Brussels, 24 October 2024
Professors Lucie Cluver, Frederic Dias, Tobias Hauser, Orla Muldoon, Philipp Stockhammer, and Mathilde Touvier have been each awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards. The prize recognises European Research Council (ERC) grantees who successfully engage audiences outside their academic domain. This is the third edition of this award since the first one launched in 2019.
The names of the laureates were announced in an award ceremony in Brussels on 24 October 2024.
On the occasion of the ceremony, Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:
‘Congratulations to all winners for their outstanding efforts to make science accessible to the public. Their innovative approaches to engage with diverse audiences demonstrate the power of research to inspire, educate and positively impact our communities. By bringing scientific knowledge beyond academic circles, they are bridging the gap between science and society.’
ERC President Maria Leptin commented:
‘It is wonderful when excellent researchers also know how to engage with a broader public. This can inspire others! Today we recognise ERC grantees who have gone the extra mile, sharing their knowledge and passion beyond their communities and their labs, and interacting broadly in a range of ways. This resonates with the ERC’s ambition to promote not only frontier research, but also a broader appreciation of science. Warm congratulations to all the winners!’
The laureates
- Lucie Cluver from the University of Oxford was awarded ‘for initiating and fostering global collaboration to provide research-based parenting support in crises, improving the well-being of millions worldwide.’
- Frédéric Dias from ENS Paris-Saclay was awarded ‘for engaging people living on the Aran Islands in frontier science, integrating local expertise with ocean wave research to advance knowledge and to improve community resilience.’
- Tobias Hauser from University College London and Tubingen University was awarded ‘for co-creating an accessible, interactive resource on obsessive-compulsive disorders, bridging neuroscience and community needs for real impact.’
- Orla Muldoon from the University of Limerick was awarded ‘for advancing public understanding of gender-based violence, highlighting its systemic nature and driving societal change.’
- Philipp Stockhammer from LMU Munich was awarded ‘for innovative public engagement on the ancient origins of the Mediterranean diet, reaching global audiences through edutainment and media.’
- Mathilde Touvier from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) was awarded ‘for promoting innovative and far-reaching public engagement on food additives, improving global public health awareness and nutrition policies.’
The contest for the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award closed for applications on 21 February 2024. The ERC received 99 applications from ERC grantees across 20 countries. A pre-selection was organised to choose the best proposals for the jury review. The Jury of the award, composed of experts in public engagement and science communication, consequently selected six winners. Each laureate will receive a prize of €10 000.
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. Maria Leptin has been the President of the ERC since November 2021. 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.
Soure – European Research Council