant leurs apprentissages et leur engagement envers l'interdisciplinarité. Les retours ont été très positifs, montrant un fort niveau d'implication des jeunes participants, comme le souligne Mathilde Lescure, PhD : « Au-delà de l’aspect scientifique des interventions, un fort accent a été mis sur notre implication en tant que jeunes chercheurs pour la cause environnementale. Un apport nécessaire pour nous raisonner sur notre impact et notre mobilisation ; après avoir assisté à cette école d’été, nous ne pouvons plus envisager et aborder notre recherche de la même façon ».

T1 – Single Molecule Junctions, Memories & Switches

T2 – Large Area Junctions, Memories & Switches

T3 – Organic Electronics, Optoelectronics & Photonics: Materials & Devices

T4 – 2D materials, Nanotubes & Nanowires

T5 – Self-Assembly & Supramolecular Architectures

T6 – Scanning Probe Microscopies & Near Field Approaches

T7 – Molecular Theoretical Modelling

T8 – Bioinspired Approaches & Biomimetic Devices

Computational Photo-chemistry

• Fundamental Photosciences (e.g. chirality, ultra fast processes, mechanisms & concepts)

• Light-Energy Conversion & Photo-catalysis

• Photo-chemistry at the Nanoscale (Single molecule, etc.)

• New spectroscopic tools & techniques

• Photo-polymerisation, New functional materials for photochemical applications

The program will be composed of plenary lectures, invited lectures, oral contributions by and posters.

Le 24ème Forum des microscopies à sonde locale aura lieu du 3 au 7 avril 2023 au pied du Mont St Odile, à Obernai, un village alsacien typique avec ses maisons à colombages et sa tradition viticole, à une trentaine de kilomètres de Strasbourg.

Développer des outils pour générer des données utiles à votre recherche, concevoir des solutions technologiques, trouver du financement, voire viser un transfert de technologie… Toutes ces questions tournent autour d’un même sujet: Comment transformer vos savoirs et savoir-faire de chercheur académique en outils et solutions concrètes?