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Under the European Research Council (ERC) programme, the University of Padua has been awarded funding for a new revolutionary interdisciplinary research project. Following the successes in the ERC Starting Grants 2025 call (with 2 Principal Investigators selected), this time it is the researcher Maria Loconsole from the University of Padua, in collaboration with Elias Garcia-Pelegrin from the National University of Singapore, who has secured nearly 4 million Euros under the Synergy Grant 2025 scheme. The FLAP project (Fostering Learning and Adaptation through Predictability) will run for 6 years, with Maria Loconsole serving as the Corresponding Principal Investigator and leading the team.
With her new project, FLAP, Loconsole investigates how the mind, from the earliest stages of life, reacts to environmental changes. By placing birds at the centre of the investigation, this project combines scientific research with attention to animal welfare and conservation, starting from the synergy between zoology and comparative psychology.
Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
ERC calls are highly competitive and support frontier research by funding innovative projects. The Synergy Grant scheme requires the creation of transdisciplinary units that collaborate synergistically. This grant, the second won by the University of Padua, confirms the University's excellence in research and the creation of international scientific networks. Maria Leptin, President of the ERC, commented, "Collaboration is at the heart of the ERC Synergy Grants funding [...] With more funds, the European Research Council could fully exploit this availability of top-level science. These scientific efforts are what Europe needs to be truly at the forefront."
The FLAP project explores the interaction between birds' cognitive abilities, early life experiences, and environmental predictability. By studying species such as domestic chickens and hornbills, FLAP aims to understand how different parental care strategies influence environmental responses. The results will contribute to the design of practices for animal welfare and conservation strategies. Elias Garcia-Pelegrin, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, focuses on the intelligence of hornbills and the role of zoos in conservation. His work supports the creation of practices for environmental enrichment and bird care, improving their welfare and reproductive success.
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With her new project, FLAP, Loconsole investigates how the mind, from the earliest stages of life, reacts to environmental changes. By placing birds at the centre of the investigation, this project combines scientific research with attention to animal welfare and conservation, starting from the synergy between zoology and comparative psychology.
Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
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Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
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The FLAP project explores the interaction between birds' cognitive abilities, early life experiences, and environmental predictability. By studying species such as domestic chickens and hornbills, FLAP aims to understand how different parental care strategies influence environmental responses. The results will contribute to the design of practices for animal welfare and conservation strategies. Elias Garcia-Pelegrin, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, focuses on the intelligence of hornbills and the role of zoos in conservation. His work supports the creation of practices for environmental enrichment and bird care, improving their welfare and reproductive success.
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With her new project, FLAP, Loconsole investigates how the mind, from the earliest stages of life, reacts to environmental changes. By placing birds at the centre of the investigation, this project combines scientific research with attention to animal welfare and conservation, starting from the synergy between zoology and comparative psychology.
Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
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Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
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Under the European Research Council (ERC) programme, the University of Padua has been awarded funding for a new revolutionary interdisciplinary research project. Following the successes in the ERC Starting Grants 2025 call (with 2 Principal Investigators selected), this time it is the researcher Maria Loconsole from the University of Padua, in collaboration with Elias Garcia-Pelegrin from the National University of Singapore, who has secured nearly 4 million Euros under the Synergy Grant 2025 scheme. The FLAP project (Fostering Learning and Adaptation through Predictability) will run for 6 years, with Maria Loconsole serving as the Corresponding Principal Investigator and leading the team.
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Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
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Under the European Research Council (ERC) programme, the University of Padua has been awarded funding for a new revolutionary interdisciplinary research project. Following the successes in the ERC Starting Grants 2025 call (with 2 Principal Investigators selected), this time it is the researcher Maria Loconsole from the University of Padua, in collaboration with Elias Garcia-Pelegrin from the National University of Singapore, who has secured nearly 4 million Euros under the Synergy Grant 2025 scheme. The FLAP project (Fostering Learning and Adaptation through Predictability) will run for 6 years, with Maria Loconsole serving as the Corresponding Principal Investigator and leading the team.
With her new project, FLAP, Loconsole investigates how the mind, from the earliest stages of life, reacts to environmental changes. By placing birds at the centre of the investigation, this project combines scientific research with attention to animal welfare and conservation, starting from the synergy between zoology and comparative psychology.
Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
ERC calls are highly competitive and support frontier research by funding innovative projects. The Synergy Grant scheme requires the creation of transdisciplinary units that collaborate synergistically. This grant, the second won by the University of Padua, confirms the University's excellence in research and the creation of international scientific networks. Maria Leptin, President of the ERC, commented, "Collaboration is at the heart of the ERC Synergy Grants funding [...] With more funds, the European Research Council could fully exploit this availability of top-level science. These scientific efforts are what Europe needs to be truly at the forefront."
The FLAP project explores the interaction between birds' cognitive abilities, early life experiences, and environmental predictability. By studying species such as domestic chickens and hornbills, FLAP aims to understand how different parental care strategies influence environmental responses. The results will contribute to the design of practices for animal welfare and conservation strategies. Elias Garcia-Pelegrin, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, focuses on the intelligence of hornbills and the role of zoos in conservation. His work supports the creation of practices for environmental enrichment and bird care, improving their welfare and reproductive success.
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Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
ERC calls are highly competitive and support frontier research by funding innovative projects. The Synergy Grant scheme requires the creation of transdisciplinary units that collaborate synergistically. This grant, the second won by the University of Padua, confirms the University's excellence in research and the creation of international scientific networks. Maria Leptin, President of the ERC, commented, "Collaboration is at the heart of the ERC Synergy Grants funding [...] With more funds, the European Research Council could fully exploit this availability of top-level science. These scientific efforts are what Europe needs to be truly at the forefront."
The FLAP project explores the interaction between birds' cognitive abilities, early life experiences, and environmental predictability. By studying species such as domestic chickens and hornbills, FLAP aims to understand how different parental care strategies influence environmental responses. The results will contribute to the design of practices for animal welfare and conservation strategies. Elias Garcia-Pelegrin, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, focuses on the intelligence of hornbills and the role of zoos in conservation. His work supports the creation of practices for environmental enrichment and bird care, improving their welfare and reproductive success.
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With her new project, FLAP, Loconsole investigates how the mind, from the earliest stages of life, reacts to environmental changes. By placing birds at the centre of the investigation, this project combines scientific research with attention to animal welfare and conservation, starting from the synergy between zoology and comparative psychology.
Loconsole's success, already a grant winner in the STARS@Unipd 2023 programme, demonstrates that young researchers with innovative ideas can secure prestigious funding. Fabio Zwirner, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Padua, highlights the importance of the STARS@Unipd programme and the internationalisation of research, noting that "young researchers who do not yet hold a stable position at the University can obtain the most prestigious international grants."
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The FLAP project explores the interaction between birds' cognitive abilities, early life experiences, and environmental predictability. By studying species such as domestic chickens and hornbills, FLAP aims to understand how different parental care strategies influence environmental responses. The results will contribute to the design of practices for animal welfare and conservation strategies. Elias Garcia-Pelegrin, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, focuses on the intelligence of hornbills and the role of zoos in conservation. His work supports the creation of practices for environmental enrichment and bird care, improving their welfare and reproductive success.
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