Long-life and maintenance-free energy sources for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) in extreme environments is a research challenge in the field of micro-energy worldwide. One of the most promising solutions to this challenge is the development of micro-energy batteries that utilize isotope decay energy. Although isotope batteries have significant advantages over other energy sources in terms of operating environment, usage time, and energy density, the main engineering application bottlenecks of isotope batteries currently are their low energy conversion efficiency and low power density. Current research is constrained by two major limitations: poor matching between the sources and energy conversion materials, and the lack of energy conversion materials that can efficiently promote the separation of charge carriers. Therefore, research on tritium water electrochemical isotope batteries based on "new structures" and "new materials" is an inevitable choice. This project BetaBatt intends to use software simulation to guide experimental research methods, develop long-life and high-efficiency micro-power sources. The objective is to achieve an ECE of no less than 20%, an output power density of no less than 5 μW/cm3, and continuous power supply for no less than 10 years, thereby, eliminating obstacles for the practical engineering application of MEMS across multiple environmental conditions. This research aims to develop an efficient and clean battery for the micro-energy field in Europe. The ER will achieve abundant research experience and scientific skills from the project and the capability to launch her own research group in future.

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are two key half-reactions in electrochemical water splitting, which is an eco-friendly technology to produce hydrogen. Both of the half-reactions are limited by high overpotentials and interaction between the reactions. Until now, electrochemical water splitting still relies on some inorganic noble-metal catalysts. Exploiting highly-efficient low-cost bifunctional electrocatalysts is a promising method to solve these issues. Thus, CarbonChem project aims at overcoming the limitation of traditional inorganic materials and re-defining the designing concept to construct organic framework electrocatalyst for HER and OER. Owing to the high designability and porous structure, organic frameworks are considered as a reasonable alternative to construct electrocatalysts; but the low conductivity strictly restricts their utilization. Incorporation sp-hybridization of graphdiyne (GDY) into organic frameworks can overcome the bottleneck, which provides the possibility for achieving organic electrocatalysts. As a result of single chemical composition, the active centres of GDY are consisted of unsaturated C and N sites, which are hard to provide high catalytic activities for HER and OER. Focusing on this issue, this project will give new insights on GDYs, providing a design concept for their chemical structure. Employing conjugated porphyrin with four coordinated N sites is a new strategy for introducing metal atoms into GDYs. Constructed metalloporphyrin-based graphdiyne (MPGDY) is fully consistent with the design principle of electrocatalyst: high conductivity, effective active sites and mesoporous structure. This research will develop an efficient bifunctional MPGDY electrocatalyst, for European hydrogen industry. The ER will achieve abundant research experience and scientific skills from the CarbonChem project and the capability to launch his own research group in future.

Zinc ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs) integrate two energy storage mechanisms of battery-type electrode and capacitive electrode, bearing the advantages in energy density, power density, and safety. Until now, the cycle retention rate of ZIHC's capacity reported is still not more than 80%, restricting its development and commercial application severely. Focusing on the issue, the project aims at overcoming the limitation of traditional electrode materials and re-defining the designing concept to construct Carbon Quantum Dots (C-QDs) for ZIHCs. Advanced methods will be used to harvest carbon quantum dots from coal tar pitch (a sort of industrial solid castoff). The bulk sp2-carbon network, innumerable edge sites, profuse surface functional groups, and regular size ensures that as-synthesis C-QDs have high electrical conductivity, sufficient ion transport channels and rich adsorption sites. Moreover, the new concept of dynamic evolution is introduced for insight into the structure and interface failure of ZIHC's electrode. The interface-reconstruction mechanism and the attenuation model of capacity will be established for the first time. Further, the methods to strengthen structures of C-QD electrode will be developed based on a trade-off strategy. The ultimate goal is to improve the energy storage efficiency of ZIHCs by 20% and to increase their cycle performance more than 95% unprecedentedly. This research will develop long-running high performance ZIHCs, for contributing European energy storage industry. The ER will achieve abundant research experience and scientific skills from the project and the capability to launch her own research group in future.

Through the Erasmus+ project Marginalisation and Co-Created Education (MaCE) Higher Education students from a range of positions were able to become part of the academic research community, being co-researchers and contributing with their expertise. MaCE is a joint cooperation between University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), University of Cumbria (UoC), United Kingdom and VIA University College (VIA), Denmark, drawing on the institution’s competence and experience. This is an innovative approach to generate synergy between education, research, innovation and social inclusion in order to include students who may have experienced marginalisation to develop research on dropouts as well as gaining accreditation through bachelor (BA) and master (MA) pathways.MaCE built on four corner stones, 1) Co-constructed and socio cultural perspective, 2) the importance of context, 3) The indirect approach and 4) Equality Literacy. The first two points are visible through students being co-researchers. The project generated opportunities for them to work alongside the university researchers as part of the research community, learning skills and developing their self-efficacy encouraging them to continue their educational pathways as well as enhancing their employability. The context for both the higher education students and the students at school were visible when drawing upon students as a resource within research and the educational setting. The project built on young people and student’s’ experiences in developing the educational programs. Students from both masters and bachelors programs were trained in methodology and have worked side by side with experienced researchers in researching on younger ESL/NEET students. In this way, the students have drawn upon their own lived experiences (context) as well as learning practically and theoretically. The students were actively involved as interviewers, respondents, analysts and writers. They joined as individuals and became active participants in the social practices of a social, multidisciplinary and multinational community. In this way the students actively constructed their academic identity through this environment, and obtained academic merits, which has helped them stand firmly and secure in the meeting with the academic environment. The third corner stone “The indirect approach” (Moshuus & Eide, 2016) is a unique methodological approach utilised by the project to grasp the experiences put forth by disadvantaged young people, both in HEI and school. Through this approach and the data gathered by the co-researchers and researchers, we developed two models (the fourth point) Equality Literary (EQL) and Wellbeing, Education, Learning and Development Model (WELD). These models enabled a bio-social-cultural, life course, systemic view of educational privilege and disadvantage. Such an understanding informed an alternative approach to education in its broadest sense.We found that many of the students entered the research community with an expertise from a range of life positions, disadvantaged and advantaged. These students brought new and valuable knowledge and competence into the community, giving them a sense of belonging in the academic milieu. The students also reported how the barriers between faculty and students disappeared when working together with researchers, how much more they had learned, that they felt comfortable in the role and that taking the next step in their academic studies seemed more likely. All in all 51 students participated and 13 researchers from the three countries. Most of the students have completed their course. Many of the students have been interested in going from BA to MA, and some from MA to PhD. At the moment one of the students have achieved a PhD scholarship, while others apply for positions related to research. Other students find that their publications help them in their search for jobs, while others have been able to build network through MaCE that have been valuable in their continuing career. One student has even established a new school in the UK underpinned by the learning from the project. For the Universities the models developed have been shared and distributed through their networks both regionally, nationally and internationally. MaCE is also spread within the institutions including students as co-researchers, especially on MA level. The MaCE journal will be continued as a way of publishing student’s research, the online course in training the students as researchers as well as the handbook for following up will be further developed in each institutions. Several other institutions nationally and internationally, both HEI and practitioners have taken MaCE further. The results and the experience of MaCE led to new funding through Erasmus+ KAIII project Co-creating through Social Inclusion (COSI.ed) with 11 partners in 5 countries in order to upgrade MaCE to policy level. this means MaCE has a future impact on Europe.