Nine Innovative Projects Selected After Second Aurora Call for Incentive and Collaborative Research Projects
Launched in December 2024, Aurora’s second Call for Incentive and Collaborative Research Projects received 29 high-quality applications from Aurora universities , gathering the expertise of at least 129 researchers from diverse disciplines. Nine projects were selected to receive funding over the next two years.
The 2025 Call for Incentive and Collaborative Research Projects was undertaken within the framework of Aurora 2030 Task 5.2 on Academic Collaboration and Community Building. The objective of this annual call is to further grow research cooperation within Aurora universities, for both young and established academics.
Research proposals were evaluated based on a challenging list of criteria, which includes scientific quality, originality and feasibility. In addition, projects must reflect their added value in their potential to build scientific communities, and, if relevant for their topic, to contribute to the Aurora Research-driven Educational Hubs.
Innovative Projects Take Center Stage
Following a thorough evaluation process, the Aurora Research Council (ARC) selected nine innovative research projects for a total available funding of €125,000, counting an average of €14,000 per project. Results of the ARC’s evaluation were then confirmed by the Vice-rectors for Research from Aurora universities.
Funded projects will begin in autumn 2025 and run for the next two years. Below is the list of successful projects. Detailed information for each project will be made available soon on this page.
Reinforcing Future Collaboration in Research and Innovation
The results for the Call for Incentive and Collaborative Research Projects 2025 demonstrate the continuous effort to foster tangible, robust and durable scientific and academic collaboration in Aurora universities. Success of these projects and the value of researchers’ scientific work, will enrich the Aurora community, contribute to progress within the Aurora hubs, while also sparking positive impact in response to societal challenges.
Following the success of the two calls, Aurora hopes to secure more funding for this action in the future. The Board of Rectors, with strategic input from the Vice-Rectors for Research and the Vice-Rectors for Education, is actively exploring options for continued institutional support, including the potential allocation of university resources to finance future calls.
Furthermore, strengthening the integration of research and education has been identified as a priority in line with Aurora’s mission. To this end, the next call, planned for 2026, will be more closely aligned with the Aurora Research-Driven Educational Hubs, reinforcing Aurora’s commitment to research-informed teaching and sustainable institutional transformation.