Winning projects 2024 Public Engagement with Research Award
24 October 2024
Professors Lucie Cluver, Frederic Dias, Tobias Hauser, Orla Muldoon, Philipp Stockhammer and Mathilde Touvier have been each awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards. The prize recognises European Research Council (ERC) grantees who successfully engage audiences outside their academic domain. Here you can find the summaries of the six winning proposals.
Winning projects  2024 Public Engagement with Research Award

Public engagement to support families in crisis

 

Public engagement to support families in crisisLucie Cluver from the University of Oxford was awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Award ‘for initiating and fostering global collaboration to provide research-based parenting support in crises, improving the well-being of millions worldwide.’

The project she led, called ParentPOWER, aimed to support families in crisis—whether due to pandemics, war, or climate disasters—by providing evidence-based parenting resources. Partnering with UN agencies, NGOs, businesses, and citizen groups, the project developed and distributed tools to caregivers in over 30 languages, reaching millions of families during the covid pandemic and in conflict zones such as Ukraine and Pakistan. The resources included animated videos and a parenting song, adapted by locals to match their cultural references.

By combining scientific research with broad public collaboration, the project had a global impact on parenting practices and mental health. The jury praised it as 'an embodiment of how public engagement thrives at the intersection of science and collaboration', noting its 'remarkable impact across all continents and several crises.'

ParentPOWER set a benchmark for public engagement by fostering strong partnerships across sectors, ensuring the material produced was both participatory and scientifically reliable. The project highlights the power of trust and collaboration in achieving widespread societal impact.

Lucie Cluver won two major ERC research grants, a Starting Grant in 2012 and a Consolidator Grant in 2017 as well as Proof of Concept Grant in 2016. The title of her last ERC-funded research project was 'Helping Empower Youth Brought up in Adversity with their Babies and Young children (HEY BABY)'.

  • Researcher: Lucie Cluver
  • Project: Helping Empower Youth Brought up in Adversity with their Babies and Young children
  • Host Institution: University of Oxford (UK)
  • ERC funding: 2 million euro for 5 years

 

Aran Islands research station

 

Aran Islands research station

Frédéric Dias from ENS Paris-Saclay was awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Award ‘for engaging people living on the Aran Islands in frontier science, integrating local expertise with ocean wave research to advance knowledge and to improve community resilience.’  

Professor Dias’s public engagement project, part of the ERC-funded research, aimed to study energetic waves by establishing a research station on the Aran Islands in Ireland. The project took a community-based approach, integrating local islanders into the scientific process. Through workshops, lectures, and open dialogue, islanders, including schools and fishermen who actively contributed their traditional knowledge to enrich the research.

The station provided wave forecasts and weather predictions, becoming a valuable tool for the local community. The project also inspired the next generation of scientists by involving local schoolchildren.

The jury praised the project for 'sensitively embedding their research station in the community and involving islanders in its work', describing it as 'a jewel of a small-scale project' and a benchmark for future public engagement initiatives. By building trust and collaboration, the project had a lasting impact on both the scientific outcomes and the resilience of the island community. This blend of scientific inquiry and local knowledge serves as an inspirational model for researchers.

Frédéric Dias won an ERC Advanced Grant in 2019 and a Proof of Concept Grant in 2022. His most recent research project is entitled 'Breaking of highly energetic waves (HIGHWAVE)'.

  • Researcher: Frédéric Dias
  • Project: Breaking of highly energetic waves
  • Host Institution: Ecole Normale Superieure Paris-Saclay (FR)
  • ERC funding: 2.5 million euro for 5 years

 

Obsessive-compulsive disorders and the brain

 

Tobias HauserTobias Hauser from University of Tubingen and UCL was awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Award ‘for co-creating an accessible, interactive resource on obsessive-compulsive disorders, bridging neuroscience and community needs for real impact.’  

The 'OCD and the Brain' project, led by Professor Tobias Hauser, aimed to bridge the gap between neuroscience research and the OCD community by co-producing an engaging, available online resource for young people living with OCD, their parents, and their caregivers. Recognising a disconnect between research and real-world experiences, the project brought together researchers, charities, public engagement specialists, and the OCD community in a series of creative workshops and focus groups. This collaboration resulted in a user-friendly website that conveys complex neuroscience tailored to the community's needs.

The project’s method of co-creation was praised for empowering the OCD community, with the jury stating, 'This project elegantly bridges research and real-world needs through a bottom-up, inclusive approach.' Beyond the resource itself, the project’s impact extended into influencing future research, driving new grant applications and projects that address the community’s priorities. 'OCD and the Brain' serves as a powerful example of how genuine collaboration between researchers and citizens can maximise both scientific and societal value.

Tobias Hauser won ERC Starting Grant in 2020 to carry out the project entitled 'Understanding the impact of brain fluctuations on decision making (NeuroFlux)'.

  • Researcher: Tobias Hauser
  • Project: Understanding the impact of brain fluctuations on decision making
  • Host Institution: Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen (DE)
  • ERC funding: 1.5 million euro for 5 years

 

Joining the dots on gender-based violence

 

Joining the dots on gender-based violenceOrla Muldoon from the University of Limerick was awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Award ‘for advancing public understanding of gender-based violence, highlighting its systemic nature and driving societal change.’  

Orla Muldoon’s public engagement project addressed gender-based violence as a societal and public health issue, challenging the view that it is solely a personal or intimate problem. Through research and public advocacy, Muldoon and her team highlighted how the risk of gender-based violence shapes women’s social identities and has serious mental and physical health implications. The project aimed to shift the narrative away from seeing violence against women as a 'women’s issue' and instead focused on its systemic, patterned nature.

Following the murder of a young woman in Ireland, Muldoon engaged the media, NGOs, and policymakers to raise awareness and push for political change, which ultimately contributed to the establishment of a statutory agency (Cuan) dedicated to tackling gender-based violence.  

The jury praised the project for its 'highly effective real-time communication, courage and passion', noting that it succeeded in gaining national media attention and achieving political change with very limited resources. Muldoon’s efforts have not only deepened understanding of gender-based violence but also led to concrete societal and policy shifts in Ireland.

Orla Muldoon won an ERC Advanced Grant in 2020 for her research project entitled 'A Social Identity Model of Trauma and Identity Change: A Novel Theory of Post-Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Growth (SIMTIC)'.

  • Researcher: Orla Muldoon
  • Project: A Social Identity Model of Trauma and Identity Change: A Novel Theory of Post-Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Growth
  • Host Institution: University of Limerick (IE)
  • ERC funding: 2.5 million euro for 5 years

 

Past food: From the lab to edutainment

 

Past food: From the lab to edutainmentPhilipp Stockhammer from LMU Munich was awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Award ‘for innovative public engagement on the ancient origins of the Mediterranean diet, reaching global audiences through edutainment and media.’  

Philipp Stockhammer’s research explored the origins of the Mediterranean Diet as a product of early global interconnectedness dating back to the Bronze Age. He combined archaeological analyses with the study of food remains in human dental calculus and ancient vessels. And he aimed to communicate its findings inclusively to a global audience of all ages.

Stockhammer implemented a multi-channel outreach strategy, securing additional funding to support extensive press coverage and social media activities. The project resulted in approximately 1000 press reports and collaborations on TV documentaries, reaching millions of viewers, and the co-creation of the computer game 'Epic Palace: Knossos' which targeted a broad audience worldwide.

The jury described the initiative as 'a wonderful mass media and dissemination project, crafted around a solid narrative', emphasising its outstanding reach and engagement methods. This comprehensive outreach not only deepened public interest in archaeological research but also fostered interdisciplinary collaborations and informed diverse audiences, from food blogs to dentist magazines, about the historical significance of the Mediterranean Diet.

Philipp Stockhammer won two ERC research grants: a Starting Grant in 2015 and a Consolidator Grant in 2020. His most recent project is entitled 'Transformations of Food in the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age (FoodTransforms)'.

  • Researcher: Philipp Stockhammer
  • Project: Transformations of Food in the Eastern Mediterranean Late Bronze Age
  • Host Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (DE)
  • ERC funding: 1.5 million euro for 5 years

 

Health impact of industrial foods and food additives: from research to public health policies and citizen awareness

 Health impact of industrial foods and food additives: from research to public health policies and citizen awareness

Mathilde Touvier from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) was awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Award ‘for promoting innovative and far-reaching public engagement on food additives, improving global public health awareness and nutrition policies.’  

Mathilde Touvier’s research revealed significant links between exposure to food additives—such as artificial sweeteners and nitrites—and an increased risk of chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes. Recognising the importance of translating research into public health action, Touvier developed a comprehensive multichannel dissemination strategy that reached millions worldwide through educational videos, workshops, documentaries, and media coverage, including interviews with major outlets like CNN and the New York Times.

The jury praised the project as 'an impressive project that empowers citizens to make more informed daily food choices', highlighting its role in transforming society through policymaking. Touvier's efforts have not only raised awareness among policymakers and the public about the health impacts of food additives but also contributed to significant changes in public health recommendations, including the 2023 IARC-WHO classification of aspartame as a possible carcinogen. The project serves as a powerful example of how research can influence behaviour and policy, promoting healthier diets globally while enhancing the dialogue between science and society.

Mathilde Touvier was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2020 for her research project 'Exposure to ‘cocktails’ of food additives and chronic disease risk (ADDITIVES)'.

  • Researcher: Mathilde Touvier
  • Project: Exposure to ‘cocktails’ of food additives and chronic disease risk
  • Host Institution: Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (FR)
  • ERC funding: 2 million euro for 5 years

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