Joint research projects with Austrian partners

The awarded grants are intended to support the mobility of Polish-Austrian teams. This means that the funding will cover the researchers' travel and living expenses, while the research funding itself must be provided by other sources. The projects are to be executed in 2024–2025.

The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and the Austrian Agentur für Bildung und Internationalisierung were responsible for acceptance and evaluation of applications within the bilateral exchange of researchers between Poland and Austria. The selection was made by a Polish-Austrian jury.

• title of the joint project: Local Pleistocene mountain glaciers in the AlpineCarpathian belt and their paleoclimatic significance
  AGH University coordinator: Dr inż. Jerzy Zasadni, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection
  partner institution in Austria: Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg
  granted funds: PLN 30,000

The objective of the project is to reconstruct small local glaciers which were present during the last glacial maximum about 26–18,000 years ago in peripheral areas of Alpine ice cap and the highest massifs of Western Carpathians. By recreating those glaciers and establishing the equilibrium line, the researchers will be able to make conclusions on atmospheric circulation as well as the distribution of rainfall and humidity in the Alpine-Carpathian region, which is of significance for better understanding of Earth’s climate system.

• title of the joint project: Dependencies of Poland’s and the EU’s Nuclear Power Program on Russia and How to Reduce Them "NukSeFutur"
  AGH University coordinator: Dr inż. Paweł Gajda, Faculty of Energy and Fuels
  partner institution in Austria: Universität für Weiterbildung Krems
  granted funds: PLN 27,600

The objective of the project is to analyse the dependence of European nuclear industry on Russia in terms of nuclear fuel supply, maintenance, and other features essential for proper functioning. The researchers will look into the current structure of nuclear industry’s needs as well as needs arising from plans to build new nuclear powers, including Poland's nuclear programme. They will also identify the present areas of dependence on Russia and assess the capacities of the European industry as well as other global partners to take over the areas currently occupied by Russian entities, then, they will make a recommendation for industry and decision-makers. Conclusions from the project will be presented in the form of a final report and a series of scientific articles.

• title of the joint project: Optimization of mechanical properties in SPD processed biodegradable Zn alloys for implants
  AGH University coordinator: Associate Professor Grzegorz Boczkal, Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals
  partner institution in Austria: Universität Wien
  granted funds: PLN 30,000

The group of researchers will investigate the applicability, and in particular the biodegradability, of zinc alloys with various additives. A small amount of <1wt% silver and copper additives introduced into the alloy makes it possible to achieve controlled corrosion rates and significantly increase their mechanical properties. What is more, the tested materials will be processed with the use of methods of severe plastic deformation (SPD). High pressure torsion (HPT) and cyclic extrusion compression (CEC) will also be taken advantage of, which will allow for obtaining controlled microstructures and properties of mechanical alloys, optimized in terms of planned applications.