The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded Starting Grants to three prominent Indian researchers: Dr. Shreeya Shetye, Dr. Kaustubh Hakim, and Dr. Parth Chansoria. They are recognized among 421 global awardees for their innovative projects in astrophysics, exoplanet science, and regenerative medicine, each receiving up to €1.5 million.
Key Points:
- ERC Starting Grants: An esteemed funding scheme under the EU’s Horizon Europe program, designed to support early-career researchers.
- Strengthening EU-India Collaboration: The awardees exemplify the growing cooperation in research between the EU and India.
Meet the Researchers:
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Dr. Shreeya Shetye
- Project: MERLIN – Magnetism, Evolution, and Rotation in Late-stage stellar Nucleosynthesis
- Institution: Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
- Focus: Investigates magnetic fields in evolved stars and their influence on stellar evolution.
- Quote: “With MERLIN, we want to use these chemical fingerprints to investigate whether magnetic fields influence internal mixing and the production of heavy elements in evolved stars.”
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Dr. Kaustubh Hakim
- Project: ExoGeochem – Geochemical Atmospheric Signatures of Sub-Neptune Exoplanets
- Institutions: Royal Observatory of Belgium & KU Leuven, Belgium.
- Focus: Combines high-pressure experiments to understand the composition of sub-Neptune exoplanets.
- Quote: “Providing these missing data is the key objective of ExoGeochem.”
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Dr. Parth Chansoria
- Project: EchoPrint – Acoustic Holography for Rapid In Situ Fabrication of Biomimetic Tissue Grafts
- Institution: ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
- Focus: Develops ultrasound-responsive materials for regenerative medicine.
- Quote: “We aim to shape tissue scaffolds directly within the body using novel materials.”
Future Opportunities:
The next ERC Starting Grants call for 2027 is open for applications until October 14, 2026.
About the ERC:
Established by the EU in 2007, the ERC funds innovative research across Europe, supporting researchers in various fields.
For more information and application details, visit the ERC website.
