As a cloud moves through environmental air, cloudy and cloud free air mix at the cloud edges in the entrainment process. Entrainment is a key cloud process central to understanding cloud morphology and microphysical processes such as precipitation formation. After decades of research, no reliable formulation exists that allows to describe and understand entrainment in terms of cloud- and environmental physical quantities ("the entrainment puzzle"). Differences in representation of entrainment in climate models are a main cause for spread in climate sensitivity estimates. The realistic treatment of entrainment in climate models will help to reduce a large part of the uncertainty in predictions of climate sensitivity. This project aims at Solving The Entrainment Puzzle (STEP): - By identification of the main physical parameters that govern the amount of air entrained into and detrained from clouds using controlled laboratory measurements. - By translating the experimental results into a new mathematical formulation to use in Large Eddy Simulations of clouds using computational fluid dynamics modelling. In a unique approach, STEP will combine observations from a novel turbulent cloud chamber, computational fluid dynamics, and Large Eddy Simulations to develop a new reliable entrainment calculation scheme. Solving the entrainment puzzle will allow quantifying the entrainment processes reliably and thus deliver the basis for climate model improvements. The STEP project builds on my expertise in cloud microphysics and dynamics gained at various international institutes and will be accomplished at a leading international research institution. The host will provide me with excellent complementary training and career development opportunities. Through various dissemination and communication activities, STEP will contribute to the visibility and excellence of the European Science Area, addressing one of the Europe 2020 strategy main targets "Climate Change and Energy".

As the only airborne cloud research platform holder in Eastern Europe, INCAS is in the perfect position to be a well-known R&D organisation that obtain urgently needed data sets, process and interpret them in order to improve future climate projections. However, to date, a lack of presenting these capabilities has left INCAS too little known in the cloud research community and therefore, underutilized research partner with excellent and very useful facilities. Through the BRACE-MY project, INCAS team will obtain the required skills and an additional equipment needed to complement their research capabilities with state-of-the art aerosol sampling techniques. The foreseen research, conducted in conjunction with strong twinning activities will transfer the skills required for INCAS to perform aerosol-cloud interaction research and elevate its reputation to that of a leader in the cloud and aerosol community. This will be achieved by using a “learning by doing” approach to transfer the best practices for conducting research, disseminating results and educating young scientists from the world-class project partners to INCAS. In particular, this will include: the development of an ice nucleating particle counter based on a state-of-the-art aerosol sampling system provided by a project partner, conducting research flights, publishing and presenting research results within internationally recognized platforms, organizing and lecturing at summer schools designed for upcoming researcher in the field and gaining the managerial skills required to become a recognized partner for aerosol and cloud microphysics research. The project partners have been selected to ensure that all of the objectives are guided by leaders in the field of aerosol and cloud research and acting as a research provider. Therefore, BRACE-MY will give INCAS, a research institute in a “widening country”, the opportunity to elevate itself to an internationally recognized cloud and aerosol research institute.

MARSU is a collaborative (4 Member States , including one participant from the non-academic sector, and six Third Countries from South America, Africa and Asia) with the goal of gaining new knowledge and reducing the uncertainty about the effect of aerosols deriving from the air-sea exchange on climate and atmospheric composition connected to air pollution. The results from this key interdisciplinary project will have impact on current and future industrial and legislative developments. Aerosols and clouds have been identified as one of the largest uncertainties in our understanding of the atmospheric and the climate system. In this context, the MARSU team will conduct experiments in dedicated set-ups throughout the member organisations; combined with efforts in the field to determine the organic composition of aerosol particles and its evolution in the Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) and to come up with a revised picture of the effect of sea salt aerosols on climate. Major gaps of knowledge exist in relation to the organic matter present in aerosol particles, which originates from the organic microlayer at the surface of the ocean. The characterization of the organic content of the aerosol particles, the evolution of the chemical and physical properties, interaction with air pollution and effects on climate-related topics form the foci of this proposal. The MARSU consortium brings together world-leading expert scientists conducting cutting-edge laboratory, simulation chamber studies, field sampling and analysis, analytical method development, and modelling studies. A comprehensive and integrated approach to the development of researchers in the key areas of atmospheric science and their link to the oceans and climate is essential to support industrial and legislative development. MARSU will benefit from the strong involvement of a full partner from the private sector who will host researchers and develop research in close collaboration in other MARSU’s partners

The proposed CoE envisions to upgrade the existing ERATOSTHENES Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology into an inspiring environment for conducting basic and applied research and innovation in the areas of the integrated use of remote sensing and space-based techniques for monitoring the environment. Earth Observation is a must to better observe, understand, protect, monitor, and predict environmental parameters in land, water and air. Earth observation includes, among others, technological solutions including satellite observation, navigation and positioning systems. Satellite observation and remote sensing is the major focal point of the Centre and in the proposed CoE will be used in an integrated manner with other techniques and geospatial tools. Earth observation data are the key factors in Earth environmental programs in order to assess the current information of the environment, inform models, understand relationships among Earth processes, support decision making e.g., toward sustainability and involve stakeholders more effectively in environment decision-making. Earth observation has, so far, made sustainability a reality and it will continue to do so as more research is continuously done and technology improves. Climate change, air and water quality, natural hazards, floods, earthquakes, fires, erosion, landslides and other phenomena are some of the factors that need to be taken into consideration in several environmental studies, both at a national as well as at a regional level. Indeed, Cyprus with its unique geographical position, can support satellite Earth Observation programmes in these areas, as well as their respective calibration and validation aspects. The project is fully aligned with the Smart Specialization Strategy of Cyprus (S3Cy) in many areas, significantly enhancing the impact of the targeted regional and national investments, namely, Environment and ICT, as explained below.

The proposed CoE envisions to upgrade the existing ERATOSTHENES Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology into an inspiring environment for conducting basic and applied research and innovation in the thematic clusters of Environment and Climate, Resilient Society, and Big Earth Data Analytics through the integrated use of remote sensing and space-based techniques. Satellite observation and remote sensing are the major focal point of the Centre and in the proposed CoE will be used in an integrated manner with other techniques and geospatial tools. Earth observation data are the key factors in Earth environmental programs in order to assess the current information of the environment, inform models, understand relationships among Earth processes, support decision making e.g., toward sustainability and involve stakeholders more effectively in environment decision-making. Earth observation has, so far, made sustainability a reality and it will continue to do so as more research is continuously done and technology improves. Climate change, air and water quality, natural hazards, floods, earthquakes, fires, erosion, landslides and other phenomena are some of the factors that need to be taken into consideration in several environmental studies, both at a national as well as at a regional level. Indeed, Cyprus with its unique geographical position, can support satellite Earth Observation programmes in these areas, as well as their respective calibration and validation aspects. The project is fully aligned with the Smart Specialization Strategy of Cyprus (S3Cy). The Teaming 2 proposal of EXCELSIOR is based on the business plan developed in Teaming 1 EXCELSIOR project, which demonstrates the development of a fully autonomous and self-sustained Centre of Excellence (112 and 132 jobs at YR7 and YR15, respectively).