Polymers restricted in space or close to surfaces/interfaces exhibit very different behavior from that in the bulk. We investigate the morphology and thermal properties of hydrophilic polymers in nanocomposites containing either layered silicates or silica nanoparticles. Mixing polymers with layered silicates can lead to intercalated hybrids when the interactions between the constituents are appropriate; these can serve as model systems for the investigation of the static and dynamic properties of macromolecules in nano-confinement. On the other hand, using silica particles of largely different sizes is an attempt to bridge the case of polymers confined within the galleries of layered silicates with that of polymer / single nanoparticle nanocomposites. Confinement is shown to modify the polymer structure, e.g., its crystallinity, with the effect being qualitatively different for different types of confinement; the behavior can be tuned in systems containing mixtures of large and small silica nanoparticles by varying their ratio. Confinement affects the conformation of the polymer chains in the melt state as well. The dynamics of the confined polymer is probed by dielectric spectroscopy and quasi-elastic neutron scattering. The very local dynamics of the confined chains show similarities with those in the bulk, whereas the segmental dynamics depend very strongly on the polymer/inorganic interactions varying from much faster to much slower or even frozen dynamics as the strength of the interactions increases. 1. This research has been co-financed by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (Action KRIPIS) and the COST Action MP0902-COINAPO. 2. In collaboration with K. Chrissopoulou, H. Papananou, K. Androulaki, S. Bollas, E. Perivolari, B. Frick, K. Andrikopoulos, G. A. Voyiatzis, M. Labardi, D. Prevosto, A. N. Rissanou, V. Harmandaris.