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Nine outstanding Danish researchers receive DKK 135 million from the European Research Council

December 16, 2019
Nine top researchers from Denmark have joined the European elite - having received much sought-after grants from the European Research Council. Between them, the researchers received a total of DKK 135 million for ground-breaking research into quantum physics and digital democracy, among other areas

The nine grant recipients are divided among five at the University of Copenhagen (KU), three at Aarhus University (AU) and one at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

The ground-breaking research ideas covers wide range of fields. From research into how interest groups’ use of digital communication changes political discourse and affects democracy. To research into the skin’s defence mechanisms against stress and ageing, which can have great significance in e.g. the treatment of skin cancer. To research into chemical methods of manufacturing drugs with an antibiotic effect. With this funding, the nine researchers can each try to move the known boundaries within their different research fields.

The best ideas

The European Research Council (ERC) evaluated a total of 2453 applications for this year’s round of the Consolidator Grant. 301 of those applications were seen as so original and ground-breaking so as to be deserving of an ERC Consolidator Grant. This corresponds to a success rate of approx. 12 per cent of applicants. All in all, the ERC is awarding approx. DKK 4.5 billion to 301 research projects, of which DKK 135 million will go to the nine researchers in Denmark.

About the ERC Consolidator Grants

The grants are aimed at top researchers with 7-12 years post-PhD research experience. They are worth up to DKK 15 million and run for a five year period. This allows the researchers the opportunity to build up a team and create the time and freedom to pursue their ground-breaking ideas.

About the three recipients from University of Copenhagen

Name Acronym Project
Gunvor Simonsen IN THE SAME SEA In the same Sea: The lesser Antilles as a Common World of Slavery and Freedom
Anne Rasmussen ADVODID Advocacy in Digital Democracy: Use, Impact and Democratic Consequences
Simon Bekker-Jensen PHYRIST Physiological roles of the Ribotoxic Stress Response
Thomas Sand Jespersen TURNSTONE Tunable Hubbard Lattices in Semiconductor Nanowire Networks
Gemma Solomon QLIMIT Challenging The Limits Of Molecular Quantum Interference Effects

Read more about the research projects on KU’s website:

  • Great international recognition for Simon Bekker-Jensen [inactive link]
  • Mapping the digital impact of research groups on politicians and the public [inactive link]

About the three recipients from Aarhus University

Name Acronym Project
Thomas Bjørnskov Poulsen RECYPION Resurrecting the Carboxyl Polyether Ionophores
Jacob Bentzon EXPLOSIA EXpansion and Phenotype Loss Of SMCs In Atherosclerosis: Causal effects and therapeutic possibilities

Rune Slothuus PARTYOPINION The Informational Role of Political Parties in Citizens’ Opinion Formation

Read more on AU*s website

About the recipient from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

Name Acronym Project
Niels Gregersen UNITY A Single-Photon Source Featuring Unity Efficiency And Unity Indistinguishability For Scalable Optical Quantum Information Processing

Read more on DTU’s website:

  • EU grant for more powerful quantum computers [inactive link]

Interested in ERC Consolidator Grants?

The next application deadline for the ERC Consolidator Grant is 4 February 2020. Find more information about all the different types of ERC grants at:

Read more

The news also expands on Prof. Anne Rasmussen’s ADVODID project, along with five other

Contact

Jonas Toft Ludvigsen
Tlf.: +45 72 31 78 13
Email: jto@ufm.dk
Anne Overgaard Jørgensen
Tlf.: +45 72 31 84 51
Email: aoj@ufm.dk

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