Results are now in for the OPUS 24+ LAP/Weave call for projects proposed by Polish researchers in cooperation with teams from Belgium-Flanders. Grants were awarded to 6 bilateral proposals, two in each discipline panel. In total, research teams will get more than 9.5 million zlotys in funding.
In Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, for instance, one grant will go to a project prepared by Dr hab. Mateusz Stróżyński from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in tandem with Anthony Dupont from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, entitled Z biblioteki na trybunę: Teologiczne i etyczne znaczenie performatywnego przedstawienia manicheizmu w kazaniach i listach Augustyna /From the Library to the Tribune: Theological and Ethical Significance of the Performative Presentation of Manichaeism in Augustine’s Sermons and Letters/. The project will expand our knowledge of Augustine’s interaction with Manichaean ideas and their impact on his philosophical and theological thinking, help trace the development of his thought and provide insights into the special, “performative” genres, i.e. sermons and letters, which in antiquity often served as a means of public communication.
Dr hab. Dariusz Kużelewski from the University of Bialystok will conduct a research project entitled "Risk as a subjective phenomenon – integrating cognitive science into the concept of risk in European data protection law". His research partner is Prof. Niels Van Dijk from the Delft University of Technology.
In Life Sciences, Dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska from the Institute of Human Genetics, PAS, will team up with Prof. Jolanda van Hengel from Ghent University. Their project Bo do tanga trzeba dwojga – modelowanie kardiomiopatii w zespole Marfana z zastosowaniem komórek serca oraz konstruktów tkankowych (EHT) uzyskanych z hiPSC /It takes two to tango – a decryption of Marfan cardiomyopathy using human iPSC-derived cardiac cells and engineered heart tissues/ aims to thoroughly examine the effects of DNA changes behind Marfan syndrome and associated signalling pathways. This will allow the two researchers to propose new therapeutic approaches and explain the mechanisms of action of drugs that are used to alleviate the symptoms associated with the malfunctioning of the cardiovascular system in patients with this disorder.
Prof. Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa from the University of Wroclaw within her OPUS LAP grant will investigate "Function, organization, dynamics, and evolution of hyperbranched receptor-binding protein systems in Klebsiella jumbo phages and their interactions with bacteria", together with Prof. Yves Briers from the Ghent University.
The OPUS LAP ranking list for Physical Sciences and Engineering features a project devoted to the adaptation of molecular crystals in response to external stimuli, proposed by Dr hab. Liliana Dobrzańska from the Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń, in cooperation with Prof. Wim Dehaen from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. The latest research on crystals shows that their structure is not as rigid as was previously thought. It turns out that, despite certain spatial limitations, molecules can undergo significant shifts or rotations within the crystal, changing both the molecular and the crystal structure. In their project, the two researchers will study when this process occurs and analyse what requirements have to be met for the molecules that make up the crystal to awaken from their dormant state.
Prof. Jacek Mąkinia from Gdańsk University of Technology received a grant for the project "Model-based optimization of the operational conditions for mitigation of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from an aerobic granular sludge reactor performing integrated nitrogen and phosphorus removal". Prof. Jan Dries from University of Antwerp will be his research partner.
Ranking lists for OPUS 24 call
List of Polish-Belgian OPUS 24 LAP projects qualified for funding
Lead Agency Procedure – LAP
In the latest OPUS 24+LAP/Weave call, which concluded in May, the NCN received 1921 proposals with a total budget of nearly 2.7 billion zlotys. Researchers could request funding for projects conducted without international partners, as well as bi- or trilateral LAP projects involving foreign cooperation or access to large international research equipment. The call was open to researchers at all career levels.
LAP is a new proposal evaluation standard adopted by European research-funding institutions, designed to facilitate the funding application process for international research teams and streamline proposal review.
OPUS LAP projects were reviewed at the same time and by the same expert teams as other OPUS proposals, but also underwent an additional evaluation that looked at the research record and the previous projects of the principal investigators in foreign partner teams. Experts also made sure that the contribution of all teams to the project is balanced and complementary.
Decisions and their delivery
The decisions for OPUS LAP bilateral proposals qualified for funding under OPUS 24 in cooperation with the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) have already been sent out. Please remember that the decisions of the NCN Director are delivered to the applicant electronically, to the e-mail address indicated in the proposal.