As part of its ‘European Flame Research Initiative’ (EFRI), the IFRF will submit a proposal to the European Commission for FP7 funding of a new Europe-wide network of large scale combustion and gasification test facilities. A meeting  in Pisa last week of representatives of  European organisations who had expressed interest in offering access to their experimental facilities under the FP7 Capacities programme has agreed a framework for the proposal which the IFRF will coordinate.
 
Having identified the Suppliers of the network, the IFRF is now seeking to identify potential Users.  Users stand to gain the following benefits:

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  Access to a  network activity which, through conferences, training seminars and web based dissemination, will facilitate and expand the IFRF’s  existing information exchange programme regarding facilities,  techniques, procedures and experimental data.
  
  
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  EC  supported opportunities for Users’ research staff to influence and participate in IFRF-coordinated Joint Research Programmes at up to 20 EU Research Centres in the fields of new combustion technologies, gas turbine combustion, clean coal combustion, gasification, fuels characterisation,  measurement techniques and CFD validation.  All Joint Research Activities will be themed against current global issues such as greenhouse gas reduction and the use of renewable fuels.
  
  
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  Access to a network of laboratories offering a range of facilities for experimental tests on combustion and gasification processes as well as scientific services such as specialised and state of the art measurement techniques and instrumentation.

The IFRF would like to hear from potential ‘Users’.  Whilst IFRF Member Organisations eligible for EC funding under the FP7 Capacities programme will automatically be included as potential ‘Users’ of the new network, we would still appreciate their comments and suggestions. Organisations which are currently not IFRF Members but would like to be considered as ‘Users’ are also warmly invited to make themselves known to the IFRF.

Members and non-members alike should contact IFRF’s Neil Fricker as soon as possible on this link.