We are thrilled to share exciting news about the successful conclusion of our Call for Seed Projects! This key initiative is designed to ignite and enhance research and innovation (R&I) collaboration across our member universities, fostering small-scale projects with big potential.
The Projects are set to strengthen existing partnerships, spark new joint R&I endeavours, and lay crucial groundwork for future large-scale projects within the EDUC Alliance.
Why Seed Projects? A Catalyst for Collaboration!
The primary goal of our Seed Projects is to upscale collaboration among EDUC Universities and their local and regional ecosystems. This means:
- Fostering cooperation on R&I topics of shared interest.
- Generating preliminary data to support ambitious scientific and technological undertakings.
- Translating academic knowledge into real-world impact within non-academic environments.
- Ultimately, contributing to the overall sustainability of cooperation within the EDUC Alliance.
The Call for Innovation: An Overwhelming Response!
The call for proposals was open from November 11, 2024, to January 27, 2025. We encouraged proposals that involved at least two EDUC Universities, with a least one partner from Widening Countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, or Ukraine. Participation from more than two EDUC Universities and direct involvement from local and regional ecosystem partners (like companies, research institutes, or NGOs) were also highly encouraged. Universities of Rennes and Paris Nanterre were able to participate as associated partners.
Proposals were required to align with strategic areas promising significant impact, including Green Transition, Digital Transformation, EU Missions (especially the cancer mission), and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each successful project is expected to deliver scientific publications, facilitate knowledge transfer, and include a realistic sustainability plan for future collaboration and follow-up funding.
We were delighted to receive a total of twenty-five projects submitted through the OpenUp platform.
To ensure the highest quality and impact, all submissions underwent a rigorous three-step selection procedure:
- Administrative Check: A formal verification of applications and confirmation of applicant employment status by their respective EDUC-WIDE member institution.
- Peer Review: Each proposal was individually reviewed and scored by at least three members of our dedicated Seed Project Evaluation Panel (SPEP). A ranking list was then compiled through panel discussion and consensus.
- Final Approval: The SPEP discussed and approved the final list of projects for funding, carefully considering the available budget.
Proposals were evaluated against five key criteria, with a maximum of 100 points: Quality and innovativeness (30 points), Impact in defined priority areas (20 points), Ecosystem involvement and intersectoral collaboration (20 points), Feasibility (20 points), and a Vision of sustainability with plans for follow-up funding (10 points). Additionally, all recommended projects underwent a review by the EDUC-WIDE Ethics Advisor.
Due to the substantial discrepancy between the requested and available budget, and to ensure each funded project remained viable, the SPEP made the strategic decision to reduce the number of funded projects from 10 to 8. A hybrid cutting strategy was applied, incorporating differentiated cuts based on project ranking, partner type, and specific recommendations from consensus reports.
Meet Our 8 Groundbreaking Funded Projects!
We are incredibly excited to introduce the eight projects that have secured funding. These initiatives are now in their implementation phase, with most activities having commenced during July/September. These projects will be developed in the next 12 to 18 months.
VGF peptides as protective agents against neurodegeneration in PD
- PI: Prof. Cristina Cocco, UNICA
- Partners: MUNI, PNU
- Aim: Evaluate VGF peptides' efficacy in decreasing Parkinson's Disease progression.
- Approved Budget: €68,137.11.
How Prediction Errors Shape Social Perceptions from Behavioural and Psychophysiological Correlates to Psychopathological Susceptibility
- PI: Prof. Carlos Ventura-Bort, UP
- Partners: UJI, UPECS
- Aim: Explore social perception mechanisms and their link to psychopathological tendencies.
- Approved Budget: €48,390.00.
ATHENA SEED: Advanced THinking and ENhanced Analysis platform
- PI: Prof. Roberto Di Quirico, UNICA
- Partners: MUNI, PNU, USN
- Aim: Develop AI-powered research assistants and a coordinating ATHENA platform across academic disciplines.
- Approved Budget: €65,507.64.
CIVIC: Combating Information Vulnerability and Inequality through Communication
- PI: Prof. Miloš Gregor, MUNI
- Partners: UNICA, UJI
- Aim: Address disinformation, map governmental communication strategies, and promote inclusion through a platform for R&I in institutional communication.
- Approved Budget: €46,700.00.
Bridging Biosafety Levels: A Dual Antiviral Screening Platform to Combat Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus
- PI: Prof. Jiri Holoubek, MUNI
- Partner: UPECS
- Aim: Develop an innovative dual screening platform for antiviral therapies against CCHFV, combining BSL-2 pre-screening with BSL-4 validation.
- Approved Budget: €74,930.00.
CleanPhotoCat: Towards Clean water PhotoCatalysts for water purification
- PI: Prof. Sixto Gimenez, UJI
- Partners: UP, PNU
- Aim: Advance wastewater purification technology by developing eco-friendly and energy-efficient Fenton and photo-Fenton catalysts.
- Approved Budget: €53,801.28.
EDUC BRIDGE: Building Relationships for Inclusion, Diversity, Growth, and Equity
- PI: Prof. Boris Janča, MUNI
- Partners: UNICA, UPECS, UJI
- Aim: Establish an international network to support students with special needs in mobility programs and address related challenges.
- Approved Budget: €57,411.91.
REFINE: Rebuilding futures Empowering educators and students through cross-border collaboration and invention pedagogy
- PI: Prof. Camilla Groth, USN
- Partner: PNU
- Aim: Investigate the effectiveness of Invention Pedagogy in fostering resilience among Ukrainian teachers and students through collaborative activities.
- Approved Budget: €50,620.49.
We will follow the progress and results of these projects in the upcoming months, stay tuned for more updates on how these collaborations are shaping the future of research and innovation within EDUC-WIDE!