First XLIC Training School will take place in Zaragoza, at the premises of Z-CAM (http://www.z-cam.es/). It will be organized in two modules of one week each. Attendees can participate in one or both of them.

• Module 1. March 9-13, 2015
  Molecular Excited States (Download tentative program)
• Module 2. March 16-20, 2015
  New Computational Methods for Attosecond Molecular Processes (Download tentative program)

TRAINING PROGRAM: Contents of the courses and list of trainers can be checked, for each module, in the documents linked above. Nevertheless, interested participants are encouraged to check for updates on each module webpage .

ACCOMMODATION: Local organizers have arranged accommodation  for all registered participants in the same hotels (Apartamentos Los Sitios and Apartamentos Los Girasoles), where apartments (multiple occupancy with individual rooms) with a kitchen area are offered during the duration of the schools (arriving on Sunday and leaving on Friday). Participats attending both modules can also stay in the apartment during the weekend.
If you are interested in this option, please, contact local organisers as soon as possible to confirm booking details. Payment should be done directly by each participant before leaving.

MEALS: Lunches during training days will be covered for all participants. Dinner and breakfast will not be included.

FEES: There are no registration fees.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: XLIC Action will offer grants to partially cover the participation of young researchers involved in the Action. Each participant will receive a notification with information on the amount granted. of grants and amount will depend on the number of requests for funding.

REGISTRATION is now closed. Participants can check the status of their application at CECAM website (separately for each module), using their CECAM account.

REIMBURSEMENT: Each participant should pay his/her own expenses to the Hotel before leaving. Those participants selected for funding will receive a letter indicating the fixed amount granted. After the event, reimbursement will be done subject to the submission of a payment request form and the effective attendance to the school. No receipts will be asked for.

LOCATION: The activities will take place at the R+D Building (BIFI) in the campus of the University of Zaragoza in the north of the city (ZCAM CONFERENCE BUILDING: Campus Río Ebro – Edificio I+D; C/Mariano Esquillor s/n. 50018 Zaragoza)

HOW TO REACH ZARAGOZA: You can arrive in Zaragoza by plane, train, bus and car. If you come from abroad and you land at either Madrid or Barcelona airports, then the train or the bus are usually the best options for the last part of the trip up to Zaragoza.

• By plane: The airport is situated 9 km from the city. At present, there are regular flights to Frankfurt (weekdays), Rome, London, Milan and Lisbon and domestic flights to Madrid and Barcelona. Connections from the airport to the city are by bus and taxi. You can make a flight search in the web sites of the companies that operate with the Zaragoza airport: Iberia, Air Europa, and Ryanair (low cost company).
• By train: Zaragoza has a new railway station (Estación de Delicias), with a high‐speed connection to Madrid and Barcelona (AVE train). The railway station is at the same place as bus and taxi stops, and car rental services. Zaragoza is also connected by train to other major Spanish cities such as Valencia, Granada, Sevilla and Málaga. Timetable information can be obtained at the Spanish Railway Company web site: Renfe.
• By bus: Zaragoza is connected by bus to the main Spanish cities. You can search the routes and timetables in the web site of the Spanish bus company ALSA.
• By car: Zaragoza has an excellent communication network, and is linked to the North of Spain: through a motor way to Bilbao (A‐68) and Barcelona (A‐2), and the Aragón highway connecting to Madrid (N‐II).

The 2nd COST XLIC Working Group 3 Meeting –  Control of Chemical Reactivity will be held at Queen’s University Belfast, on 4th – 5th April 2016.

Scope of the meeting:
The topic of interest of the XLIC Working Group 3 (WG3) is to control the reactivity of highly excited and/or ionized molecules through pump-probe techniques and High Harmonic spectroscopy, i.e., to control electron transfer, isomerization and dissociation with attosecond temporal and sub-Angstrom spatial resolution.
Specific areas addressed by the WG are:
* Development and application of optimal control theory (OCT)
* Use of time-resolved pump-probe techniques to control process relevant to atmospheric chemistry or biomolecules
* Development and use of current theories to treat the dynamics of pump-probe experiments
* Study of the response of molecular systems irradiated by strong fields

Meeting Details:
The 2nd WG3 meeting will be hosted by Queen’s University Belfast over two full days (4th-5th April 2016) with contributions from invited speakers and young scientists, including a poster session.

The 2nd meeting of XLIC WG1 “Ultrafast electron dynamics in molecules” will take place on August 29-30, at the University of Edinburgh. The organizer of the COST WG1 meeting is Dr. Olga Smirnova. The local organizer of the COST WG1 meeting is Dr. Adam Kirrander.
The place for the meeting also allows the COST members to  take advantage of the very interesting Faraday Discussions, ‘Ultrafast imaging of photochemical dynamics’ , which will also take place in Edinburgh on August 31-Sept 2, see http://www.rsc.org/ConferencesAndEvents/RSCConferences/FD/Photodynamics-FD2016/index.asp.
If you have not yet taken notice of this Faraday Discussion, please note  that the deadline for the Faraday Discussions abstract (poster) submission is  June 20.

ACCOMODATION

We have reserved 100 rooms on campus, at the student dorms, for the duration of both the COST and the Faraday Discussions meetings.
To reserve accommodation during the meeting please use the link below: http://www.epay.ed.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=2&deptid=24&catid=17&prodid=2265&searchresults=1
On the booking site, if you click on the Package Option tab, you’ll see two room booking options, one for 3 nights at £240 – this is in a nicer room with ensuite bathroom.
This option 2 is a booking for 5 nights (covering both the XLIC and the FD), in less attractive but more affordable rooms with shared bathroom (approx 4-5 rooms per bathroom).
The deadline for room booking is June 1.
Alternative/additional options for  accommodation  for five days covering both meetings  are offered by the FD meeting booking system: http://www.epay.ed.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=2&deptid=24&catid=17&prodid=2268&searchresults=1
You can find more options via hotel booking service appointed  for the FD :    http://www.ellis-salsby.co.uk/forthcoming-events/ultrafast-imaging-of-photochemical-dynamics-faraday-discussion.html

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Abstract submission for the WG1 meeting is now open. Submission deadline is June 20.
7 hot topic talks will be selected from all submitted abstracts.
Please send abstracts to: olga.smirnova@mbi-berlin.de and Adam.Kirrander@ed.ac.uk and use the subject line: Edinburgh COST WG1 abstract.
Abstract  (poster) submission deadline for the Faraday discussion is June 20.

BRIEF WG1 MEETING PROGRAMME
NEW! Final programme can be downloaded here: 2ndWG1meeting-program

Session 1: “Ultrafast Non-adiabatic dynamics, Surface hopping, solvent effects”.
Discussion leader: V. Engel.
Invited speakers: M. Barbatti, B. Lasorne, F. Santoro
Session 2: “Synchrotrons, ultrafast optical and X-ray absorption spectroscopies”
Discussion leader: V. Averbukh
Invited speakers:  O. Travnikova, M.A. Hervé du Penhoat, C. Milne
Session 3: “Time-resolved cluster dynamics”
Discussion leader: T. Fennel
Invited speakers: D. Rolles, M. Krikunova, U. Saalman
Session 4: “Imaging and control of molecular dynamics”
Discussion leader: R. Moshammer
Invited speakers: J. Kuepper, R. Forbes, M. Richter, J. Feist
Session 5: “Multielectron dynamics in external fields: advances in theory”
Discussion leader: E. Suraud
Invited speakers: L. Madsen, A. Scrinzi, H. Bachau, S. Patchkovskii
Session 6: “New trends in attosecond spectroscopy”
Discussion leader: M. Ivanov
Invited speakers: J. Mauritsson, A. Brown, M. Dahlström, F. Lepine

NEW! PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Travel from Edinburgh airport (in order of convenience)
TAXI: Follow signs in the terminal, the taxi rank is located at the bottom of the building across from the terminal. A taxi from the airport to a city centre location should cost about £25-£30 (credit cards are normally accepted, but check with driver).
BUS: Airport busses to the city centre (bus no. 100) are frequent and depart from outside the terminal building. The bus terminates at Waverley Train Station, in the centre of Edinburgh, with a taxi rank close by for onwards travel. A return ticket is £7.50.
TRAM: One can also travel from the airport to the city centre by tram. The trams depart from a station outside the terminal. Make sure to get off at the right stop (for most, this will be the stop closest to Waverly Train Station i.e. St Andrews Square). Note that the tram is slower than the bus. A return ticket is £8.50.

Travel to Pollock Halls, for those who booked the conference accommodation
The easiest way to travel to Pollock Halls is to take the taxi directly from the airport to Pollock Halls. A cheaper alternative is to take an airport bus (see above) to the final stop at Waverley Train Station and then take a taxi to Pollock Halls for approx. £5 (in addition to the airport bus fare).
Please report at the reception at Pollock Halls (open 24/7). The address of the reception is: 18 Holyrood Park Road, EH16 5AY, Edinburgh (note that google maps for some reason places the location marker inside the campus area, when in fact the reception is located near the entrance).

Conference venue
The conference takes place in Lecture Theatre T250 in the Joseph Black Building at the King’s Buildings Campus of University of Edinburgh (see http://www.ed.ac.uk/maps/maps for campus maps). A registration desk inside the entrance of the Joseph Black Building will be open from 08.20 every morning. The address is:
School of Chemistry
Joseph Black Building
King’s Buildings Campus
University of Edinburgh
David Brewster Road
EH9 3FJ Edinburgh
(GOOGLE MAPS: https://goo.gl/maps/GEuDbJod59T2)
For those staying at Pollock Halls, it is a 9 minute taxi ride (approx. £6) or a 26 minute walk (see e.g. Google Maps for directions).

OTHER

Last but not least, the meeting will occur at the time of the world-famous Edinburgh Theater Festival https://www.edfringe.com/, which many of you might get a chance to enjoy.

REGISTRATION

Please, complete the form below to register. The registration deadline is June 5.

2^nd MOLIM Training School: Advanced technics for molecular spectroscopy and dynamics

The 2^nd MOLIM Training School focuses on the recent experimental developments occurred in the field of molecular spectroscopy and reaction dynamics. World-wide experts working in European country will be invited to present the most relevant state-of-the-art techniques and their applications. The trainees will benefit from visits of the brand new laser servers ATTOLAB and CILEX as well as of the synchrotron SOLEIL. By team of 2 to 3 trainees, the students will be involved in a laboratory project hosted in several laboratories of the Paris-Saclay University.

The registration is open to Master students, Ph.D students, post-docs and permanent scientist from all European countries. Affiliation to the COST MOLIM is not required to participate to this school. The school can welcome up to 40 Europeans trainees and 10 more students from Paris region.

The registration deadline is fixed at Feb 24th 2017. Booking of rooms by the Committee will be possible up to Jan. 31st 2017.

Registration: http://iramis.cea.fr/meetings/MTS2/index.php

Confirmed speakers:

Knuth Asmis (Leipzig, D)
Valérie Blanchet (Bordeaux, FR)
Juraj Fedor (Prague, CZ)
Gustavo Garcia (Paris-Saclay, France)
Katharina Kohse-Höinghaus (Bielefeld, D)
Anne Lafosse (ISMO, F)
Franck Lépine (Lyon, FR)
Andrew Orr-Ewing (Bristol, UK)
Katharine Reid (Nothingham, UK)
Claire Vallance (Oxford, UK)
Katalin Varjú (Szeged, HU)
Roland Wester (Innsbruck, AU)

Organizing Comittee :

Dr. Lionel Poisson
Pr. Majdi Hochlaf
Dr. Laurent Nahon
Pr. Satchin Soorkia

The 4th  XLIC General Meeting (COST Action CM1204) will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 14-16, 2017. It will also host the final XLIC Management Committee (March 14) and the 3rd Young Scientist Forum (YSF).

ABSTRACTS:
Deadline for the submission of abstracts is January 31st, 2017. Abstracts should be written in English and uploaded via the online form.

REGISTRATION:
Interested participants must register before February 14th, 2017, by filling the corresponding form.  All meeting participants must pay a conference package (including lunch, dinner and coffee) for the days attending the meeting. To proceed with the payment, please, fill, sign and send to reservation@hotelpyramida.cz the following form.

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
The conference will consist of lectures given by invited speakers, Young Scientist Forum and 2 poster sessions.
NEW: The draft full scientific program, including timetable, talks and list of poster contributions can be downloaded here: XLIC_GM_2017-ScientificProgram (the most updated version should be checked in the meeting website: http://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/xlic2017/programme).

3rd YOUNG SCIENTISTS FORUM:
There shall be a special half-day session with talks given by young researchers (PhD students and post-docs) on March 15. It will include 12 lectures, out of which 6 oral contributions will be chosen by YSF committee based on submitted abstracts. The deadline for abstract submission for YSF was 31^st January 2017.
Applicants asking for the talk at YSF are also required to submit a short CV which is to be emailed to xlic2017@jh-inst.cas.cz. Abstracts submitted after the deadline will not be considered for the selection.
For more details see http://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/xlic2017/home and  http://www.xlic.eu. You can also contact A. Domaracka (domaracka@ganil.fr).
Selected YSF speakers can ask for financial support from XLIC COST Action.
NEW: The list of young researchers selected to give a talk has been published here: https://xlic.qui.uam.es/?p=3369

ACCOMMODATION:
Due to all-under-one-roof format of the conference, accommodation is also available: both single and double rooms for the price of 65 EUR/night. To book your room, please, fill, sign and send to reservation@hotelpyramida.cz the following form before February 14th, 2017.
More information can be found in the meeting website: http://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/xlic2017/accommodation

FINANCIAL SUPPORT:
The participation of  XLIC MC members and speakers will be supported with Action budget (with the exception of MC Observers coming from IPC Institutions). COST will also fully reimburse those young researchers selected for oral contributions in the Young Scientist Forum and, depending on the budget, we will try to cover also expenses from other young participants.
Participants entitled for reimbursement will receive an official notification before the meeting. We strongly recommend to check the COST rules for reimbursement before incurring any expense in:

• COST Vademecum, page 20-24, and /or
• the instructions on how to fill the Travel Reimbursement Request Form (TRR)

Accommodation and meal expenses will be reimbursed on the basis of flat rates. A reduction on maximum flat rates allowed for this particular meeting has been agreed by XLIC MC. The applicable rates are 100 EUR for accommodation and 20 EUR for meal expenses. For participants staying in cheaper hotels less money can be claimed  by requesting the reimbursement for a smaller number of nights/meals.
For travel expenses actual costs can be claimed on the basis of the receipts provided (any restriction applying to travel expenses will be notified to each participant entitled for reimbursement).

IMPORTANT:
Participants selected for reimbursement are kindly asked to keep their expenses as low as possible to ensure a wide distribution of the Action budget.
The submission of claims shall be done after the meeting, but, for any non-regular expense or doubt you may have, please, better ask in advance (info@xlic.eu). E.g. fligths departure/arrivals from/to places other than where the eligible participant is working/residing, extra meals, nights, taxi expenses, etc. shall not be reimbursed if permission is not requested before the meeting.
Please note that claims submitted later than 30 days after the meeting shall not be considered.

The International school on “The Frontiers of Attosecond and Ultrafast X-ray Science” will be held from 19th to 28th March 2017 in Erice, Sicily, Italy.

The primary objective of this new school is to educate the next generation of scientists who will impact the future of attosecond and ultrafast x-ray science. We anticipate that the school will meet on a regular basis every two years and become a foundation for the ultrafast community. Consequently, the main topics of the course are the following: (i) attosecond science and technology, devoted to the generation and application of attosecond pulses to the investigation of electronic dynamics in atoms, molecules, nanostructures and condensed phases; (ii) fundamentals, methods and applications of free electron lasers, synchrotron radiation, ion collisions in atomic and molecular science. Lectures will cover current developments in theory and experiments but are also intended to give the basics of the field.

Please note that, PhD students and post-docs willing to attend the school can apply for scholarships (deadline 30 January 2017). For more details see: http://www.erice-attosecond.it/registration

The school co-organised by XLIC COST Action and sponsored by Politecnico di Milano, Italian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, Sicilian Regional Parliament, ELI-ALPS and Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture.

The organizers,

Louis Di Mauro, Alicja Domaracka, Mauro Nisoli and  Sergio Martellucci

Molecular reaction dynamics has become an integral part of modern chemistry and is set to become a cornerstone for much of the natural sciences. Molecular reaction dynamics is the study of elementary processes and the means of probing them, understanding them, and controlling them. It can be applied to reactions in solution and to reactions on surfaces, exploring the elementary steps in catalysis. Nowadays chemistry requires a molecular level understanding of the reactivity. Moreover, chemical kinetics in an old discipline (born in 1850) that deals with the rates of chemical reaction and how these rates depend on factors such as concentration and temperature. Although it in principle presents a macroscopic point of view, this can be directly related with the molecular point of view. Thus, kinetic or dynamic Monte Carlo simulations allow us to bridge the gap of many orders of magnitude in length and time scales between the processes on the molecular scale and the macroscopic kinetics.
The present school is open to European master and PhD students and postdocs with interest to understand chemical reactions at molecular level and to apply the theoretical and computational chemistry to this matter. First-year students of the Erasmus+ Master European in Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Modelling will attend to this school as a part of their mandatory subjects although second-year students of this Master but from the rest of Europe it is expected that can attend too. Last year (2017) we made by first time this school and it was very successful.

The school will cover the principal aspects of the kinetics and dynamics of chemical reactions, centred mainly in the theoretical and computational approaches, although some experimental techniques will also be explained.

Registration deadline: March 9, 2018

More Information at https://www.cecam.org/workshop-1529.html