Funded by the ERC-2025-StG with €3 million, the research of the University of Padua
04.09.2025
Research into the development of new therapeutic strategies for motor neuron diseases and the creation of innovative nanometric materials for advanced sensors, useful in monitoring health, the environment, and biological processes, has been awarded €3 million. Even in 2025, the University of Padua confirms its success in the highly competitive European Research Council (ERC) calls within the Horizon Europe programme (2021-2027). Two Principal Investigators from the University of Padua, Diana Piol and Alessandra Zanut, have indeed obtained an ERC Starting Grant in the recently concluded call (ERC-2025-StG), demonstrating the competitiveness and international prestige of the University as a training centre for young researchers capable of attracting significant funding with innovative research projects.
"On behalf of the entire academic community, I extend my congratulations to Diana Piol and Alessandra Zanut, who have received an important European recognition thanks to their research work. ERC Starting Grants reward not only the quality and originality of projects but also the ability to tackle significant scientific challenges. Today's result confirms the competitiveness of our University," says Daniela Mapelli, Rector of the University of Padua. "Just a few months ago, Padua distinguished itself as the leading Italian research institution for the number of ERC Advanced Grants obtained. This new achievement demonstrates the solidity and continuity of our commitment to research, valuing the careers in consolidation and the results of the most established groups. We are proud to see the value of our researchers recognised at a European level. This encourages us to continue investing in creating a context that favours the development of innovative ideas, scientific growth, and international collaboration. In this way, the University of Padua can contribute to the progress of knowledge, the well-being of society, and the construction of a more sustainable future."
The research sectors funded by the ERC at Padua are Physical Sciences and Engineering and Life Sciences. Diana Piol, a researcher at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, aims to develop new therapeutic strategies for motor neuron diseases, combining laboratory and animal model studies with advanced technologies to analyse cells in extremely detailed ways. Alessandra Zanut, a Tenure Track researcher at the Department of Chemical Sciences, focuses on creating innovative nanometric materials to develop advanced sensors, useful in monitoring health, the environment, and biological processes. A key element of her work is the study of the chemical mechanisms underlying electrochemical luminescence, using both traditional laboratory instruments and miniature molecular components and materials.
The ERC calls fund pioneering research projects, supporting the development of researchers who can become leaders in their scientific field. The University of Padua invests in these particularly competitive international calls through the STARS@Unipd programme, aimed at fostering the scientific development of young researchers of excellence and promoting their career independence.
The Executive Agency of the European Research Council - ERCEA has today published the results of the ERC-2023-StG call. The University of Padua ranks third in Italy for the number of Starting Grants won, confirming its position at the top among the main national universities, alongside the Polytechnic University of Milan, Sapienza University of Rome, and the Polytechnic University of Turin. Bocconi University and the University of Parma lead with 4 and 3 projects respectively. In total, 30 projects have been funded at Italian institutions, while 55 projects have been won by Italian citizens, including those working abroad.
