Three UniTS projects have received funding of over 5 million euros from the Italian Science Fund (Fondo Italiano per la Scienza – FIS). This is an excellent achievement that consolidates the University’s role in innovative and quality research. 

Two projects were presented as Advanced Grants by the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, respectively by Paolo Fornasiero, full professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry and Vice-Rector for Research and by Federico Rosei, full professor of Industrial Chemistry. The third project, funded by the Starting Grant line, was presented by Matteo Marinelli of the Department of Physics. 

Rector Donata Vianelli pointed out: ‘These results confirm the quality of recruitment at our university and the commitment of researchers to attract funds that will bring innovation to our research facilities and enable quality research to be conducted internationally.’

The FIS finances research projects of high scientific value conducted by junior researchers (Starting Grant), senior researchers (Consolidator Grant) and established researchers (Advanced Grant) within the ERC (European Research Council) sectors. 

The main objective is to promote the development of fundamental research as established at European level along the lines of the European Research Council (ERC).

The third edition of this programme had a budget of 475 million euros and has allocated significant funding, between 1 and 2.4 million euros, to projects presented by Italian public and private universities and academic institutions, by special-law advanced schools, public research bodies, research hospitals (IRCCS) and legal entities with research purposes. Approximately 325 projects have been funded. 

Here are the winning UniTS projects:

Prof. Paolo Fornasiero’s project (PhotoElectrocatalytic smart Systems for CHEmicals and FUels production) will receive funding of € 2.3 million to tackle an innovative study aimed at developing a  tandem catalytic system in which the photocatalytic conversion of biomass derivatives into industrially useful products is coupled with an electrocatalytic process that can be tuned to the evolution of H2 or the hydrogenation of unsaturated organic molecules.

Prof. Federico Rosei’s project (Study of model photocatalysts to optimize water splitting) will receive € 1.9 million in funding to study model systems that make it possible to understand the mechanisms of photocatalytic water splitting.

Prof. Marinelli Matteo’s project (Tweezer-based quantum Repeater InterConnection) will receive € 1.1 million to develop a new experimental platform dedicated to next generation quantum networks. The project aims to create a modular architecture based on ytterbium atoms trapped in optical tweezers interfaced with an optical resonator for the creation of entanglement states between atoms and photons, a key element for the future quantum internet. 

Photo: prof. Fornasiero, Marinelli and Rosei