The European Research Council (ERC), set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe.
On 23 November, the ERC published the results of the call for Consolidator Grants. 54 applications were submitted by Polish researchers, of which 51 were admitted for evaluation (12 from the University of Warsaw). Researchers from the University of Warsaw received all the grants, which were given to the Polish applicants. The laureates of the ERC Consolidator Grants are: Prof. Ewa Szczurek and Prof. Szymon Toruńczyk from the UW’s Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, Prof. Paweł Caputa from the Faculty of Physics, and Prof. Magdalena Wojcieszak from the Centre of Migration Research.
photo: University of Warsaw
Prof. Ewa Szczurek from the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics at the UW will run the Deep optimised generation of antimicrobial peptides (DOG-AMP) project. It will develop innovative artificial intelligence methods for deep optimised generation (DOG), which will make it possible to simultaneously optimise and generate new samples from the model.
Prof. Szymon Toruńczyk from the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, will run the Limits of Structural Tractability (BUKA) project. The aim of the project is to combine sparsity theory and twin-width theory into a unified theory of structural tractability. As a result, all tractable classes will be characterised.
Prof. Magdalena Wojcieszak from the UW’s Centre of Migration Research will carry out the Incentivizing Citizen Exposure to Quality News Online: Framework and Tools (NEWSUSE) project. It involves a model of factors influencing the consumption of news content published online. Prof. Wojcieszak intends to develop computational tools to support the study of interpersonal, social and algorithmic interactions in the process.
Prof. Paweł Caputa from the Faculty of Physics will conduct the Quantum Complexity from Quantum Field Theories to Quantum Gravity project. It aims to develop new tools, which will allow the researchers to chart the complexity frontier of quantum many-body systems, help them to understand thermalisation, and shed light on the behaviour of matter near cosmological singularities relevant to the early universe. Prof. Caputa plans to push the boundaries of understanding of quantum field theories and black holes.
Paweł Caputa is a beneficiary of the Polish Return Programme NAWA. Previously, he worked at Kyoto University, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics in Japan. Due to the Polish Return Programme NAWA, Paweł Caputa got chance to carry out his research at the University of Warsaw. According to his words, the Polish Returns Programme NAWA enabled him to build and develop his project group at the University of Warsaw and to conduct research in very favourable conditions. More information about Polish Return Programme NAWA find on our website
photo: University of Warsaw
About the ERC
The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation. The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council. Since November 2021, Maria Leptin is the President of the ERC. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than €16 billion, as part of the Horizon Europe programme, under the responsibility of European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova.
About Polish Returns NAWA
The aim of the Polish Returns NAWA Programme is to allow the outstanding Polish scientists to return to their homeland and take up employment in Polish universities and research institutes. The Programme will create optimal conditions for returning scientists to build their own project groups in Poland and conduct research in optimal conditions. Polish higher education institutions and research institutes will acquire specialists with international experience and knowledge in the field of the newest research trends in their scientific discipline.
Link to website:
https://en.uw.edu.pl/four-new-erc-grants-for-uw-researchers/
https://nawa.gov.pl/en/scientists/polish-returns
https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/erc-2023-consolidator-grants-results
