Two more Portuguese projects approved for ERC Studentships of Concept Studentships

Two projects by Portuguese researchers were selected by the European Research Council (ERC) in Call  latest Call for Proof of Concept Grants, the results of which were announced yesterday, September 6. Each project will receive funding in the order of €150,000, which translates into a total of around €300,000 allocated to Portuguese research in this Call.

The Portuguese researchers whose projects were approved for funding by the ERC were: Ana Rita Cruz Duarte, from NOVA University Lisbon, with the project “CryoDES – Nature-inspired Cryopreservation Systems using Natural Deep Eutectic Systems”; and Joana Goncalves-Sá, from LIP – Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics, with the project “ARE_AUDIT: Fake News Recommendations – an Auditing System of Differential Tracking and Search Engine Results.”

In this edition, the ERC approved 55 projects out of the 120 proposals submitted to Call of Concept Call , corresponding to a total investment of €8.25 million, of which Portuguese researchers managed to secure 3.6% of the available funding.

Proof of Concept Grants are an extension of the financial support granted to projects previously selected forone of the other ERC Studentships , which aims to facilitate the exploration of the commercial potential of scientific research, verify the practical feasibility of scientific concepts, explore business opportunities, or prepare patent applications. This financial support was awarded to researchers working in 14 countries, namely: Israel (9), Germany (9), Spain (7), France (7), the Netherlands (6), the United Kingdom (4), Sweden (3), Portugal (2), Norway (2), Turkey (2), Finland (1), Cyprus (1), Denmark (1), and Belgium (1).

Proof of Concept Grants, in association with the other Studentships Horizon Europe program, are fundamental to fostering the development and applicability of innovative scientific research in new areas and new topics. In Portugal,the FCT coordinates support for the scientific community for the Horizon Europe program for the period 2021-2027, through Delegates and National Contact Points (NPCs).