EUTOPIA Researchers Shine in ERC Starting Grants 2025

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded €761 million in its latest Starting Grants competition, supporting 478 early-career researchers across Europe. These highly competitive grants help promising scientists launch their own research projects, build teams, and pursue innovative ideas.

12 researchers from EUTOPIA universities are among the winners, further underlining the alliance’s commitment to excellence in research and innovation. EUTOPIA congratulates the awardees and the hosting institutions for their achievements. Following are the awardees:

• Willem STAELS — Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  • Project Title: Unraveling the iron metabolism of pancreatic β-cells
• Eva SWYNGEDOUW — Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  • Project Title: Urban Expulsion Regimes: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Housing Insecurity in European Cities
• Hector RUIZ SOTO — CY Cergy Paris University
  • Project Title: The Jesters as Artists. Exploring the Role of Jesters in Early Modern European Culture
• Anna CZARKWIANI — Technische Universität Dresden
  • Project Title: Restoring balance: how axolotls regenerate otoconia for gravity sensing
• Paula NABAIS — NOVA University Lisbon
  • Project Title: Study and interpretation of historical natural dye formulations for modern textile design
• Daniel BOJAR — University of Gothenburg
  • Project Title: The Nuclear Frontier: Expanding the Horizons of Protein Glycosylation
• Marcel DU PLESSIS — University of Gothenburg
  • Project Title: Southern Ocean fine-scale ocean dynamics and storm impacts on air-sea heat exchange
• Carolina GUIBENTIF — University of Gothenburg
  • Project Title: Single-cell OMICS-informed in vitro models of human development
• Dominik KOZJEK — University of Ljubljana
  • Project Title: Melting-Process-Condition Variations-Aware Control of the Laser-Powder Bed Fusion of Metals
• Jasmina SEPETAVC — University of Ljubljana
  • Project Title: Archiving and Curating the Margins: Queer Memory Activism and Infrastructures in Southeastern and Eastern Europe
• Hannes HOUCK (YLA fellow and EUTOPIA Faculty & Staff member) — University of Warwick
  • Project Title: Decoupled Covalent Dynamic Exchange Reactions for Closed-Loop Photo-3D-printing
• Joao MONTEIRO — University of Warwick
  • Project Title: Shining a light on molecular mechanisms that potentiate phagocytosis of bacteria

ERC Starting Grants are aimed at early-career researchers with a proven track record, providing up to €1.5 million over five years. Additional funds can cover relocation, major equipment, large facilities access, or high-cost experimental work. This year’s round attracted 3,928 proposals, with just 12% funded, highlighting the scheme’s competitiveness. The grants are expected to create around 3,000 new research jobs across Europe.


Read the full ERC press release