TU Delft researchers Stan Brouns, Gary Steele and Fulvio Scarano have each been awarded an Advanced Grant of 2.5 million euros from the ERC for their research.
Brouns (Applied Sciences) aims to investigate the age-old and ongoing battle between bacteria and the viruses that prey on them – bacteriophages. By unravelling the fundamental principles of immunity, Brouns and his team hope to understand how living organisms recognise and combat viral threats.
Is gravity a quantum phenomenon? To answer that question, Steele (Applied Sciences) couples a superconducting qubit to the centre-of-mass motion of an ultra-coherent torsional mechanical resonator. This is a nano- or microscale device that oscillates at very stable frequencies, whilst releasing virtually no energy into the environment.
Scarano’s research (Aerospace Engineering) focuses on a key challenge within aerodynamics: making the forces exerted by airflow on the surfaces of moving and flexible structures – ranging from aeroplanes and vehicles to wind turbines – measurable and visible.
A record number of grants
A total of 840 million euros has been allocated in this round. That is over 100 million euros more than last year. A record number of grants have been awarded with this funding.
Every year, leading researchers from across Europe apply for ERC grants. This year, 3,329 proposals were submitted, of which 319 were awarded. A quarter of the applicants were women (81), compared to 237 men. This corresponds to the proportion of female applicants for this grant. One applicant was non-binary. The ERC also awards ‘starting grants’ (up to 1.5 million euros) and ‘consolidator grants’ (2 million euros). The proportion of female grant recipients is generally slightly higher in these categories.
(HOP / Delta)
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