Welcoming CECAM delegates to UCD were Minister Mary Hanafin, TD, along with Prof Nick Quirke and Prof Des Fitzgerald of UCD
Ireland's quest to become a centre for computational research was taken one step further with the recent announcement that one of the six European centres for atomistic and molecular computations will be based in Ireland.
For three decades, CECAM (Centre Européen de Calcul Atomique et Moléculaire – The European Centre for Atomic Molecular Calculations), has played a pivotal role in advancing the modelling of atomic molecular phenomena. This research has led to numerous scientific breakthroughs and has helped to establish the field of computational modelling as a critical tool for discovery.
CECAM was developed on the basis that for short periods of time, scientists who are interested in similar or related problems would benefit from mutual stimulation which may lead to more rapid development of ideas. Following a review of the organisational structure of CECAM in 2007, bids were sought to relocate the upgraded CECAM and one successful bid was led by Prof Nick Quirke of UCD.
The UCD-led Ireland bid was ranked third out of twelve bids from leading European universities and a site visit to UCD by a taskforce representing the CECAM Council was held in January 2008. This site visit was attended by Mary Hanafin TD, Minister for Science and Education who welcomed the taskforce to Ireland and was followed by a programme of presentations by lead researchers from across UCD, Tyndall UCC, Trinity and Queens University.
Following this visit, the CECAM Council announced that it is to become a multi-node organisation, each node running a greatly expanded set of activities. Lausanne, Switzerland was chosen as the new headquarters and Ireland, as runner-up, has been selected to chair and lead the newly established CECAM Integration Taskforce to select and integrate the new nodes into the organisation.
Pictured at the CECAM sit visit (l-r) Prof Claude Guet (CECAM Taskforce), Prof Giovanni Ciccotti (CECAM Taskforce), Prof Nick Quirke (Principal, College of Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences), Minister Mary Hanafin, TD; Prof Des Fitzgerald (Vice-President for Research) and Prof Eberhard Gross (CECAM Taskforce).
