European Research and Innovation Days: Public Engagement Awards
Laureates and Their Impact
The laureates of the ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards will share insights from their innovative projects at the European Research and Innovation Days in November.
Elaine Chew
Affiliation: King’s College London
Awarded for: “A boundary-spanning and truly interdisciplinary approach reaching millions of ears and hearts.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: Music and cardiovascular health.
- Engagement: Translates research into a citizen-science initiative involving the public, musicians, and clinicians.
- Methods: Innovative digital tools and live demonstrations to raise awareness and inspire interdisciplinary collaborations.
Katalin Csilléry
Affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL
Awarded for: “Sowing the seeds of a European-wide network of foresters and transforming forests into living laboratories.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: Genetic origin and forest conditions affecting tree regeneration.
- Engagement: Collaboration with scientists through experimental micro-gardens across 23 countries.
Konstantina Kilteni
Affiliation: Karolinska Institute and Donders Institute
Awarded for: “Transforming a universal and seemingly trivial experience into serious scientific insights through dialogue and laughter.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: Human ticklishness and its neuroscience implications.
- Engagement: Museum-based public engagement that fosters dialogue between science and society.
Prabha Kotiswaran
Affiliation: King’s College London
Awarded for: “Bringing visibility to women’s invisible labour in India and shaping societal change.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: Advocacy for women’s rights in sectors like sex work and domestic labor.
- Engagement: Awareness-raising among legislators and the public through campaigns and documentaries.
Sarah Lebeer
Affiliation: University of Antwerp
Awarded for: “Taking us on a participatory journey into how bonobos, vaginas, strawberries, and kimchi are unexpectedly connected through microbiomes.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: Research on lactobacilli and microbiomes.
- Engagement: Series of citizen science projects on health, food, and agriculture.
Karim Lekadir
Affiliation: University of Barcelona
Awarded for: “Respect, trust-building, and culturally sensitive engagement with local communities.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: AI-supported pregnancy ultrasound in rural Kenya.
- Engagement: Involves expectant mothers and community influencers through culturally sensitive methods.
Valeria Pulignano
Affiliation: KU Leuven
Awarded for: “Bringing the unheard voices of delivery drivers and platform workers to influence EU laws.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: Fair work conditions in the digital economy.
- Engagement: Workshops and discussions revealing the hidden costs of platform work.
Roanne van Voorst
Affiliation: University of Amsterdam
Awarded for: “Highly original use of co-created theatre to voice ethical AI dilemmas in healthcare.”
Project Highlights:
- Focus: Real experiences with AI in healthcare.
- Engagement: Theatre performances that facilitate public discussions on ethics and patient safety.
About the Awards
The 2026 ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards received 110 applications from 26 countries. An independent jury selected the winners, each receiving €10,000. Past awards were given in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
