Photonics researchers and research groups linked to PREIN were highly successful in the recent Academy of Finland and European Research Council funding decisions.
Academy of Finland ICT project funding
In November 2022, the Academy of Finland granted funding to projects researching the sustainability and energy efficiency of future ICT solutions. The ICT 2023 programme is a joint effort between the Academy of Finland and Business Finland and the funding comes to a total of 6.85 million euros. The success rate of applicants was 27 per cent. Two photonics research projects related to PREIN were funded under the call.
Humeyra Caglayan from Tampere University heads the CHIST-ERA consortium that studies novel technologies that enhance the capacity of communication networks. The project will develop a breakthrough miniaturised emitter suitable for power-efficient operation, adaptive modulation and massive production at low cost. The emitter will serve as an enabling factor for the next generation of smart free-space optical communication and light-fidelity (LiFi) networks.
Zhipei Sun from Aalto University heads the Biomaterial-based photonics and optoelectronics for sustainable ICT systems consortium, Bio-Base project.
Read more about the Academy of Finland funding decision
European Research Council Funding
PREIN related researchers have been awarded significant funding from the European Research Council, in November. Funding to photonics researchers linked with PREIN was granted in the Starting Grants and as an additional decision in the Proof of Concept category.
The ERC Starting Grant is for top researchers with 2 to 7 years of experience since completion of their PhD. A total of 2696 proposals were submitted in response to the ERC 2023 Starting Grant Call of which 1151 were in Physical Sciences and Engineering.The ERC Proof of Concept Grants aim at facilitating exploration of the commercial and social innovation potential of ERC funded research and are therefore available only to PIs whose proposals draw substantially on their ERC funded research.
Hao Zeng from Tampere University received an ERC Starting Grant for the project “From light fueled self-oscillators to light communicating material networks.” The 1.5-million-euro funding is directed to developing interactive stimuli-responsive materials and micro robots and a general design route to obtain communication between inanimate materials.
Read more about Hao Zeng’s project ONLINE – from light fuelled self-oscillators to light communicating material networks
Arri Priimägi from Tampere University received ERC Proof of Concept grant to develop dynamic and light-responsive cell culture platforms in a collaborative project between research groups in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology and the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences combining photonics, chemistry and bio medicine.
Read more about Arri Priimägi’s project L-Cell