This is a public database of research institutions and projects that want to host science journalists for their FRONTIERS Residencies.

The Hosts Database contains expressions of interest received by the FRONTIERS Team and these are a great starting point for applicants. However, an institution does not have to be in this Database to be eligible as a host institution. Journalists are encouraged to do their investigation and contact the research institutions that best fit their project.

If you have any questions or feedback about this database, please check out the FRONTIERS Program Guide and Frequently Asked Questions pages, or write to support@frontiersmedia.eu.

  • University of Graz – Climate Change

    Understanding the climate system and climate change, exploring changing climate risks and impacts, low carbon transition solutions and building climate resilience are the major aims of one field of excellence at the University of Graz. At the Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change scientists from geophysics and climate physics, meteorology, economics, transition research, geography and regional research deal with both the physically oriented and the socio-economic aspects of climate change and global change as well as the transition to a low-carbon world.

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    They are part of the network Climate Change Graz, an association of more than 100 researchers who investigate which economic, production-related, social, political and legal changes are necessary for a profound and sustainable transformation. In addition to scientific excellence the goal is to raise awareness of the urgency and personal concern, especially among opinion leaders and multipliers. And, in a further step, to initiate the creation of new framework conditions that can lead to changes in the behaviour of organisations, companies and people.
    There are four research groups at the Wegener Center tackling questions such as: How is global warming developing? How are individuals and society affected by climate change? How do we achieve the net-zero target?

    The University of Graz is located in the south-east of Austria. Founded in 1585, it is the second oldest and – with almost 30,000 students and nearly 5000 employees – also the second largest university of the country. It has six faculties – Humanities, Catholic Theology, Natural Sciences, Law, Social and Economic Sciences as well as Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences. Their key objective is to conduct research at the highest level in these areas. Journalists in residence will have the opportunity to gain insights in all of them.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Dagmar Eklaude
    dagmar.eklaude@uni-graz.at
    Host Institution
    University of Graz
    Austria
    Hosting Conditions

    The journalist in residence will be part of the team of the Communications Office and will have an individual desk with LAN and WIFI and all the necessary infrastructure there – including a small kitchen with coffee maker, kettle, fridge and microwave. Six editors working at the Communications Office are former journalists and will be there to establish contacts, guide and help if necessary. The guest will have access to the premises 24/7, access to the library and online resources, and the same rights and possibilities as university members. Many of the employees work from home one day per week, but there is always somebody present during the opening hours and can be contacted for assistance. Working hours are flexible. The team of the Communications Office is looking forward to welcoming an international journalist and ready to help in all possible ways.

  • Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)

    The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) is a PhD-granting research institution located in Klosterneuburg, 18 km from the center of Vienna, Austria. In the 15 years since the start of its operations, ISTA has grown to over 80 research groups in the life sciences, mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, system sciences, and related areas. ISTA has one the highest success rates in ERC grant applications and currently has 34 active ERC grants in diverse research areas (20 in the “Physical Sciences & Engineering” and 14 in the “Life Sciences” domains).
    The Institute employs professors on a tenure-track model, post-doctoral researchers, and PhD students.

    The Graduate School of ISTA offers fully funded PhD positions to highly qualified candidates with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. While dedicated to the principle of curiosity-driven research, ISTA aims to deliver scientific findings to society through technological transfer and science education. The President of the Institute is Martin Hetzer, a renowned molecular biologist, and former Senior Vice President at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, USA.

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    Active ERC grants

    Physical sciences & engineering:

    • Randomness and structure in combinatorics – Kwan
    • Bridging Scales in Random Materials – Fischer
    • Random matrices beyond Wigner-Dyson-Mehta – Erdoes
    • Spectral rigidity and integrability for billiards and geodesic flows – Kaloshin
    • Cavity Quantum Electro Optics: Microwave photonics with nonclassical states – Fink
    • A quantum hybrid of atoms and milligram-scale pendulums: towards gravitational quantum mechanics – Hosten
    • Non-Ergodic Quantum Matter: Universality, Dynamics and Control – Serbyn
    • Orbital Chern Insulators in van der Waals Moiré Systems – Polshyn
    • Gaining leverage with spin liquids and superconductors – Modic
    • VULCAN: matter, powered from within – Palacci
    • Tribocharge: a multi-scale approach to an enduring problem in physics – Waitukaitis
    • Non-Equilibrium Protein Assembly: from Building Blocks to Biological Machines – Saric
    • ab initio PRediction Of MaterIal SynthEsis – Cheng
    • FastML: Efficient and Cost-Effective Distributed Machine Learning – Alistarh
    • Computational Discovery of Numerical Algorithms for Animation and Simulation of Natural Phenomena – Wojtan
    • The design and evaluation of modern fully dynamic data structures – Henzinger M.
    • Vigilant Algorithmic Monitoring of Software – Henzinger T.
    • Formal Methods for Stochastic Models: Algorithms and Applications – Chatterjee
    • Young galaxies as tracers and agents of cosmic reionization – Matthee
    • Organisation of CLoUdS, and implications for Tropical cyclones and for the Energetics of the tropics, in current and in a waRming climate – Muller

    Life Sciences:

    • Design of Nucleic Acid-Templated Ordered Protein Assemblies – Praetorius
    • A molecular atlas of Actin filament IDentities in the cell motility machinery – Schur
    • Synthetic and structural biology of Rab GTPase networks – Loose
    • Structure and mechanism of respiratory chain molecular machines – Sazanov
    • Mechanisms and biological functions of H3K27me3 reprogramming in plant microspores – Feng
    • Design Principles of Branching Morphogenesis – Hannezo
    • Mechanisms of tissue size regulation in spinal cord development – Kicheva
    • 60-Hz light entrainment to unlock mental health conditions – Siegert
    • Action Selection in the Midbrain: Neuromodulation of Visuomotor Senses – Jösch
    • Development and Evolution of Tetrapod Motor Circuits – Sweeney
    • Toward an understanding of the brain interstitial system and the extracellular proteome in health and autism spectrum disorders – Novarino
    • Learning the shape of synaptic plasticity rules for neuronal architectures and function through machine learning – Vogels
    • Understanding the evolution of continuous genomes – Barton
    • Cyclic nucleotides as second messengers in plants – Friml
    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Florian Schlederer
    communications@ista.ac.at
    Host Institution
    Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)
    Austria

  • Politecnico di Torino – Discover multidisciplinary frontier research at an Engineering university: science advancement for the benefit of society

    Politecnico di Torino was the first Italian Engineering School, founded in the mid-19th century. Engineers, architects, designers and urban planners have been trained at Politecnico di Torino for over 160 years with rigor, integrity and high-level standards. This long ever-changing history has rated Politecnico among the top European technical universities for education and research in Engineering and Architecture.

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    Politecnico di Torino residency program involves ERC researchers in the following research areas:

    Computational Electromagnetics (CEM): we investigate the scientific field at the origin of all new modeling and simulation tools to tackle the design challenges of emerging and future technologies in applied electromagnetics- ERC Project 321 From Cubic3 To2 Linear1 Complexity in Computational Electromagnetics.
    The Grand Challenge of 321 project is to investigate and exploit a dynamic Fast Direct Solver for Maxwell Problems that would run in a purely linear complexity for an arbitrary number and configuration of degrees of freedom. It will thus solve a scientific problem that the CEM scientific community has been seeking for 20 years.
    Host researcher: Francesco Paolo Andriulli

    Regenerative Medicine for cardiac tissues: our research will allow direct reprogramming of cardiac cells using in vitro models of human fibrotic heart tissue, followed by in vivo studies – ERC project BIORECAR Direct cell reprogramming therapy in myocardial regeneration through an engineered multifunctional platform integrating biochemical instructive cues.
    Through the BIORECAR project, it is expected to get new knowledge on still unexplored regenerative medicine tools that may lead to successful direct reprogramming of human Cardiac fibrotic tissues.
    Host Researcher: Valeria Chiono

    Nature inspired production of asymmetric materials: symmetry is a key structural feature in natural systems and allows for self-organization and unidirectionality of chemical transformations. We aim to produce materials bearing different functionalities on the two opposite sides – ERC Project JANUS-BI All-liquid phase JANUS BIdimensional materials for functional nano-architectures and assemblies.
    The JANUS BI project will deliver fundamentally new abilities to engineer nanomaterials so as to provide “bottom-up” nanoscale-platforms where a tight control over the structural and functional properties is exerted, of major importance for the progress of human ability to mimic natural systems.
    Host Researcher: Teresa Gatti

    Nanoparticles for innovative therapies to fight cancer: We develop safe and biomimetic nanoparticles, able to travel in the blood stream upon injection and to find their own way to target cells, activated remotely and on-demand against cancer – ERC Project TrojaNanoHorse Hybrid immune-eluding nanocrystals as smart and active theranostic weapons against cancer.
    The TrojaNanoHorse project pushes forward the boundaries of the nanomedicine field, proposing innovative tools for cancer treatment which overcome the conventional features of smart drug delivery systems.
    Host Researcher: Valentina Cauda

    Couple acoustic and aerodynamic flows: We work to model how an acoustic wave interacts with an acoustic absorbing surface in the presence of a flow to design novel noise reduction technologies useful in many fields of application from automotive to aerospace– ERC Project LINING Acoustic fLow InteractioN over sound absorbing surfaces: effects on ImpedaNce and drag.
    The LINING project pushes the boundaries of our current knowledge by explaining the physical reasons behind unexpected results found in measurements by many labs around the world. Such knowledge can improve the current design approach and pave the way towards more complex geometries, i.e. meta-material, for which the impact of the flow is potentially more relevant than in current technologies.
    Host Researcher: Francesco Avallone

    Innovative diagnosis methods for cancer and viruses: We develop a novel and cutting-edge diagnostic platform to detect and quantify cancer and viral bio-markers in bodily fluids, making simpler, faster and more economical the diagnosis of many diseases – ERC Project ANFIBIO: Amplification-free Identification of Cancer and Viral Biomarkers via Plasmonic Nanoparticles and Liquid Biopsy.
    ANFIBIO seeks to implement a breakthrough concept of DNA and RNA identification that takes inspiration from sequencing technologies and leverages direct SERS sensing and machine learning approaches to deliver a sensitive, accurate, and low-cost platform for the detection of biomarkers of clinical relevance.
    Host Researcher: Laura Fabris

    Physical principles for a better use of sun energy: We will enhance the capacity of solar energy conversion extending the width of wavelengths that are converted to the full spectral range delivered by the Sun – ERC Project PADEIA Plasmon induced hot electron extraction with doped semiconductors for infrared solAr energy.
    PAIDEIA project answers fundamental questions in physics and materials processing of heterojunctions and addresses the grand challenge of secure, clean and efficient energy at the same time.
    Host Researcher: Francesco Scotognella

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Isabella Susa
    isabella.susa@polito.it
    Host Institution
    Politecnico di Torino
    Italy
    Hosting Conditions

    Politecnico di Torino will provide a work environment allowing the Frontiers grantee to work in optimal conditions. The project is managed by the Polito Communication and Promotion Department which includes a Press office, a Social Media office and a Research Communication office who will assist the grantee in all the administrative, organizational and contact needs. In particular we will provide: a) An individual desk in the Communication Department where people work in a hybrid way (8 days/month remote work on average), accessible during working hours 5 days/week. b) Access to the research labs of the projects chosen for his/her work during the residency in hours to be decided with the research group; c)Wifi access; • d) PC and/or screen if needed; e) Access to the Politecnico personnel canteen at the same conditions. Our university is located in a very lively and interesting town https://www.turismotorino.org/en

  • National Science Platform (NSP) FOTONIKA-LV

    Towards frontier research projects in quantum sciences, space sciences and related technologies (targeting EU Framework program, ESA, and National Science Council calls) under the strategic guidance of two ERA Chairs: Dr.Rashid Ganeev and Prof. Bernard Foing accordingly in named disciplines of photonics sciences.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Arnolds Ubelis
    Arnolds@latnet.lv
    Host Institution
    National Science Platform of the University of Latvia
    Latvia
    Hosting Conditions

    The Headquarter building of NSP FOTONIKA-LV is located in old town of Riga. Our research teams teams frequently has the need to work in 24/7 mode (research in labs, observations in two worldwide known observatories) and the same will be possible for science journalists.

  • Creating water smart landscapes

    As the global population grows, agricultural activities intensify, leading to increased fertiliser use and diffuse nutrient emissions. This escalating trend poses a significant threat to water bodies, as nutrient run-off from intensive farming practices degrades water quality. Traditional land and water management approaches often lack the precision needed to identify high-priority areas or offer spatially explicit solutions.

    In this context, the ERC-funded WaterSmartLand project will pinpoint high-risk areas and propose targeted solutions. Using advanced analysis, modelling and machine learning, the project identifies optimal land management strategies, such as using wetlands and riparian buffer strips, to mitigate nutrient run-off.

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    The project will result in global map layers that will allow the identification of critical nutrient run-off sites and carry out the related planning. All the analysis will take place on a global scale, and the results will be tested on pilot sites in Europe and elsewhere. The project will be based on open-source software, so that the resulting data cube solution and machine learning models will be accessible and available for further development by all.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Piret Ehrenpreis
    piret.ehrenpreis@ut.ee
    Host Institution
    University of Tartu
    Estonia
    Hosting Conditions

    The FRONTIERS fellow will have an office desk in our Communication Department in the main building of the University of Tartu. The university campus is located in the city and all important buildings are within walking distance. Journalists can rely on the support of our research communications team for any questions that may arise and have access to research facilities through our researchers. Researchers work in the office and remotely and are happy to share their experiences with journalists.

  • MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences

    MARUM produces fundamental scientific knowledge about the role of the ocean and the ocean floor in the total Earth system. The dynamics of the ocean and the ocean floor significantly impact the entire Earth system through the interaction of geological, physical, biological and chemical processes. These influence both the climate and the global carbon cycle, and create unique biological systems.

    MARUM is committed to fundamental and unbiased research in the interests of society and the marine environment, and in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. It publishes its quality-assured scientific data and makes it publicly available. MARUM informs the public about new discoveries in the marine environment and provides practical knowledge through its dialogue with society. MARUM cooperates with commercial and industrial partners in accordance with its goal of protecting the marine environment.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Ulrike Prange
    uprange@marum.de
    Host Institution
    University of Bremen
    Germany
    Hosting Conditions

    MARUM is located on the University of Bremen's campus. Base for our Frontiers fellow would be the press department at MARUM. Most of the scientists are working here and remotely with a presence day every Tuesday. We will make sure to establish contacts based on indivitual interests. The building is open between 6 am and 6 pm, with options to access is before and after these times.

  • Complexity Science Hub

    Based in Vienna, the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) is Europe’s research center for translating data into solutions for a better world. A core of CSH’s mission is to conduct independent research in complexity science, addressing key challenges facing society and the planet that cannot be solved by traditional disciplinary approaches. For example, pandemics, the economy, and human migration are all manifestations of multiple interconnected, dynamic, and co-evolving networks that complexity science is uniquely suited to describe.

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    CSH researchers have expertise across a wide range of topics, from algorithms to zoonoses and many in between. CSH researchers share the common languages of physics, computation, statistics and applied mathematics and often specialize in one or more additional disciplines, such as sociology, economics, or medicine.
    At CSH, researchers extract meaning from the vast amount of data representing our planet’s various dimensions: economics, migration, health, climate change, social values, urban development, and more. With this knowledge, they seek insights that are useful for both science and society, and they can make evidence-based statements about how complex systems will respond to change and propose realistic interventions to move them in a positive direction for society.
    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Eliza Muto
    muto@csh.ac.at
    Host Institution
    Complexity Science Hub
    Austria
    Hosting Conditions

    The Complexity Science Hub (CSH) welcomes science journalists interested in exploring new areas of research, and understanding how complexity arises and evolves in nature, society, and technology. In addition to deepening their technical knowledge, FRONTIERS fellows will become part of the CSH community and thereby connect with a vibrant and international network of scientists during the fellowship. During their stay at CSH, journalists will have a working space – an individual desk in an office shared with other researchers or staff – and access to our infrastructure. Their use of CSH shared spaces will occur under the same conditions as research and admin staff. Fellows will receive a badge granting 24/7 access to the building and their office. As part of the residency, fellows will be supported by the CSH press office, a member of which will serve as the FRONTIERS manager, administering all aspects of the fellowship. The FRONTIERS manager will be the fellow's main point of contact before, during, and after their stay at CSH. During their stay, FRONTIERS fellows are encouraged to interact and network with CSH researchers, visiting scientists and collaborating partners, and to take inspiration from these leaders in complexity science. Journalists will have access to all CSH scientific events (seminars, talks, workshops, colloquia, courses, etc.). As a vibrant, international community, CSH hosts occasional social and cultural events, such as CSH's Art & Science series, to which fellows are cordially invite

  • Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics

    CRAG is a public research institution with the global mission of conducting excellent research in the fields of plant sciences and agricultural and farm animal genetics and genomics.

    CRAG holds the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” award, the most prestigious programme of the Spanish Government to acknowledge excellence in research with international relevance.

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    The research carried out at CRAG spans from basic research in plant and farm animal molecular biology, to applications of molecular approaches for breeding of species important for agriculture and food production in close collaboration with industry. Specific topics of frontier research include: genomics, plant development, plant responses to stress, plant synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, gene editing techniques, etc.

    Some scientific highlights reflecting the research conducted at CRAG are listed below:

    – CRAG researchers identified a new microRNA from rice which originated from a transposable element and that regulates blast resistance by DNA methylation. Moreover, they have demonstrated that the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis confers protection to the blast fungus and makes rice plants more productive. The AM symbiosis represents an alternative to the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

    – The attractive colors of many flowers and fruits result from the accumulation of health-promoting carotenoid pigments in specialized cellular structures called chromoplasts. A CRAG´s teams found that chromoplasts can be artificially generated from leaf chloroplasts by using an enzyme that synthesizes the carotenoid precursor phytoene. This synthetic system allows to boost the carotenoid content of green vegetables and forage crops, hence improving their nutritional quality.

    – Fruit ripening is a main target in crop breeding, having a major effect in fruit shelf life and fruit quality. Melon is an interesting model and the genetic dissection of the control of this trait may help to obtain long shelf life varieties and ultimately lead to a reduction in food loss and waste.

    – CRAG researchers found that insertions of miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are frequently associated with phenotypic variability of important agronomic traits in rice. Using MITE insertions in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) can uncover new genotype-to-phenotype associations and allow for discovering the genetic basis of important trait variability.

    – The development of new plant varieties is a very slow process. CRAG researchers showed that ‘deep learning’ methods, inspired on how the human brain works, can help to improve prediction of new cultivars.

    – Meat quality has an important genetic component. CRAG scientists have identified genomic regions and strong candidate genes associated with fatty acid composition in muscle and adipose tissue in pigs. These results are relevant for meat quality selection of commercial pig breeds.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Muriel Arimon
    muriel.arimon@cragenomica.es
    Host Institution
    CRAG
    Spain
    Hosting Conditions

    The science journalist will have a desk within the “Communication and Open Science” department (included in the “Science and Impact Area” at CRAG together with the “Projects and International Affairs” and the “Transfer and Knowledge” departments), having the possibility to interact with their members and have their support to organize her/his stay. She/he will have access to CRAG premises during working hours and days (Mon-Fri). She/he will be able to have direct contact with all CRAG researchers according to her/his journalism project. She/he will be able to visit specific facilities, observe research experiments and attend all seminars and events organized by CRAG. Other details and specific necessities will be discussed directly with the interested journalist/s. CRAG provides an international work environment, where 80% of Career Track Fellows, 72% of Postdocs and 49% of PhD students are from an international origin. CRAG’s official and vehicular language is English.

  • Université Cote d’Azur

    Université Côte d’Azur, a world-class, research-intensive, multidisciplinary university, was awarded the prestigious ‘Initiatives of Excellence’ certification label, which highlights the quality of its research and ensures that it has a high visibility international profile.

    The university’s research strategy aims to create synergies between the research teams in order to explore new interdisciplinary areas while maintaining its level of excellence in academic fields. It is part of a coherent and ambitious site policy jointly developed with other players in the research, higher education and the socio-economic world. Furthemore, the research conducted at Université Côte d’Azur aims to address major challenges in science and society. It covers a broad continuum of objectives, approaches and methodologies, from basic theoretical science to targeted research.
    To that end, five Interdisciplinary Academies of Excellence were created to structure our frontier research projects:

    Academy 1 : Networks, Information and Digital Society
    Academy 2 : Complex Systems
    Academy 3 : Space, Environment, Risk and Resilience
    Academy 4 : Complexity and diversity of living systems
    Academy 5 : Human societies, Ideas and Environments

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    Currently, we have the opportunity of welcoming over 20 ERCs on the site on very diverse disciplines : mathematics, archeology, astrophysics, seismology, cumputer science, biology. To support research Excellence, we created a specific program in partnership with the CNRS, Inria, the Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur, etc. called LEADEuRope. The program is dedicated to supporting the European dynamic of Excellence on the site.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Sara-Anne Comel
    sara-anne.comel@univ-cotedazur.fr
    Host Institution
    Université Côte d'Azur
    France
    Hosting Conditions

    Science journalists will benefit from the environment provided by the LEADEuRope program providing access to ERC holders. Furthemore, he/she will be welcomed through the Initiative of Excellence to facilitate his/her integration. Regarding space office, we will provide different options depending on the targeted projects identified by the journalist.

  • BC3 – Basque Centre for Climate Change

    The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) is an international and multidisciplinary research institute based in the Basque Country. Since its foundation in 2008 by the Basque Government and the University of the Basque Country, BC3 belongs to the Basque Research Centres of Excellence (BERC) program.

    With 120+ employees from various fields of knowledge, BC3 is a consolidated centre dedicated to the co-production of relevant knowledge for decision-making, integrating the environmental, socioeconomic and ethical dimensions of climate change. By following a transdisciplinary and participatory approach, BC3 contributes to the testing and demonstration of scalable solutions for sustainable development in collaboration with 40 international organisations and research centres in more than 20 countries. BC3 has excellent results in attracting talent (3 ERCs and 5 individual MSCAs) and securing research projects (22 European projects). Thanks to our people and partners, those who make it possible for us to achieve our goals and allow us to see ourselves as an organization unrestricted by our physical boundaries.

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    Since BC3’s creation, we have sought to be a cutting-edge and motivating centre from which researchers can continue co-creating scientific knowledge, tools and methodologies on the causes and effects of climate change and contributing to solving the most pressing challenge modern humans have ever faced. Transdisciplinary research integrates knowledge through active collaboration across academic disciplines and with non-academic stakeholders.

    Being a transdisciplinary researcher implies more than raising awareness through scientific evidence, it is a unique approach to engaging with different ways of knowing the world and generating new knowledge to address societal challenges. Transdisciplinarity moves us to understand the world in which we live and to find suitable and fair solutions. It brought us together to co-design and implement policies leading to sustainable development.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Amelia Ochoa
    amelia.ochoa@bc3research.org
    Host Institution
    BC3 – Basque Centre for Climate Change
    Spain
    Hosting Conditions

    The selected science journalist in residence will have their desk. BC3 has a communication team formed by one communication manager and two communication officers who will be at the disposal of the selected candidate. Although BC3 currently offers hybrid work, from June on this year it is expected for all employees to work four days per week in the office and one day per week remotely. BC3 reception is open from Monday to Friday from 9 AM until 5 PM. However, the selected candidate will be given a card to access the centre premises outside this timetable. The selected science journalist will be given access as well to BC3's library, server and all the centre's online and offline scientific resources to make the best of their experience.

  • From Planet Earth to the Infinite Universe @ Ciências ULisboa

    “What we do not know today, we will know tomorrow” (Garcia de Orta, 1563). This is the motto that guides Ciências ULisboa, the 2nd largest School of the University of Lisbon, with + 5600 students (BSc, MSc, PhD) and +500 Professors & researchers.
    With +1200 international scientific articles/year, it is the ULisboa School with the highest scientific productivity per capita, raising approximately €40M/year to R&D projects. More than 90% of its R&D Units are evaluated as Excellent or Very Good by FCT. Its 10 Departments and 19 R&D Units conduct cutting-edge research addressing scientific challenges spanning from life to earth sciences, from physical and chemical to computer and mathematical sciences, from engineering to history and philosophy of sciences.
    Ciências proudly hosts twelve European grants: five Marie Curies, and seven ERC grantees (4 Starting, 2 Consolidator, 1 Advanced) – of which five are currently undergoing:

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    Sustainable, equitable & climate-smart marine spatial planning processes in Antarctica and beyond: Catarina Frazão Santos, ERC StG 2023, PLAnT, Planning the Sustainable Use of the Ocean in Antarctica in a context of Global Environmental Change.

    How do interactions between species affect an ecosystem’s ability to recover after external disturbances? Inês Fragata, ERC StG 2022, DYNAMICTRIO, Feedback between population dynamics and evolution of interactions in a tri-trophic system.

    How hard is it to find a good algorithm for a given computational problem? Bruno Loff, ERC StG 2022, HoFGA, The Hardness of Finding Good Algorithms.

    Coral reefs: can we predict biodiversity changes in time and space? What are the consequences of these changes to their ecosystem functions? Maria Dornelas, ERC CoG 2021, coralINT, Integrated Niche Theory: linking environmental, compositional and functional change on coral reefs.

    How did navigators of 16th and 17th centuries experience Earth observation? Henrique Leitão, ERC AdvG 2018, RUTTER, Making the Earth Global: Early Modern Nautical Rutters and the Construction of a Global Concept of the Earth.

    From unearthing mysteries on our planet (Largest dinosaur skleleton in Europe might have been found in Portugal) to exploring the Universe (Portugal participates in the development of a first-class instrument for the largest telescope in the world), from the latest challenges in computer science (First open AI language model for Portuguese now available) to tackling global issues (Climate change can put the planet’s largest reserves of drinking water at risk): everyday, we challenge the limits of science and technology at Ciências ULisboa.

    We aim to build bridges with society, through innovation (Filipa Rocha named finalist for the 2023 Young Inventors Award) and entrepreneurship: TecLabs, our innovation center, aggregates +29 incubated companies (e.g. R_Nuucell, a spin-off studying a potential breast cancer drug, wins Women TechEU grant).

    Learn more about our vision through our institutional video.

    Find out more about our research:

    – PLAnT
    – HoFGA
    – coralINT
    – RUTTER
    – Largest dinosaur skleleton in Europe might have been found in Portugal
    – Portugal participates in the development of a first-class instrument for the largest telescope in the world
    – First open AI language model for Portuguese now available
    – Climate change can put the planet’s largest reserves of drinking water at risk
    – Filipa Rocha named finalist for the 2023 Young Inventors Award
    – TecLabs
    – R_Nuucell, a spin-off studying a potential breast cancer drug, wins Women TechEU grant
    – Climate extremes such as intense and prolonged droughts and intense heat waves
    – Natural disasters induced by major extreme climatic and meteorological events (…)
    – (…) and its impact on ecosystems (…)
    – (…) precious resources for humankind
    – Sustainability Living Lab
    – Analyzing sustainable mobility
    – Ecological monitoring of sources of renewable energy https://youtu.be/2_MA3CujocU?feature=shared
    –     Searching the Universe for exoplanets (…)
    – (…) and massive black holes
    – First-class instruments for the largest telescopes in the world
    – Name of one of our astrophysicists even shines in the night sky
    – Development of tangible tools to promote digital learning for visually impaired children
    – Mapping of the biodiversity that exists on green roofs and facades in cities
    – Role of cleaning fishes in conserving biodiversity distinguished with FLAD Science Award Atlantic 2023
    – Several of our researchers among the world’s top 2% scientists
    – Herdade da Ribeira Abaixo
    – Community of Science Communicators

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Marta Daniela Santos
    mddsantos@fc.ul.pt
    Host Institution
    Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon
    Portugal
    Hosting Conditions

    You will be able to experience and explore first-hand a community of scientists of all fields that are growing together, sharing ideas and talent. You will have a desk in a shared office, immersed in the Communication and Image Unit of Ciências ULisboa (currently eight professionals), while maintaining total independence. The Communication and Image Unit can support you in contacts with Ciências ULisboa researchers that you might need during your residence. Ciências ULisboa has a privileged location in the heart of Lisbon, being easily accessible by bus, subway, car, or bicycle. Beyond the +300 teaching and research labs on campus, you will also have the opportunity to visit our research infrastructures beyond campus: e.g. our Field Station which is a living lab (Herdade da Ribeira Abaixo) and Guia Marine Laboratory. The Faculty has a diverse offer of canteens and bars throughout the campus, to which you will have access in equal terms as Ciências staff. The same applies to the activities provided by the Lisbon University Stadium, which includes a swimming pool complex, large sports fields, and a fitness academy. Sharing science with society is already a priority present in Ciências ULisboa activities, which is implemented, for example, in the activities organized by its Community of Science Communicators. Since November 2019, this work group has organized over 13 informal meetings and 8 training sessions, involving 35 invited speakers and >800 participants in total. We would be glad to welcome you to share your expertise in seminars and roundtables exploring the differences between science communication and science journalism and how can scientists and journalists better communicate and work together. Come join us!

  • Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid 

    The Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM), belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), is a world-renowned research institution committed to performing synergetic research at the cutting edge of knowledge for addressing urgent societal challenges for which having new advanced materials are essential. With over 110 staff researchers and more than 80 Ph.D. students, postdocs and tenure track investigators, ICMM is a leading center in the field of materials science and nanotechnology.

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    Researchers are organized in research groups that cover from fundamental research to technological applications, aligned with three main interdisciplinary research lines related to the important social challenges included in the 2030 agenda: Materials for digital information, materials for a sustainable world and materials for health. The large number of scientists belonging to ICMM allows us to face synergetic problems, sharing cutting-edge instrumentation and expertise.
    Situated within the “UAM+CSIC International Excellence Campus”, ICMM maintains a robust partnership with the “Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)”, fostering knowledge exchange and shared scientific resources. Our institute also establishes global collaborations with numerous universities and research centers, cultivating an atmosphere of dynamic scientific interchange and teamwork. We are deeply committed to internationalizing research, welcoming senior researchers, postdocs, and predoctoral visitors from around the world.

    We place great emphasis on gender equality and ethical conduct in science. We promote an inclusive culture offering equal opportunities at all ranks, vigilantly mitigating any inappropriate gender-related behaviors. We encourage work-life balance, organize activities that advance ethical practices in scientific research, and diligently safeguard against any research misconduct, such as data falsification, improper authorship attribution, or inadequate data sharing. At ICMM, we not only pioneer scientific advancements but also uphold the highest standards of professional ethics and inclusivity.

    List of research lines:

    Materials for a Sustainable World: Materials for Energy and Materials for Environmental Remediation and Green Processes

    Materials for Health: Nanoplatforms for Therapy and Diagnosis and Technologies and Instrumentation for Nanomedicine

    Materials for Digital Information: Materials for Advanced Electronics and Photonics and Quantum Materials and Technologies

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Ángela Rodríguez Bonachera
    angela.bonachera@csic.es
    Host Institution
    Material Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC)
    Spain
    Hosting Conditions

    ICMM-CSIC is located on the Campus of the Autonoma University of Madrid, with natural areas in the surroundings. The journalist will have an individual desk in a common room with the Administrative Services and the Communication Office. The work mode is hybrid. He/she will have a computer and access to the institution's Wi-Fi, ensuring optimal conditions for daily tasks. Additionally, he/she will have unrestricted access to an important number of scientific online articles and other online resources. During the residency, the journalist will work alongside Ángela R. Bonachera, led by the Communication Office of the ICMM-CSIC. He/she will also be able to access to in-house events (seminars, lectures, etc.) and social events or activities. We will provide the visiting fellow access to our researchers, enable visits to the research facilities such as archives and libraries, and dedicate the necessary time to explain the research procedures.

  • Bioengineering for the future of medicine

    Established in 2005, the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is a leading-edge multidisciplinary research centre in Barcelona. It conducts excellent interdisciplinary research at the frontiers of basic and life sciences linked with engineering to generate new knowledge and applications by putting together biophysics, cell engineering, nanomedicine, biomaterials, tissue engineering and the applications of information technology to health.​Researchers at IBEC participate in innovative work in areas such as bioelectronics, regenerative medicine, and biomechanics, seeking innovative solutions to improve healthcare and quality of life.The institute promotes a collaborative environment, encouraging scientists to explore new ideas and collaborate across disciplines.
    ​This new knowledge has been applied during the last years to the advanced technological challenges (ATCs) such as biofabrication for tailored advanced therapies and regeneration and bioengineered living systems, as well as to the advanced societal health challenges (SHCs) such as bioengineering for cancer diagnosis and prognosis; bioengineering for healthy ageing; bioengineering for rare diseases treatments; and bioengineering against COVID-19, added due to the pandemic outbreak. IBEC has gained global recognition with impactful publications and projects.

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    IBEC’s 2024-2027 scientific program focuses on 5 breakthrough scientific-technological areas to develop knowledge and technologies to answer fundamental biological questions and facilitate the uptake of Precision Medicine, Advanced and Emergent therapies and address Global Health and Pandemics. Our vision is conducting pioneering, high-impact basic and applied research addressing unmet biomedical needs through interdisciplinary bioengineering innovations. Our methodology involves fundamental, multi-disciplinary investigations to understand biological systems quantitatively from molecule, cell, tissue, organ to system levels to develop devices, therapies, and protocols leading to better diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of human diseases and improving quality of life.
    ​IBEC’s 5 Breakthrough Focus Areas:
    ​1-New information and data with advanced microscopy, imaging and biological ​mapping-G.Gomila,P. Gorostiza,G. Battaglia,I.Marco-Rius,B.Bolognesi,X. Rovira
    ​2-Engineering of molecular systems based on biological self-assembling, synthetic ​biology and nanomedicine for advanced therapeutic systems-S.Sánchez, S. Muro, ​E.Torrents, X.Fernández-Busquets,C. Rodríguez-Emmenegger
    ​3-Physical forces in Biology: tissue, cell and molecular mechanobiology-X.Trepat, P.​Roca-Cusachs, M.Salmerón-Sánchez
    ​4-Preserving, regenerating and fabricating human organs and tissues: Biomodels and ​tissue engineering-E. Martínez,E.Engel, N.Montserrat, J.A. del Río, Z. Álvarez
    ​5-Ubiquitous sensors, engineered living sensors and smart data analysis: ​Bioelectronic and biomedical signal processing-J. Samitier, J. Ramón, R. Jané, S. ​Marco


    ​

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    ​Pilar ​Jiménez Sánchez​
    ibeccommunications@ibecbarcelona.eu
    Host Institution
    Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)​
    Spain
    Hosting Conditions

    The journalist will be provided with an individual desk, a computer, and access to the institution's Wi-Fi, ensuring optimal conditions for daily tasks. Additionally, he/she will have unrestricted access to an important number of scientific online articles and other online resources. During the residency, our science journalists will be supported and mentored by one member of the department of Strategic Initiatives and the Communications and Public Relations Units.

  • Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies

    The mission of the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS) is to advance the highest quality research at Aarhus University (AU) by attracting talented, highly qualified fellows worldwide and within all disciplines. Fellows are provided ideal opportunities to further develop their research in short to long fellowship periods by ensuring fellows’ participation in various kinds of collaboration and exchange with researchers, research groups and advanced students at AU and abroad. The primary criterion for selection of fellows is excellence and not research topic. Therefore, fellows represent a broad scope of academic disciplines and are hereby contributing to the multidisciplinary setting of the Institute. Fellows are encouraged to engage with each other and with local researchers. We strive for diversity in all ways, and host fellows and researchers from all disciplines and nationalities.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Lotte Holm
    lho@aias.au.dk
    Host Institution
    Aarhus University
    Denmark
    Hosting Conditions

    We will provide incoming science journalists with an office space in the AIAS building, situated inside the Aarhus university campus. Science journalists will be included in the daily activities of the house; seminars, workshops, lunches etc. Science journalists will also have access to library facilities and administrative assistance from the AIAS staff. AIAS will assist science journalists in making contact with relevant researchers at the university and other potential collaborators of interest in Denmark. AIAS has a collaboration with the Erasmus Mundus journalism programme, hosted at AU https://mundusjournalism.com.

  • ERC@UC Science Journalism Initiative

    Research Projects at UC:

    • Dulce Freire, Rural History, Starting Grant (StG), SH3, ERC-2017-STG, ReSEED, Rescuing seeds’ heritage: engaging in a new framework of agriculture and innovation since the 18th century. Hosting conditions: Image/ video journalist for 5 months in early 2024;
    • Jorge Almeida, Cognitive Neurosciences, Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2018-STG, ContentMAP, Contentotopic mapping: the topographical organization of object knowledge in the brain. Hosting conditions: 1st semester of 2024;
    • Bárbara Gomes, End of life care, Starting Grant (StG), SH3, ERC-2020-STG, EOLinPLACE, Choice of where we die: a classification reform to discern diversity in individual end-of-life pathways. Hosting conditions: Oct 2024 – Feb 2025 would be good for us but can also consider other later dates.
    • Leona Polyanskaya, Multilingualism, Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2021-STG, TypoMetaLing, Effect of linguistic experience on metacognition in language tasks and transfer to non-linguistic behaviour. Hosting conditions: April-June 2024 or September-December 2024.
    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    João Ramalho-Santos
    nae@uc.pt
    Host Institution
    University of Coimbra
    Portugal
    Hosting Conditions

    Science journalists in residence will be given an individual office and desk according to need, preferably in the specific ERC lab. ERC labs at UC have a research manager / dissemination and communication officer to act as point of contact, but availability and expertise will depend of the specific project. Early on and whenever needed, the Vice-rectory for Research at the UC and team that supports the ERC@UC initiative will liaison with our Division of communication. Journalists will be given the status of UC external collaborator for access to facilities and resources, which includes all libraries at UC.

  • Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

    We are a public university, founded on 6 August 1868 as Scuola Superiore di Commercio. We have reached a high national and international standing with the quality of our research and teaching, which reaches across countries and disciplines. Our university community includes over 23.000 students and 1.400 faculty and staff from all over the world. The main campus is in a large Gothic palace in the heart of Venice, overlooking the Grand Canal, and other venues are spread across the historic centre of Venice, plus Mestre and Treviso.

    We contribute to scientific progress through excellent research that addresses global challenges and has an impact across disciplines. We promote frontier research with the active application of the hard sciences and digital sciences to the centuries-old tradition rooted in the social sciences, humanities, and economics. We are among the top institutions in Europe for the number of Marie Curie fellowships funded by the EU, and first in Italy for European Research Council (ERC) funding. For the quality of their scientific projects, four departments have been acknowledged by MIUR (Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research) as “Departments of Excellence”.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Enrico Costa
    enrico.costa@unive.it
    Host Institution
    Ca' Foscari University of Venice
    Italy
    Hosting Conditions

    The Media Relations office is available to discuss directly with interested journalists about the research projects, the available researchers, working conditions and resources.

  • Biocultural Diversity Lab

    The Biocultural Diversity Lab focuses on the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), a set of knowledge related to the environment, shared within communities in a specific place. The Biocultural Diversity Lab research has a specific focus on ethnobotany and ethnobiology. The Biocultural Diversity Lab was born during the implementation of the ERC project ‘Divided Generations’ (ERC-StG-2016 DiGe), which carried out research on the medicinal and food uses of plants among different ethnic groups in Eastern and Northern Europe divided during creation or following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, examining the impact of sources, medicine, education, and laws governing their use.
    The focal points of the permanent activities of the Biocultural Diversity Lab are the evolution of knowledge based on the relationships between humans and the environment, both today and in past centuries, through various qualitative and quantitative methods. The application of the results of the research of the Biocultural Diversity Lab is education, the development of local products, participatory conservation strategies, and policy suggestions.

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    We invite the candidates to participate in our three main research projects that will be covered in 2024:
    a) DiGe has clearly demonstrated the devastating effect of Russian occupation on the LEK of the studied traditional societies/minor ethnic groups. We detected erosion, homogenization and standardization of the knowledge within state borders and cross-border differences in knowledge transmission. We will continue studying the medicinal plant use in the researched area, looking for common patterns and the effects of literature and the official Soviet medical system on local ethnomedicine.
    b) The research on the people-nature relations in migration concentrates on the historical Italian migrants to Brazil, exploring the specific plant species that were brought, adapted, or learnt from the local environments, the techniques used for cultivation, and the cultural and social factors that influenced these practices. The ultimate goal of the research is to identify best practices for bicultural conservation considering the local identities and to inform policy and decision-making in this area.
    c) Fishery practices of Laguna di Venezia in Italy and Laguna di Bay in the Philippines are studied from the perspective of the local fishers, involving them as experts in identifying the drivers of changes (both climate and anthropogenic) and searching for sustainable and community-friendly solutions.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Renata Soukand
    renata.soukand@unive.it
    Host Institution
    Ca' Foscari University of Venice
    Italy
    Hosting Conditions

    The science journalist in residence will have an individual desk in an open working space, full access to the premises in working hours, access to the cafeteria, library and online resources. Ca' Foscari's Media Relations Office staff is available to support the journalist during the residency. The BCD Lab team works mainly in the office, except in the season of fieldwork (mainly summer). Depending on the interest of the journalist participation in various fieldwork could also be possible. The main working language in the BCD Lab is English, yet other options can be discussed. The journalist is also invited, if willing, to participate in seminars and regular work discussions, explore the herbarium collections and interact with numerous degree-seeking students of BCD Lab.

  • Italian Institute of Technology

    IIT’s headquarters are in Genoa, constantly linked to its Centres in Italy and two outstations based in the USA. The journalist’s residency may be located in Genoa, where the majority of IIT’s researchers have their labs, or in the network Centers sites: Milano, Torino, Venezia, Rovereto, Ferrara, Pisa, Napoli, Roma, Lecce. The IIT staff comprises more than 1,900 people from about 70 countries, with an average age of 35.
    Currently, IIT is conducting the 2018-2023 scientific plan developing four strategic research domains: Robotics, Nanomaterials, Technologies for Life Science, and Computational Sciences. In 2024 a new scientific plan will be launched with an additional focus on Artificial Intelligence. The main goal is to produce technologies that will have a positive impact on some important societal challenges, such as sustainability and the environment, healthcare and aging society.

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    Among the most advanced research results at IIT, there is the first edible and rechargeable battery, the robots iCub, ErgoCub, Alterego, Centauro and HyQ, the soft robots Plantoid and iSeed, the new smart materials obtained by food waste, and 34 start-up companies.
    IIT is an example of multidisciplinarity, which is one of the most significant characteristics of current scientific research and, also, the great variety of topics that a science journalist is expected to handle in his/her work. IIT is an ideal venue for science journalists who wish to discover and experience a heterogeneous and international scientific environment, ranging from biology to robotics, from new materials to neuroscience, from basic science to technology transfer.


    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Valeria delle Cave
    valeria.dellecave@iit.it
    Host Institution
    Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology)
    Italy
    Hosting Conditions

    The journalist’s residency will be organized in such a way that the science journalist will be in direct contact with various researchers according to her/his journalism project. She/he will be able to visit specific facilities and observe research experiments (only if permitted by IIT safety regulations). She/he will have a desk within the Communication and External Relations Directorate office, having the possibility to interact with the IIT’s press officers and have their support to organize her/his stay. She/he will have access to IIT premises, cafeteria and restaurant during working hours and days (Mon-Fri). Other details and specific necessities will be discussed directly with the interested journalist/s.

  • Fishing Architecture. The Ecological Continuum between Buildings and Fish Species

    The shores of the North Atlantic house diverse architectural cultures and its waters are home to a wealth of fish species. The industrialisation of fisheries in the early 19th century and the globalisation of the industry at the end of the 20th century impacted the area’s fishing architecture. The project will assess the ecological impact of fishing constructions and the natural resources they depend upon. Specifically, it will advance our understanding of the ecological impact of human activity. The project will focus on marine ecosystems, fishing technology, food processing, politics, and consumption habits in order to offer a new perspective on construction, in which fishing landscapes bring together land and sea.

    Research Domain
    Contact Person
    Andre Tavares
    andre@dafne.pt
    Host Institution
    Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto
    Portugal
    Hosting Conditions

    Our team works at the Pink House, a dependence of the architecture school designed by the renowned architect Álvaro Siza. The team works both in the office and remote. Journalists in residence will be offered a shared office and an individual desk, there is access to cafeteria, library, online resources and garden. The architectural school has one press officer.