Two IRAP FENG Grants for UG – success of ICTQT and ICCVS
On 29th February 2024, the Foundation for Polish Science published the results of calls for proposals under the International Research Agendas programme funded by the European Funds for Smart Economy Programme.
The International Research Agendas programme (IRAP FENG) supports the establishment or development of specialised, world-leading research groups and organisations in which scientific excellence and international competitiveness of research can be achieved.
Of the 16 proposals submitted, 4 have received funding with a total of 120 million zlotys. The funds will be used to develop International Research Agendas carried out at three research institutions. Among the awarded projects are two that are being implemented at the University of Gdańsk (UG).
UG projects covered by the funding:
“The International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies 2.0: The R&D Industrial and Experimental phase” has received PLN 30 million. The project is implemented at the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies (ICTQT) established in 2018.
The goal of the project is to develop new and groundbreaking quantum technology methods and their new applications. The work should contribute to success in the area of commercialization. Research will focus on developing quantum devices such as quantum random number generators, quantum communication links, more advanced sensors, and quantum software, among others. The research is headed by Prof. Marek Żukowski, an eminent Polish theoretical physicist who specializes in aspects related to the foundations of quantum mechanics.
The ICTQT is a joint research unit of the University of Gdańsk (UG) and the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IQOQI-Vienna), which serves as its official strategic partner. The centre aims to conduct scientific research and development in line with its research agenda, within an international academic environment, and at the highest academic level. It emphasizes adherence to high ethical standards, good academic practices, and the dissemination of knowledge.
“The Science for Welfare, Innovations and Forceful Therapies (SWIFT)” project has received funding of PLN 30 million. It will be implemented by the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (ICCVS) at the University of Gdańsk, established in 2017.
The researchers aim to develop a comprehensive anti-cancer therapy that will be taken to the clinical trial phase and open up new avenues of research in oncology. The research is headed by Prof. Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska, a prominent immunologist specializing in the therapeutic use of immune cells.
The International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (ICCVS) was established in 2017 as a joint unit of the University of Gdańsk (UG) and the University of Edinburgh (UoE) within a project carried out within the International Research Agendas Programme of the Foundation for Polish Science and the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The ICCVS focuses on the development of a personalized vaccine against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The approach is based on the use of cancer specific T cells that are selected by the special algorithm elaborated at ICCVS. The first in vitro and in vivo studies are very encouraging, and the team plans to start clinical trials in a few years perspective.
For more information about the competition, visithttps://www.fnp.org.pl/en/pierwsze-nabory-w-dzialaniu-mab-feng-rozstrzygniete/.
