News

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The 11th episode features law expert Bianca Nalbandian.

As part of its lecture series on Infection & Immunity, the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is organising a webinar on the topic “Digital optimization of the feed-microbiome-host nexus”, which takes place on Wednesday, 8 June 2022. 

In 2021, the FNR committed 12.1 MEUR of funding to 31 bi- and multilateral projects across 15 Calls via its INTER scheme to foster international cooperation. 

As part of its lecture series on cancer research, the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is organising a webinar on the topic ‘AllergoOncology: The role of IgE in anti-tumor surveillance – lessons learned from IgE deficient patients’, which takes place on Wednesday, 8 June 2022.  

As a TRANSCAN-3 partner, the FNR is pleased to announce the launch of the Joint Transnational Call (JTC 2022) on the topic: “Novel translational approaches to tackle the challenges of hard-to-treat cancers from early diagnosis to therapy”. The FNR supports this call with 350,000 EUR as part of the INTER programme to foster international cooperation. Pre-proposal deadline is 18 July 2022, full proposal deadline is 15 December 2022.

In June 2021, the FNR and the Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture (MAVDR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), announcing the launch of a joint Call on “Sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems”. Following the Call for proposals, 1 of 8 projects has been retained for funding. The funded project aims to support farmers and policy makers through a smart-cropping management solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect soil carbon. 

On Sunday, 1 May, the “Science Meets Music” – the launch event of the Esch22 Sound of Data project – took place, featuring interactive workshops for adults and children, a cyborg that can hear colours, a musician who converts data into a music and more. 

To strengthen our team within the Research Funding Programmes, we seek to recruit for an immediate opening a: Programme Manager in material, physics and engineering sciences. The position is on a fixed-term full time contract (CDD for 24 months).

This measure serves to provide support for researchers who have fled the war in Ukraine. These persons should be employed at Luxembourg public research institutions in ongoing FNR projects for a maximum of 6 months based on requests for additional funding. The FNR earmarks 1 MEUR for these grants. Additionally, 5 INTER Mobility grants in the 2022-2 call are earmarked for researchers from Ukraine.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 9 projects have been retained for funding in the 2022-1 PSP-Classic Call, representing an FNR Commitment of 203,802 EUR.

The FNR is pleased to announce the 2022-2 RESCOM Call for proposals. Deadline to submit proposals is 30 June 2022, 14:00 CET.

The FNR is pleased to announce a new INTER Mobility Call for proposals. Deadline for applications is 30 June 2022, 14:00 CET. Five grants in this Call are earmarked for researchers from Ukraine.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 6 projects have been selected for funding in the 2022-1 RESCOM Call, an FNR commitment of 141,200 EUR. Through RESCOM, the FNR supports communication between researchers to promote scientific outcomes.

The FNR is pleased to announce that 5 INTER Mobility projects have been selected for funding from the 2022-1 Call, an FNR commitment of 433,000 EUR.

Dr Hannah Rana has been named by Forbes on the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the Science and Healthcare category. This year, the lists received tens of thousands of nominations and were carefully reviewed by an international judging panel of experts. Hannah, a space cryogenics researcher, has been selected amongst the final 30 to be awarded in the Science and Healthcare category.

STATEC is organising an international conference titled “Well-Being 2022 – Knowledge for informed decisions” which will take place from 1 to 4 June 2022 in Luxembourg City.

Following the FNR’s online workshop on the ‘Narrative-style CV’ implemented by the FNR in 2021, the information presented and gathered at the workshop is now available.

100 features have now been published in the ongoing FNR article series Spotlight On Young Researchers. Launched in 2016, the series highlights early career researchers in Luxembourg and Luxembourgish researchers abroad. Of the 121 researchers featured, 61 were female and 60 were male. The series has covered over 85 research topics. 

A conference on the Science-Politics Interface in Parliaments ( « l’interface science-politique dans les parlements ») is being organised by the Scientific Unit of the Chamber of Deputies, the Research Chair in Parliamentary Studies and the University of Luxembourg. The conference takes place on 5 and 6 May 2022 in Abbey Neumünster in Luxembourg Grund. … Continued

The Luxembourg Society for Microbiology is hosting the 5th Luxembourg Microbiology Day on 12 May 2022 at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The ninth episode features maths professor Hugo Parlier.

The layout of the FNR’s website fnr.lu is now 6 years old – time for an update. In order to improve the website in line with your needs, help us by taking our anonymous 5-minute survey to help us understand why and how you use our website, and let us know what you feel might be missing. 

When Science morphs into Music: As part of the Esch2022 project “The Sound of Data”, various sets of data collected by scientists are being transformed into music. Discover the researchers of the University of Luxembourg and of LIST, who collected the data for this project, and learn more about both their data sets and their motivation.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 6 of 9 full proposals for Doctoral Training Units (DTU) in the 2021 PRIDE Call have been retained for funding, corresponding to 71 PhD grants, an FNR commitment of 14.7 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to announce that three young promising researchers from Luxembourg are among the 600 young scientists selected by the Lindau Selection Committee to attend the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. The 2022 Meeting, dedicated to chemistry, takes place from 26 June – 1 July in Lindau, Germany.

Luxinnovation, LuxProvide and the University of Luxembourg run a webinar series on the topic of High-Performance Computing (HPC), in the form of 8 webinars taking place every other Thursday in 2022. The series is aimed at all sector of industry, academia and public administration. In addition, the Supercomputing Day 2022 will take place on 12 May 2022 – register now.

Four of eight projects submitted have been retained for funding following the first Joint Call for HealthTech projects launched in April 2021. The overall contribution of the FNR is 2.8 MEUR and that of the Ministry of the Economy 1.75 MEUR. The remaining costs are covered by the companies’ or research organisations’ own funds.

The calls for the Greater Region prizes “Interregionale Forschungsförderung” / “Soutien interrégional à la recherche” and “Interregionaler Wissenschaftspreis”/ “Prix interrégional de la science” are now open, with a deadline of 15 July 2022. 

The FNR is offering 10 travel grants to excellent young researchers to participate at the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) 2022 which takes place from 13 – 16 July 2022 in Leiden, Netherlands. Application deadline is 19 April, 2022.

Join us on Sunday 1 May 2022 from 14h00-19h30 at Rockhal for the “Science meets Music” event. This is the official launch event of the Esch2022 project “The Sound of Data – science meets music”, which is a collaboration between Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), Centre de Musiques Amplifiées Rockhal, University of Luxembourg and Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). The project aims to create bridges between the worlds of science, technology, music and art.

Luxembourg Agency for Research Integrity (LARI) is looking for a Support Manager to provide technical and administrative support to LARI, its Board and Secretary General, as well as the Commission for Research Integrity. 1 year fixed-term contract, 20 hours/week. Deadline to apply: 30 April 2022.

G4g is hosting an online episode of their “Science, you had me at hello®” series, in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation and HSBC Luxembourg. One of the STEM role models to be featured in the upcoming broadcast on 4 April will be Michèle Weber, Science Communicator at FNR. The event is aimed at girls 14+.

Cindy Lopes-Bento, the FNR’s Head of Science of Science and Professor at the University of Leuven, has secured a prestigious Marie Curie grant for the project “Engaging the citizen. The impact of crowd knowledge on science”, set to launch in Spring 2022, in collaboration with members of the FNR’s Science in Society team. 

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The eighth episode features child poverty researcher Anne-Catherien Guio.

In cooperation with the FNR and several private sponsors, the ‘Section des Sciences Naturelles, physiques et mathématiques de l’Institut Grand-ducal’ is now accepting applications for the 2022 Grand Prix en Sciences de l’Institut Grand Ducal / Prix Feidt, this year being awarded in the domain of geology. Deadline to apply is Thursday, 31 March 2022.

Ever tried to make music out of traffic data? If not, now is your chance! Including a live performance at the Rockhal. The FNR & partners in The Sound of Data are launching an artist-in-residency programme at the Rocklab of the Escher Rockhal. Deadline to apply is 6 May 2022.

The FNR is pleased to announce its participation in the M-ERA.NET Call 2022. The M-ERA.NET 3 Call launched on 15 March, addressing materials research and innovation including materials for energy generating and storing elements to support the European Green deal and Sustainable Development Goals. Pre-proposal deadline is 15 June, full proposal deadline is 17 November 2022.

On Tuesday, 8 March, the inaugural edition of the annual Science for Society Prize came to a close at a ceremony celebrating this year’s laureate, the Luxembourg Science Center. The recently created Prize is an initiative of the Science for Society Foundation – under the aegis of Fondation de Luxembourg, and organised with the FNR – that rewards effective communication of credible scientific information to the general public.

The Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) has joined other European Research organizations associated within Science Europe to condemn the Russian aggression and occupation of Ukraine and to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine as well as with Russian scientists and science journalists that openly speak out against the invasion.

LISER is organising a Workshop on “Globalization, Attitudes and Populism” in the context of the FNR INTER project EUFIRST, involving members of the Living Conditions department and the Crossing Borders programme.

The slides from the online session regarding the CORE/OPEN 2022 call are now available.

Deadline to submit has been extended to Sunday, 13 March.

You have a passion for science and a knack for communication? You want to combine the two, but are not sure where to start? Then join us for a thrilling two-day hackathon on how to produce your own science web video! Organised by the Fast Forward Science contest in cooperation with the FNR, this workshop provides you with all the insights and tools you need to produce your own science web video. Get together, create and communicate your research visually!

In the framework of the FNR’s collaboration with RTL in the PISA science show on TV, the FNR has developed a new format: the science.lu check “Ziel mir keng!”. In each episode, members of the science.lu team answer one main question on a particular topic, while giving background information about the scientific method and explaining the current status of scientific evidence around the topic.

Calling all primary school teachers: do you want to make your natural sciences lessons (éveil aux sciences) more interactive and experiment with your pupils? Then sign up for the national kick-off event of the lesson plans from science.lu! In this three-hour IFEN-certified event, you will get to know the science.lu section „Ideen für naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht in der Grundschule“ and try out some of the experiments suggested there yourself.

A joint project of FNR, Rockhal, LIST and University of Luxembourg transforms scientific data into music in an innovative and experimental approach with the help of data sonification. The aim of the Esch2022 project is to bring the worlds of music and science together at Belval.

Aurélia Chenu, who joined the University of Luxembourg in January 2021, recently was awarded a ATTRACT fellowship from the FNR to create her own group in quantum physics. She is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Materials Science and leads the group on quantum dynamics and control. The ATTRACT grant is doted with 2 MEUR over five years.

The FNR has awarded a FNR ATTRACT Fellowship to Dr Alexandros Gerakis for an innovative laser technology project at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). Dr Gerakis’ ATTRACT grant is doted with 2 MEUR over five years.

In 2021, the FNR introduced a narrative-style CV template as a requirement for applicants to all funding schemes. A feedback survey was launched simultaneously to gather feedback on the new CV, from applicants, panel members and reviewers. The report is now available.

To showcase the many paths of women in science in Luxembourg, and to inspire young girls to pursue their passion for science, the institutions that form Research Luxembourg are launching a video series, in collaboration with MEGA, the Ministry for Equality in Luxembourg. The videos are produced by FNR.

The innovation programmes BRIDGES and Industrial Fellowships are now open for proposals. Deadline for submission is 22 April 2022, 14:00 CET.

Have you ever wondered about how to involve the public with your research? Would you like to improve your communication skills to talk to the media and the public? What to say during an interview to get your message across? Would you like to feel safer in front of a TV camera or when communicating on social media? One last-minute spot has become available for the training for researchers, taking place on Thursday, 10 March 2022!

Have you ever wondered about how to involve the public with your research? Would you like to improve your communication skills to talk to the media and the public? What to say during an interview to get your message across? Would you like to feel safer in front of a TV camera or when communicating on social media? The FNR media training for PI’s takes place on Wednesday, 9 March 2022.

The FNR is inviting all researchers in Luxembourg to ‘go back to school’ and inspire the next generation of researchers! “Chercheurs à l’école – Researchers go back to school” is your chance to interact and motivate future generations, and share the passion that got you into research in the first place. The 2022 edition takes place from Monday, 14 – Friday, 18 March. Book your session/s now!

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 8 of 15 eligible projects have been retained for funding in the 2021-2 BRIDGES Call, representing an FNR commitment of 2.57 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 6 of 9 Industrial Fellowship projects have been selected for funding in the 2021-2 Call, representing an FNR commitment of 1.27 MEUR. 

PRIMA, the Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area has launched its 2022 transnational Call for pre-proposals to 22 March 2022, 17:00 CET. 

Backed by a PEARL Chair from the FNR with an endowment of 3.7 MEUR over five years, Dr Kathryn Hadler, an internationally renowned scientist in mineral processing and beneficiation, has been appointed Director of the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) as of 1 April 2022. Dr Hadler will join ESRIC to lead the further development of the Centre, advancing scientific discovery and technology development in In situ Resources Utilisation (ISRU) and asserting ESRIC and Luxembourg’s position in space resources.

The FNR seeks to recruit a Science Writer / Science Communicator with a strong interest in journalism, science, research, public debates and politics. The position is on a permanent full-time contract (CDI). Deadline to apply is 28 February 2022.

The FNR is looking for a Programme Manager to strengthen our team within the Research Funding Programmes. This is a full-time, permanent (CDI) position. Deadline to apply is 28 February 2022.

The Alpbach Summer School 2022 (12-21 July) is now open for students with a scientific or an engineering background to apply. The Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), with the support of the FNR and GLAE, is encouraging candidates from Luxembourg to participate in this unique programme. The 2022 topic is ‘Comparative Plasma Physics in the Universe’. Deadline to apply is 28 February 2022.

On Tuesday, 18 January 2022, the FNR held the JUMP21 Project Initiation event for projects funded in the 2021 Call. Slides now available. Deadline for the 2022-1 JUMP21 Call is 18 March 2022, 14:00 CET.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that the joint transnational Call of the European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP RD) is open, with a pre-proposal deadline of 16 February 2022. 

To strengthen our teams within the Programme Support of the R&D Programmes Team, the FNR seeks to recruit a Programme Support Manager, on a permanent (CDI), full-time basis. Deadline to apply is 28 February 2022.

Esch-sur-Alzette, 14 January 2022 – The Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) yesterday signed its multi-annual agreement[1] with the Government for the period 2022-2025. For the implementation of the activities covered by this agreement, the Government authorises the FNR[2] to make commitments up to an overall ceiling of 445 MEUR over the next four years.

The FNR is pleased to communicate the final results of the 2021 CORE Call. Out of 157 proposals submitted in the 2021 CORE Call, a total of 51 research projects have been retained for funding, representing a financial commitment of 31,4 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 5 of 5 projects have been retained for funding in the 2021-2 PSP-Classic Call, representing an FNR Commitment of 105,657 EUR.

The FNR is pleased to announce the launch of the 2022-1 PSP-Classic Call for proposals. Deadline is 1 March 2022, 14:00 CET.

The EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) has launched the 2022 joint trans-national call for multinational research projects on ‘understanding the mechanisms of non-pharmacological interventions’. Pre-proposal deadline is 1 March 2022.

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The seventh episode features law expert Habiba Abubaker.

The JUMP21 programme is now open for proposals. Deadline for the 2022-1 Call is 18 March 2022, 14:00 CET.

The FNR is pleased to announce the 2022 AFR Individual and bilateral Call for proposals. Deadlines for all AFR strands are in March 2022.

The FNR hereby launches the 2022 CORE Call for proposals. Deadline for submission is 21 April 2022, 14:00 CET. CORE is the central programme of the FNR. A multi-annual thematic research programme, the prime objective of CORE is to strengthen the scientific quality of Luxembourg’s public research in the country’s research priorities.

The FNR is pleased to announce the launch of the 2022 OPEN Call for proposals. Deadline for submission is 21 April 2022, 14:00 CET. The OPEN 2022 call is linked to the revised National Research Priorities for Luxembourg.

The Researchers’ Days will return for its 8th edition on Friday, 25 and Saturday, 26 November 2022 at the Rockhal in Esch/Belval. Don’t miss the chance to interact and motivate future generations of scientists and share the passion that got you into research by offering them a hands-on science workshop or a Science Café!    

The FNR is pleased to announce the 7th edition of Spotlight on Young Researchers, where we shine a spotlight on early-career researchers across the globe with a connection to Luxembourg. Calling PhDs and Postdocs: Through Spotlight on Young Researchers, you have the chance to draw attention to a field of research, a question or issue and share the work you are doing, and why it is important. Deadline to participate is Monday, 28 February 2022.

How many vaccinated people in Luxembourg want to get a booster? How many parents want to have their children vaccinated? Answers to these and other questions on the topic of vaccination are provided by a current representative survey conducted by FNR/science.lu in cooperation with researchers from Luxembourg.

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The sixth episode features photovoltaics researcher Prof Phillip Dale.

Nanotechnology scientist Dr César Pascual García, who joined the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) in 2013 supported by an FNR ATTRACT Fellowship, has been appointed to EIC Ambassador by the European Innovation Council (EIC), helping to put Luxembourg on the map regarding European research projects.

The FNR is pleased to announce that applications for the 2022 FNR Awards are now being accepted. Deadline is 10 February 2022, 14:00 CET. Since 2009, the FNR has held the annual FNR Awards, where researchers and science communicators are recognised for outstanding efforts.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 12 of 15 eligible Proof of Concept projects have been accepted in the 2021 JUMP21 Call, an FNR commitment of 3 MEUR.

On 1 May 2022, the FNR together with Rockhal, University of Luxembourg and LIST, organise a “science meets music” event at the Rockhal in Esch/Belval. It will be a small science fair, where the general public can discover interactive workshops that link science with music. We cannot do this without you: Scientists, science communicators, teachers, private individuals – get involved and submit your proposals for interactive workshops that mix science and music or that deal with data sonification! Deadline to submit is Monday, 24 January 2022.

ERA PerMed, the ERA-Net Cofund Action on Personalised Medicine (PM) has launched its 2022 Call with a pre-proposal deadline of 17 February 2022, 17:00 CET. Topic of this call is ‘Prevention in personalised medicine’. An information session is scheduled for 9 December 2022.

The call call for Chercheurs à l’école (taking place 14-18 March 2022) will launch early/mid January 2022.

On 25 November 2021, Science Europe released a vision for Research Culture in the European Research Area (ERA), committing to collective actions that enable a thriving research system.

On 25 November 2021, Marc Schiltz, Secretary General of the FNR, was re-elected as President of the Governing Board of Science Europe, the European association of research and research funding organisations in Europe, marking the beginning of his third term in the role.

On Wednesday 24 November 2021, the Minister for Higher Education and Research, Claude Meisch, opened a European seminar in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, attended by the heads of national research funds, representatives of national research ministries and the European Commission gathered to discuss topics such as research culture.

The FNR encourages researchers, science communicators, students and those interested in science to submit web videos on science and research as part of the Fast Forward Science web video contest! The challenge: The videos should be entertaining, scientifically sound and comprehensible at the same time. Deadline is 8 February 2022.

Are you ready to host experienced researchers in your organisation for up to two years, for a fully financed R&D and innovation project? The MSCA PF funding scheme of the European Commission will launch another call in September 2022. Luxinnovation assists in finding academic experts (PhD) in domains of choice and train the applicants organisations select in proposal writing to increase chances of obtaining funding for their project.

The FNR’s 2020 Annual Report has received the ‘Gold’ distinction at the German Design Awards. The FNR worked with long-term partner lola strategy&design to make the report, which is available both as an interactive digital version as well as a traditional PDF.

The FNR’s communication campaign ‘letzSCIENCE’ is shortlisted at the 2021 European Excellence Awards. The campaign centres around the letzSCIENCE AR app – a free app 100% made in Luxembourg, through which the beauty of science can be discovered in augmented reality. The campaign and app were developed with the goal to raise awareness of FNR-supported research.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 12 of 22 eligible projects have been retained for funding in the 2021-1 BRIDGES Call, representing an FNR commitment of 3.3 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 8 of 12 Industrial Fellowship projects have been selected for funding in the 2021-1 Call, representing an FNR commitment of 1.54 MEUR. 

On Thursday, 4 November 2021, Joseph Rodesch, aka Mr Science, was awarded the 2021 Lions Club Prize at a ceremony held in Luxembourg City. Joseph Rodesch received the prize to recognise his 10+ years of efforts to bring science closer the public as Mr Science.

The Science Festival returns on Saturday, 13 and Sunday, 14 November 2021, offering a range of of science shows and workshops to fascinate every curious spirit from 3-99 years old. Please note, at this year’s Science Festival prior registration is required. 

The FNR is pleased to communicate the results of the 2021 OPEN Call for proposals: 3 of 9 eligible projects have been retained for funding, an FNR commitment of 1.3 MEUR. 

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 5 of 5 projects have been selected for funding in the 2021-2 RESCOM Call, an FNR commitment of 117,700 EUR. Through RESCOM, the FNR supports communication between researchers to promote scientific outcomes.

Researcher/ student from a research institution in Luxembourg? Excited about developing and applying your skills to solve unmet clinical needs by utilising a new innovative methodology from MIT? Apply to join the MIT Catalyst Spring 2022 by 27 November 2021! The programme runs from 3 January to mid July 2022 – important dates: Deadline for … Continued

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The sixth episode features eating disorder researcher Dr Annika Lutz.

The FNR is pleased to announce that 6 of 7 eligible INTER Mobility projects have been selected for funding from the 2021-1 Call, an FNR commitment of 482,700 EUR.

In the framework of Esch2022 and the inter-institutional collaboration project “Remix Science: The Sound of Data” bringing together the FNR, the Centre de Musiques Amplifiées – Rockhal, the University of Luxembourg and the LIST, the Etablissement public Centre de Musiques Amplifiées – Rockhal, in Belval, is looking to hire a Project Coordinator on a 75% basis, for a period of 12 months (CDD).

The Science for Society foundation, under the aegis of Fondation de Luxembourg, with support from the FNR, launches a new prize: The ‘Science for Society’ prize will reward a project, an action, or a set of activities that have enabled the general public to reveal, explain and put scientific evidence into context in public debate and/or understand and develop critical thinking based on scientific facts, and/or debunk fake news or associated communications linked to societal issues thanks to a scientific demonstration and/or exceptional communication efforts.

On Thursday, 21 October, the FNR held the 13th edition of the FNR Awards: 7 researchers/research groups were awarded for their outstanding efforts, across four categories. Discover the winners! Full coverage now available.

On Thursday, 21 October 2021, the FNR will host the 13th annual FNR Awards Ceremony. 2021 sees the introduction of two new categories, including Outstanding Mentor. Join us in the annual FNR Awards and celebrate science and research in Luxembourg. The 2021 event will take place at the Maison des Arts et des Étudiants in Belval, and will also be shown via live stream.

The new Research Luxembourg brochure ‘Research Landscape in Luxembourg’ is now available, providing an overview of the Luxembourg public research landscape.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 4 of 5 eligible projects submitted to the  2021 PSP Flagship Call have been selected for funding, an FNR commitment of 1.67 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate the final results of the AFR 2021 Call: The four projects on the waiting list have now been funded, bringing the total funded projects up to 29 of 108 eligible. This represents an FNR commitment of 5.2 MEUR. 

On Thursday, 28 October from 16:00 – 17:00 CET, high-level representatives will host the webinar ‘The Québec research and innovation ecosystem and collaboration opportunities with Luxembourg’. Registration is now open.

The FNR is pleased to announce that it will co-fund grants for pre- and postdoctoral research visits of Luxembourg nationals within the framework of the Fulbright awards programme. Deadline for application is Wednesday, 1 December 2021.

Calling all researchers: From Monday 4th October, 2021 Nobel Prize winners will be announced. The science.lu-team at FNR would love to highlight any researchers from Luxembourg that might work on the same or a closely related topic! If you would like to be featured on science.lu, get involved from Monday 4th October when the first winners are announced!

The FNR and the Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development (MAVDR) have joined forces to put forward a call for proposals to support policy making and to help the decision-making process. The Call deadline has been postponed from 15 to 29 October 2021. 

How to present scientific evidence to politicians: The FNR’s media training for PI’s, takes place on Tuesday, 19 October 2021. 

The FNR is pleased to announce the Call for talented young researchers to participate as Luxembourg delegates at the 71st edition of the renowned Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany. The meeting takes place from 26 June – 1 July 2022, and is dedicated to Chemistry. Deadline to apply is Thursday, 21 October 2021.

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The fifth episode features deep learning researcher Prof Djamila Aouada.

The FNR Science Image Competition has multiple aims: to show the growing role of images in scientific research, to reveal how scientific work is conducted, to give a face to the researchers conducting it and to present various ways to engage the public with science. Discover the 2021 images at two exhibitions in Autumn 2021.

The FNR is pleased to communicate the multilateral EUROSTARS Call is now open, with a deadline of Thursday, 4 November 2021, 14:00 CET. 

The FNR and DORA have released a jointly crafted resource for research assessment: ‘Balanced, broad, responsible: A practical guide for research evaluators’ is a short, educational video that provides a ‘checklist’ of six concrete suggestions for research funders seeking to improve responsible assessment of funding applications. These recommendations have been summarised in an accompanying briefing document.

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is hosting the 2021 LIST Tech Day on 22 September 2021. 

The FNR is pleased to communicate the launch of the 2022 ATTRACT Call. Pre-proposal deadline is 15 November 2021, 14:00 CET. The ATTRACT programme offers promising junior researchers from abroad up to 2 MEUR of funding over five years to set up their own research group in Luxembourg.

The FNR is pleased to announce the launch of the 2022 PEARL Call. Pre-proposal deadline is 12 October 2022, 14:00 CET. PEARL projects have a lifespan of five years with a financial contribution of between 3-4 MEUR by the FNR. The financial contribution can be used flexibly to implement the research programme at the host institution.

The 2022 ATTRACT and PEARL Calls will be launched in mid August 2021. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact their desired host institution as soon as possible.

The FNR is pleased to announce the FNR Open Access Fund is now open. Deadline for applications is Wednesday, 20 October 2021, 14:00 CET.

The FNR is pleased to announce the opening of the fourth PRIDE Call, with a deadline of Wednesday, 20 October 2021, 14:00 CET. Through the PRIDE programme, the FNR awards block PhD grants to Doctoral Training Units (DTU) in Luxembourg.

We understand that researchers and research teams may go through a difficult period triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic During 2020 and 2021, research projects have temporarily been suspended or delayed and key parts of projects may have to be postponed for a significant amount of time. Therefore, the FNR wishes to offer flexibility in the handling of grants and grant proposals for projects affected by the pandemic. *last update 8 February 2022*

The FNR is pleased to announce that the third edition of SciCom Luxembourg (previously known as Science Communicator Networking Event) will take place on Thursday, 30 September 2021 as an online event from 14:00 – 17:30 CET. [Registration closed Monday, 27 September].

The lecture series ‘Science of Science in the Spotlight’ aims to provide a forum for multidisciplinary exchange and dialogue across the fields of higher education research, bibliometrics, sociology of science, and history/philosophy of science in Luxembourg. The fifth lecture takes place on Wednesday, 21 July from 17:00 to 18:30 CET on the topic ‘Understanding Chinese science: new perspectives from scientometrics and research policy’.

The FNR is pleased to announce proposals can now be submitted in the framework of the FNR joint call with NWO/ZonMW, with various deadlines.

The second call with the Quebec Research Fund (FRQ) to support bilateral projects in the framework of the AUDACE programme has been launched. Pre-proposal deadline is 8 September 2021. 

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The third episode features hydrology researcher Dr Laurent Pfister (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).

EuroScience is hosting its first ‘EuroScience Policy Forum’ on 29 and 30 June 2021. The FNR’s Sean Sapcariu is one of the speakers in the session ‘A new research culture for sustainable academia’.

To raise awareness of FNR-supported research in Luxembourg, the FNR returns with the campaign letzSCIENCE, where Luxembourg research topics can be discovered in augmented reality! The topics chosen for this edition: cancer research, solar energy, and space. Get the free letzSCIENCE AR app now and start discovering science in augmented reality.

The next lecture in the Luxembourg Society for Microbiology’s (LSfM) lecture series ‘From Single Organisms to Systems Ecology and Evolution’ will take place on Wednesday, 30 June 2021. Topic: ‘The dark side of science: Research misconduct in biomedical research’.

Scientists and researchers in Luxembourg are invited to participate in the 2021 Science Writing Competition, organised by the Doctoral Education in Science Communication (DESCOM) project of the University of Luxembourg in collaboration with science.lu. Articles about science and research in Luxembourg can be submitted in English, French, German or Luxembourgish until 31 July 2021. 

Prof Dr Klucken joins the movement to make digitalisation part of every-day patient care Digitalisation is moving forward fast in every field, including medicine. But how can digital tools be integrated into healthcare processes, and how should data be visualised to personalise patient care? These are only two of many questions that Professor Dr Jochen … Continued

Following the FNR webinar in the framework of the JUMP21 2021 Call on 8 June 2021, the presented slides are now available. 

On 3 June 2021, the FNR and the Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), announcing the launch of a joint Call on “Sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems”, which will open on 15 June 2021.

Science Europe has published a Practical Guide to Sustainable Research Data, which provides guidance on how to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of research data.

cOAlition S is monitoring developments in the Open Science landscape and is interested to hear about your experiences when publishing according to the principles of Plan S. To this end, a short survey has been set up and feedback highly welcome.

The FNR is pleased to share the newest podcast in the collaboration with Lëtzebuerger Journal. Titled ‘Mäin Element’, the series features researchers in Luxembourg talking about their lives and their passion for science, showing a glimpse of the people behind the science. The second episode features Computational Mechanics researcher Prof Stéphane Bordas (University of Luxembourg).

The FNR has published its annual report for 2020, a year which was obviously marked by the COVID-19 crisis, but which also saw the funding of 299 research projects for a committed amount of 97.06 MEUR.

An online ELIXIR-LU course on ‘Best practices in research data management and stewardship’ is now open for registration. The course takes place from 14 – 17 June 2021. The course is aimed at researchers, data stewards in the biomedical sciences who wish to improve their skills on data management.

The C2DH of the University of Luxembourg and the Centre national de littérature (CNL) are organising the French/English [online] conference ‘Journées d’étude – “Déposséder – déposséd锑 on Monday, 5 and Tuesday, 6 July 2021.

The FNR is pleased to communicate the final results of the 2020 CORE Call. Out of 157 proposals submitted in the 2020 CORE Call, a total of 47 research projects have been retained for funding, representing a financial commitment of 30,2 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 3 of 6 projects have been retained for funding in the 2021-1 PSP-Classic Call, representing an FNR Commitment of 87,870 EUR.

Every two years, the FNR commissions a survey study to understand the level of notoriety and the perception of the Luxembourg research community among the general public. Discover the findings!

The first call for projects in the field of health technologies, launched by the Ministry of the Economy, jointly with the FNR and supported by Luxinnovation, is now open. Deadline for the Call, which is open to companies as well as research and healthcare organisations, is 30 June 2021.

The FNR is pleased to announce that five eligible projects submitted to the 2021 KITS Call have been retained for funding, representing an FNR commitment of 1.32 MEUR.

The European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) is recruiting a Director and Innovation Lead, endowed with a 4 MEUR FNR PEARL Chair. ESRIC is a joint initiative of the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).

Science.lu, the FNR-run science website for all, has launched the video ‘Look closer: What does it mean to be a researcher?’ to promote research in Luxembourg and highlight that researchers are often very different from what people might expect! The video was entirely created in Luxembourg featuring local researchers and science communicators.

Following the fast-track FNR COVID-19 Call in 2020, the FNR has opened a new FNR COVID-19 funding instrument. There is no Call per se – projects can be submitted anytime from 21 April 2021 to 15 October 2021. Retained projects will be funded with up to 125,000 EUR for a maximum of 12 months.  

The Greater Region has launched its Call to highlight scientific excellence in the Greater Region and generate new synergies in the research sector. Complementary funding for dissemination will be made available for ongoing and scientifically validated research projects with the participation of one or more research institutes in the Greater Region. The actions supported may be aimed at the general public, scientists, stakeholders, companies and/or decision-makers. Deadline is 15 July 2021.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 2 of 2 projects have been selected for funding in the 2021-1 RESCOM Call, an FNR commitment of 63,417 EUR. Through RESCOM, the FNR supports communication between researchers to promote scientific outcomes.

The FNR is pleased to announce that 3 of 9 eligible INTER Mobility projects have been selected for funding from the 2021-1 Call, an FNR commitment of 169,588 EUR.

The FNR’s INITIATE programme supports the initiation and development of strategic research and innovation project ideas that will help make Luxembourg internationally competitive in priority domains. Five INITIATE projects have been granted so far.

As new member of the QuantERA Consortium, the FNR is pleased to inform that the QuantERA Consortium Call for Proposals in Quantum Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies, co-funded by the European Commission (QuantERA Co-funded Call 2021), is now open. Deadline for pre-proposals is 13 May 2021, 17:00 CET.

The first Call of the new programme CHANSE (Collaboration of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe) is open, with a pre-proposal deadline of 7 May 2021, 14:00 CET. The new CHANSE programme was recently announced by the HERA and NORFACE networks and is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme.

The FNR is pleased to announce the fourth Call for the PSP-Flagship scheme, a strand of the Promoting Science to the Public (PSP) programme, specifically aimed at supporting long-term science outreach activities with lasting impact. Deadline for applications is Thursday, 20 May 2021, 14:00 CET. Interested institutions are invited to contact the FNR well before the submission deadline to discuss their proposal idea and verify that they are eligible for the scheme. 

The FNR and Fondation Cancer have signed a multi-year collaboration agreement from 2020 to 2023, aimed at developing and intensifying cooperation. In this context, four cancer research projects were selected for funding in 2020, a total commitment of 2.8 MEUR.

Following the great success of past Science Festival events, the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) and the FNR are pleased to announce the 13th edition of the leading event in promoting science in Luxembourg: The Science Festival will be held in the surroundings of Neimënster and the exhibition galleries of the National Museum of National History in Luxembourg-Grund from 11 to 14 November 2021. Deadline to submit proposals for science workshops has been extended to 15 March 2021.

Neuroscientist Anne Grünewald has been appointed Full Professor at the University of Luxembourg’s LCSB as of 1 January 2021. Prof Dr Grünewald came to Luxembourg in 2016 with an FNR ATTRACT Fellowship, in the framework of which she set up the Molecular & Functional Neurobiology Group at the LCSB at the University of Luxembourg.

The FNR and the Czech Science Foundation (GACR) has signed a cooperation agreement, based on the WEAVE initiative. A call for Luxembourg-based researchers to apply for mutual projects with collaborators in the Czech Republic is now open with a deadline of 22 April 2021.

The FNR has awarded two new ATTRACT Fellowships: Ass. Prof Dr Lindsay Flynn is awarded 2 MEUR for a project investigating the relationship between housing policies and inequality. Ass. Prof Dr Etienne Fodor is awarded 1.5 MEUR for a project on the topic of active matter. Both projects will be conducted at the University of Luxembourg over five years.

In collaboration with ChronosHub, the FNR is organising webinar for researchers on how to use ChronosHub on Monday, 15 of February between from 14:00 – 15:30 CET. Researchers currently supported by (or planning to apply for) FNR funding are encouraged to attend, as this will have a direct impact on their publishing/payment activities.

The multilateral ERA-NET Call CHIST-ERA, which has a focus on ICT, is now open. Deadline for proposals is Monday, 1 March 2021, 17:00 CET.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 8 of 14 Industrial Fellowship projects have been selected for funding in the 2020-2 Call, representing an FNR commitment of 1.35 MEUR. 

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 12 of 23 eligible projects have been retained for funding in the 2020-2 BRIDGES Call, representing an FNR commitment of 4.1 MEUR.

In 2020, the FNR committed 17.4 MEUR of funding to 39 bi- and multilateral projects via its INTER scheme to foster international cooperation. 

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 11 of 13 projects have been retained for funding in the 2020-2 PSP-Classic Call, representing an FNR Commitment of 342,376 EUR.

Research Data Management (RDM) is a general term covering how to organise, structure, store, and care for research data used or generated during the lifetime and after completion of a research project. This means planning how data is collected, stored, and cared for before the start of the project, through to how it will be ensured that it is maintained in the longer-term and shared with the research community and beyond.

With the support of Science Europe, 12 national research funding organisations, including the FNR, have launched the cross-European initiative Weave. The aim is to fund and support excellent international research projects. It is the first time a large network of this scale has developed an initiative of this kind to enable bilateral and trilateral scientific cooperation in Europe. Further information for Luxembourg-based researchers is now available.

To strengthen our teams within the Administration of R&D Programmes Team and the IT Team, we seek to recruit for an immediate opening a Grant System & Administrative Manager (m/f) on a permanent full-time contract (CDI). Deadline to apply has been extended to Friday, 15 January 2021.

The FNR is currently undertaking an evaluation of its PSP Classic Programme – Promoting Science to the Public. In this framework we created a survey. If you are motivated to engage with the public, no matter if you already applied for PSP Classic or not, you can help us by filling out our survey. Your contribution is vital for us to be able to improve this funding scheme in the future.

cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funders has developed the Journal Checker Tool (JCT), a web-based tool which provides clear advice to researchers on how they can comply with their funder’s Plan S-aligned Open Access policy when seeking to publish in their chosen journal.

View the 2021 FNR Calls at a glance

The Active and Assisted Living Programme (AAL) has launched the 2020 Call challenge, on the topic ‘Advancing inclusive health & care solutions for ageing well in the new decade’. Deadline to submit proposals is 21 May 2021.

The NORFACE and HERA networks are pleased to announce that the new CHANSE (Collaboration of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe) consortium will soon announce a call for international research projects on ‘Transformations: social and cultural dynamics in the digital age’. The programme will be implemented by 27 research funding organisations from 24 countries, coordinated by the National Science Centre, Poland (NCN).

FNR coordinates Luxembourg’s €800,000 participation in the philanthropic initiative COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator.

The 2021 edition of Chercheurs à l’école will take place from Monday 15 to Friday 19 March 2021. The Call for researchers to take part will be launched early January 2021.

The Ministry of the Economy and the FNR have launched a call for proposal, in the framework of the FNR’s KITS programme. The aim is to define a business model for the creation of Luxembourg’s first bioincubator aimed at hosting private startups, public research spin-offs and innovative companies exclusively from the HealthTech sector, while fostering their interaction and collaboration with biomedical public research.

The FNR is pleased to announce that 1 of 3 eligible INTER Mobility projects have been selected for funding from the 2020-2 Call, an FNR commitment of 5,120 EUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 7 of 9 projects have been selected for funding in the 2020-2 RESCOM Call, an FNR commitment of 230,823 EUR. Through RESCOM, the FNR supports communication between researchers to promote scientific outcomes.

For the 12th time, the FNR held the FNR Awards – the annual celebration of science and research in Luxembourg. For obvious reasons, the normal physical event was simply not possible this year, but this did not stop the celebration from taking place! A solution was found and the event was shifted to 100% digital for the first time. Seven FNR Awards were presented across four categories.

Thursday, 19 November at 19:00 sees the kick-off of the first ever 100% digital edition of the FNR Awards. Join us this evening as we celebrate science and research in Luxembourg. Ahead of the ceremony, discover the excellent researchers and projects that have made the shortlist in each category. Who are the winners? Watch the … Continued

The 2020 FNR Awards Ceremony will take place in a 100% digital format. Join us in our annual celebration of science and research in Luxembourg, via a stream on Thursday, 19 November 2020 from 19:00 CET. 

In the framework of Esch2022 the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), in collaboration with the Centre de Musiques Amplifiées – Rockhal, the University of Luxembourg and LIST, seek to recruit a Project Coordinator / Event Manager (CDD) with a strong interest in project management, event organisation and communication. Deadline to apply is 29 November 2020.

The FNR is pleased to communicate the results of the 2020 OPEN Call for proposals: 2 of 6 eligible projects have been retained for funding, an FNR commitment of 1.3 MEUR. 

Starting with the 2017 FNR Awards Ceremony, the FNR said goodbye to the ‘ecosphere’ trophies that were previously given out and instead chose a completely new design that embodies the history of Belval, the FNR, innovation and research in Luxembourg.

By ministerial decree, three new members have been appointed to the FNR’s Scientific Council, as part of the renewal of the Council. Nadine C. Martin remains Chair of the Scientific Council, Gabriele Dobenecker remains Vice-Chair. 

The FNR is pleased to announce the opening of the 2021 KITS Call. Deadline is Friday, 29 January 2021,14:00 CET.

Following the huge success of the ‘letzSCIENCE – the beauty of science meets augmented reality’ campaign in Luxembourg City over the summer, the campaign can now be experienced in Belval, the heart of Luxembourg’s research ecosystem. Triggered by scanning a QR code, three images transform into an augmented reality (AR) experience, followed by a story about a piece of research in Luxembourg.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 25 of 105 eligible PhD projects have been selected for funding in the 2020 AFR Call. This represents an FNR commitment of 4.5 MEUR. 6 additional projects are on the reserve list. *Update October 2020: the six projects on the reserve list have been funded, bringing the total funded PhD projects to 31 and the total FNR commitment to 5.4 MEUR.*

Following a pilot phase that started in 2019, the FNR has consolidated its INITIATE funding instrument. The INITIATE instrument is designed to support the initiation and development of strategic research and innovation project ideas that will help make Luxembourg internationally competitive in priority domains.

The FNR is pleased to pre-announce the next PSP-Flagship deadline, which will be in May 2021. The Call will open in March 2021. PSP-Flagship is a strand of the Promoting Science to the Public (PSP) programme, specifically aimed at supporting long-term science outreach activities with lasting impact. 

The Indiana Jos Tour is looking for scientists and researchers willing to offer a short science workshop for children in Luxembourg between January and June 2021. Participation includes a 1-day science training workshop. Deadline for application is 14 October 2020.

Following the FNR Science Image Competition, first organised in 2019 on the occasion of the FNR’s 20th anniversary, the awarded photos can now be discovered at an exhibition in Luxembourg City! The campaign has multiple aims: to show the growing role of images in scientific research, to reveal how scientific work is conducted, to give a face to the researchers conducting it and to present various ways to engage the public with science.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 13 of 17 eligible Industrial Fellowship projects have been selected for funding in the 2020-1 Call, representing an FNR commitment of 2 MEUR. 

The 2020 PEARL Call for proposals is now open. Starting with this Call, the PEARL programme has both a pre- and full proposal stage. Pre-proposal deadline is Tuesday, 15 October 2019, 14:00 CET – full proposal deadline is Friday, 14 February 2020, 14:00 CET.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 9 of 21 eligible projects have been retained for funding in the 2020-1 BRIDGES Call, representing an FNR commitment of 3 MEUR.

The Call for the Greater Region Interregional Science Prize 2020 is open. The prize is awarded to research networks that work at least bilaterally, but preferably multilaterally, on a topic that is of cross-border interest within the Greater Region. *Update: Deadline postponed to 31 August 2020*

It is with a lot of regrets that we announce our decision to cancel the 2020 edition of the Researchers’ Days.  

The FNR is pleased to announce that the 2021 ATTRACT Call for proposals is now open. Deadline for pre-proposals is Friday, 13 November 2020, 14:00 CET – full proposal deadline is Friday, 12 February 2021. 

The FNR is funding a six-year research partnership between the University and SES via the FNR’s Industrial Partnership Block Grant  (IPBG) programme. The aim of the extensive new research project is to advance data networks.

Luxembourg has jumped from ‘Strong Innovator’ to ‘Innovation Leader’ in the EU Commission’s 2020 European Innovation Scoreboard. For the third year running, Luxembourg ranks 1st for ‘Attractive research systems’. This underlines the considerable development of the young Luxembourgish research and innovation ecosystem, and is an important recognition of the country’s continuous efforts to develop a world-class R&I landscape.

The FNR is pleased to announce the joint Call for bilateral proposals with the Belgian F.R.S-FNRS. Deadline for proposals is Thursday, 9 July 2020, 14:00 CET.

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) is calling on Luxembourg to participate in a major online survey. Aimed at all residents aged 16 and over (all categories: workers, students, pensioners, high school students, etc.) because all opinions count and all information is valuable.  The survey is also accessible to cross-border workers, who have also been affected by this crisis.

Following the second deadline of the FNR’s COVID-19 Fast Track Call, 21 of 55 eligible projects have been retained for funding, an FNR commitment of 1.12 MEUR.

In an international project with pharma company Sprint Bioscience, scientists at the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), led by Dr Bassam Janji, have developed an approach that turns “cold” tumours “hot”, making them responsive to immunotherapy.

The FNR is looking for a Programme/Innovation Manager to strengthen our team within the Innovation and R&D Programmes and to contribute to the further development of our innovation-driven management processes. The position is permanent (CDI), full-time, with an application deadline of Friday, 26 June 2020.

As part of a campaign to re-imagine research, the Wellcome Trust is calling on researchers to contribute their ideas to help craft ambitious goals for creating a better research culture.

To keep scientific discussions and knowledge exchange in the community alive, the first Virtual Chalcogenide PV Conference (vCPVC 2020) from 25 to 28 May 2020 will be hosted by the Helmholtz Centrum Berlin The virtual conference (free of charge) is co-organised by FNR ATTRACT Fellow Alex Redinger, associate professor at the University of Luxembourg in the Physics and Materials Science Research Unit.

CON-VINCE, a national research project aiming to evaluate the prevalence and dynamics of the spread of the COVID-19 disease within the Luxembourgish population, was launched at the beginning of April under the umbrella of the Research Luxembourg COVID-19 Task Force. Following the successful recruitment and first testing effort of more than 1800 participants over the age of 18, a first publication has now been uploaded on the preprint server medRxiv (Reference: MEDRXIV/2020/092916) and will be soon submitted for peer-reviewed scientific publication.

A team of scientists at the Luxembourg Institute of Health, led by FNR ATTRACT Fellow Prof Dirk Brenner, have discovered a novel mechanism through which the immune system can control autoimmunity and cancer. The findings hold important implications for the development of personalised treatment options for autoimmune disorders. In a nod to the importance of the findings, the research graces the cover of the journal ‘Cell Metabolism’.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 13 of 17 projects have been retained for funding in the 2020-1 PSP-Classic Call, representing an FNR Commitment of 213,981 EUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 2 of 3 projects have been selected for funding in the 2020-1 RESCOM Call, an FNR commitment of 69,600 EUR. Through RESCOM, the FNR supports communication between researchers to promote scientific outcomes.

The FNR is pleased to announce that all 10 eligible INTER Mobility projects have been selected for funding from the 2020-1 Call, an FNR commitment of 693,470 EUR.

14 transnational and multi-disciplinary consortia have received funding from the European NORFACE network within the Call ‘Democratic governance in a turbulent age’. The total budget of the call was 17.3 MEUR. One project is led by a Luxembourg-based team at the University of Luxembourg.

Various partner agencies of the FNR have launched calls for proposals concerning Sars-CoV-2 offering international consortia to submit proposals for research projects tackling COVID19. The calls will be handled under the lead-agency procedure and FNR is prepared to finance the Luxembourg part (eligible to FNR support) of successful projects.

Following the communication of the results of the first round of the FNR COVID-19 Call, the FNR launches the second Call. Deadline to submit proposals to FNR is Monday, 11 May 2020, 17:00 CET. 

The Luxembourg Agency for Research Integrity (LARI) is hosting a webinar on Thursday, 30 April 2020, 16:00, aimed at researchers working on projects related to COVID-19, titled ‘Ethical & robust research during a pandemic – how?’

FNR communication regarding allegations of research misconduct related to the project Po17/11757260 « LALA – Lauter lëschteg Lauter », that was funded within the FNR Proof-of-Concept (PoC) programme and related projects. The National Commission for Research Integrity (CRI) of the Luxembourg Agency for Research Integrity (LARI) has conducted a confidential investigation into anonymous allegation of research misconduct in connection … Continued

In close cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Health, the  Research Luxembourg COVID-19 Task Force has developed a “Large Scale Testing Strategy” based on a voluntary diagnostic test accessible to the population, including cross-border commuters of the Greater Region. The goal: increase testing to cover the entire Luxembourg population.

The Research Luxembourg COVID-19 task force has announced the start of “Predi-COVID”, a study that aims to identify important risk factors and biomarkers associated with COVID-19 severity and long-term health consequences of the disease in Luxembourg. The FNR supports the study with 1.85 MEUR.

Following the first deadline of the FNR’s COVID-19 Fast Track Call, 30 of 69 eligible projects have been retained for funding, an FNR commitment of 1.52 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 10 of 15 eligible Pathfinder projects have been accepted in the 2020 JUMP Call, an FNR commitment of 343,430 EUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 5 of 9 full proposals for Doctoral Training Units (DTU) in the third PRIDE Call have been retained for funding, corresponding to 61 PhD grants, an FNR commitment of 12.4 MEUR.

For the current FNR COVID19 fast track call, the FNR aims to foster interdisciplinary projects and institutional cooperation among public research institutions. In the project ideas on the national COVID-10 Platform, we have noticed a significant number of project ideas that could complement each other and would lend themselves to synergies. Therefore, the FNR decided of offer a top-up funding of up to 30.000 EUR for projects where complementary expertise from different fields are bundled.

The Research Luxembourg COVID-19 task force announces the launch of “CON-VINCE[1]”,  a study that aims to evaluate the dynamics of the spread of the COVID-19 disease within the Luxembourgish population. The FNR co-funds the study with 1.4 MEUR.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has launched the annual Call for the award ‘Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development’ to promote the international exchange of innovative green ideas. The award is open to young researchers and has an application deadline of Tuesday, 19 May 2020, 14:00 CET.

The FNR has launched a special fast-track Call to provide initial funding for research projects on COVID-19, with a first deadline of Tuesday, 14 April 2020. The aim is to (co-)support short-term projects, or the starting phase of long-term projects. In order to be eligible for the FNR Call, short descriptions of project ideas must first be published on the COVID-19 platform by 8 April.

‘Research Luxembourg’, the initiative of the main players of Luxembourg public research, has launched its website. In addition to being a platform to promote Luxembourg research to an international audience, the site also features a dedicated section about the COVID-19 task force.

As researchers work on numerous new projects to contribute to the fight against COVID-19, Research Luxembourg has launched a national COVID-19 platform to coordinate research projects and collaborations. The FNR will soon open a special fast-track Call for proposals to support research efforts.

The FNR Science Image Competition was organised for the first time in 2019 on the occasion of the FNR’s 20th anniversary. The project has multiple aims: to show the growing role of images in scientific research, to reveal how scientific work is conducted, to give a face to the researchers conducting it and to present various ways to engage the public with science.

Research Luxembourg, a joint initiative of the main players in Luxembourg’s public research sector, is mobilising its knowledge and its human and material resources to help address the challenge of COVID-19. A task force has been set up in order to offer the health system the combined expertise available within the Luxembourg public research sector (LIH, LISER, LIST, LNS, University, FNR, under the coordination of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research).

The FNR is pleased to communicate that four eligible full proposals involving Luxembourg partners have been retained for funding in the 2019 M-ERA.NET Call, an FNR commitment of 1.77 MEUR.

You want to communicate about your research or your passion of science through a YouTube video? If you are motivated to learn how to produce your own science web video, join us for a thrilling two-day training. Organised by the FNR, in cooperation with Wissenschaft im Dialog and the Fast Forward Science contest, this workshop will give you all insights and tools on how to produce your own science web video. Update: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this training has been postponed from April to Autumn 2020 (exact date to follow).

Due to the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the FNR offers flexibility in the handling of grants and grant proposals.

Due to the precautions associated with the spread of the coronavirus and the closure of schools and the University, please note that the vast majority of FNR staff will be working from home from 16 – 27 March. Please contact FNR staff via email during this time. Thank you for your understanding.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 2 of 3 projects submitted to the 2019/20 PSP Flagship Call have been selected for funding, an FNR commitment of 830,200 EUR.

As part of its lecture series ‘New Horizons: Confronting the Digital Turn in the Humanities’, the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH) is organising a lecture on the topic ‘Audiovisual heritage’ on Wednesday, 15 April 2020.

The French national Thomas Cauvin, currently Professor of History at the University of Colorado and President of the International Federation for Public History, will join the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH) at the University of Luxembourg thanks to an FNR ATTRACT fellowship endowed with 2 million euros (over five years). Thomas Cauvin’s project aims to develop public history as a new participatory model for interpreting the past. Inspired by the evolution of digital participatory sciences, the project will facilitate interactions between academics, cultural institutions, and the general public to contribute to a democratisation not only of access but also of the production of history.

Calling young researcher leaders to explore global opportunities at the interdisciplinary level. Early to mid-career researchers can apply until 18 March 2020 for their chance to participate in this stimulating exchange in Belval!

Claude Meisch, Minister of Higher Education and Research, has presented the Government’s research and innovation strategy for Luxembourg and the associated new national research priorities. This is the first time that Luxembourg has drawn up a formal national research strategy. The two documents define how Luxembourg’s scientific ecosystem should develop over the next 10 years and in which areas investment should be concentrated.

Following an open call for proposals among doctoral candidates, the FNR has selected eight Luxembourg doctoral candidates to participate in the 2020 edition of the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), taking place from 5 to 9 July in Trieste, Italy.

The Research Council of Norway (RCN) will not run a bilateral Call with the FNR in 2020. However, Luxembourg-based scientists may still submit proposals directly to the RCN by 6 May 2020 – if successful, RCN will also fund Luxembourg partner.

In the context of the RESEARCH LUXEMBOURG initiative, the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) seeks to recruit a Marketing & Communications Coordinator (f/m) on a limited full-time contract (CDD) for 24 months (or 1 year renewable once), with an immediate opening. Application deadline is Monday, 16 March 2020.

The FNR is pleased to communicate it has retained 40 research projects for funding in the 2019 CORE Call, an FNR commitment of 22.63 MEUR. Three bilateral projects where decisions were pending can now be communicated. Abstracts are now also available.

Wednesday, 11 March 2020, 13:00. European Investment Bank, 98-100, Bd Konrad Adenauer, Luxembourg. Speaker: Dr Lidia Ceriani, Georgetown University

The FNR took home silver (2nd place) and the ‘prix du public’ in the category TV/Cinema at the 2020 Media Awards, for a promotional video for the science website science.lu, created for the FNR by the creative studio Moast.

“The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China (2019-nCoV) represents a significant and urgent threat to global health. We call on researchers, journals and funders to ensure that research findings and data relevant to this outbreak are shared rapidly and openly to inform the public health response and help save lives.”

Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) researchers Dr Anna Golebiewska, and FNR ATTRACT Fellow Dr Johannes Meiser have been awarded the Legs Kanning Prize for their work on cancer research in Luxembourg, presented by the association Action Lions Vaincre le Cancer. 

Tuesday, 11 February 2020, 13:00. European Investment Bank 98-100, Bd Konrad Adenauer, Luxembourg. Speaker: Prof. Roberto Galbiati, CNRS, Sciences Po

Patrick Glauner, whose PhD was funded by an FNR Industrial Fellowship is to start a Full Professorship in AI at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology in Germany in February 2020.

The FNR is hosting an event to launch the National Research Priorities for Luxembourg. The event will take place on Monday, 3 February 2020. Romain Martin, First Government Counselor in the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, will introduce the Luxembourg National Research Strategy, while FNR Secretary General Marc Schiltz will provide an overview of how the revised National Research Priorities will be implemented at the FNR.

From 26 to 29 February 2020, the University of Luxembourg Incubator again offers the possibility to discover entrepreneurship through a hands-on experience with expert support: The Ideation Camp. The 3-day workshop is open to all Bachelor through to PhD-level students from the University of Luxembourg, as well as University staff and PhD students from Luxembourgish research centres.

The FNR is pleased to announce the joint Call for proposals for bilateral research projects with the FWO (Belgium). Deadline for applications is Wednesday, 1 April 2020 17:00 CET.

Tuesday, 25 February 2020, 16:30 – 17:20. Maison du Savoir, room 3.110, Campus Belval, 2, avenue de l’Université L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette. Speaker: Vincent Borrelli (University of Lyon)

Wednesday, 22 January 2020, 13:00. European Investment Bank, 98-100, Bd Konrad Adenauer, Luxembourg. Speaker: Prof. Guillermina Jasso, New York University

In 2019, the FNR committed 7 MEUR of funding to 19 bi- and multilateral projects via its INTER scheme to foster international cooperation.

On 20 December 2019, the Conseil de gouvernement approved the “National Research and Innovation Strategy for Luxembourg” as well as the annexed document of the “National Research Priorities for Luxembourg”. The inclusive process that led to these revised priorities took two years and involved multiple stakeholders: the national and international research community, public and private stakeholders as well as the various ministries.

FNR ATTRACT Fellow Prof Dr Paul Wilmes from the University of Luxembourg’s LCSB has secured a Consolidator grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for his ExpoBiome project. Wilmes is the third FNR ATTRACT Fellow to secure a prestigious ERC grant since 2015.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 4 of 8 eligible Proof of Concept projects have been accepted in the 2019-2 JUMP Call, an FNR commitment of 857.900 EUR.

LIST researcher Dr Nicolas Boscher is one of two Luxembourg-based researchers to be awarded a prestigious ERC Consolidator grant in the latest Call by the European Research Council. Dr Boscher will receive 1.9 MEUR in funding over the next five years for the CLEANH2 project entitled ‘Chemical Engineering of Fused MetalloPorphyrins Thin Films for the Clean Production of Hydrogen’.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 18 of 25 projects have been retained for funding in the 2019-2 PSP-Classic Call, representing an FNR Commitment of 431,090 EUR.

In accordance with the law of 31 May 1999 establishing a national [public sector] research fund, HRH the Grand Duke has, by recommendation of the Government, appointed the new Board of the FNR for the period 2019-2024.

Download FNR 2020 Calls A5 flyer (includes short programme descriptions) Download FNR 2020 Calls A3 poster (deadlines only)

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 9 of 16 eligible projects have been retained for funding in the 2019-2 BRIDGES Call, representing an FNR commitment of 2.97 MEUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 7 of 13 eligible Industrial Fellowship projects have been selected for funding in the 2019-2 Call, representing an FNR commitment of 1.31 MEUR. 

Wednesday, 18 December 2019, 16.00 – 18.00. Maison des Sciences humaines – C²DH – 4th floor – Open Space. 11, Porte des Sciences, L-4366 Esch-sur-Alzette. Speaker: ‘New findings and new questions about the origins of Digital Humanities: on the state of the art of histories of the Index Thomisticus project of Fr Roberto Busa S.J.’

On Thursday, 21 November 2019, the fourth edition of the National PhD Welcome Day gathered doctoral candidates from all disciplines who recently started their PhD in Luxembourg. They gathered  on Belval Campus to get information and advice for their PhD, network with stakeholders in doctoral training and socialise with their peers.

Marc Schiltz, Secretary General and Executive Head of the FNR, has been re-elected President of Science Europe, an association of major European research funding and research performing organisations. The FNR has been an active member and a strong supporter of Science Europe since its creation in 2011.

Wednesday, 4 December 2019, 12:00. Campus Belval, Maison du Savoir; Amphi 3.510. Speaker: ‘Global elimination of viral hepatitis – current status reports’.

There’s a legend about a place… a secret and mysterious place. A place between science and fiction… where you can meet Frankenstein and other mysterious scientists…Curious? Eager to discover science during a special and slightly offbeat evening? Experience an evening between science and fiction, at a place where something special will happen – join us on Friday, 29 November 2019.

The FNR is pleased to announce that 4 of 8 INTER Mobility projects have been selected for funding from the 2019-2 Call, an FNR commitment of 343,600 EUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 8 of 12 projects have been selected for funding in the 2019-2 RESCOM Call, an FNR commitment of 295,900 EUR. Through RESCOM, the FNR supports communication between researchers to promote scientific outcomes.

Wednesday, 18 December 2019, 13:00. European Investment Bank – 98-100, Bd Konrad Adenauer, Luxembourg. Speaker: Janet Currie (Princeton University).

Wednesday, 27 November 2019, 16.00 – 18.00. Maison des Sciences humaines – C²DH – 4th floor – Open Space. 11, Porte des Sciences, L-4366 Esch-sur-Alzette. Speaker: Dr Melvin Wevers, KNAW Humanities Cluster, Amsterdam.

Tuesday, 12 November 2019, 11:00 – 12:30. LISER Conference Room, MSH 1st floor. Speaker: Conny Wunsch (University of Basel).

The next lecture in the Luxembourg Society for Microbiology’s (LSfM) lecture series ‘From Single Organisms to Systems Ecology and Evolution’ will take place on Wednesday, 13 November 2019. Topic: ‘Dance of Rock and Life: Energy, Evolution and the Transformation of the Earth’. Dr Judson is also giving a seminar & workshop on scientific writing on … Continued

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 7 of 13 eligible Pathfinder projects have been accepted in the 2019-2 JUMP Call, an FNR commitment of 293,040 EUR.

The FNR is pleased to communicate the results of the 2019 OPEN Call for proposals: 4 of 12 eligible projects have been retained for funding, an FNR commitment of 2.3 MEUR. 

On Friday, 25 October 2019, the FNR held the 11th edition of the FNR Awards Ceremony, where around 150 people, including Claude Meisch, Minister for Higher Education & Research, gathered in the halle des poches à fonte in Belval, to reward Luxembourg’s best research and science communication efforts. Six FNR Awards were presented across three categories. Discover the winners!

Tuesday, 12 November 2019. Tuesday, 12 November 2019. Lecture: 11:30 – 12:30 – LIH, 1 B, rue Thomas Edison, L-1445 Strassen, Room: Curie/Pasteur. Meet the speaker: 12:45 – 14:00 (registration required) – LIH, 1 B, rue Thomas Edison, L-1445 Strassen, Room: Franklin. Topic: ‘e-Health: is it good value for money?’.

For the first time, a researcher based in Luxembourg has been recognised by the American Physical Society (APS) for outstanding contributions to the field of physics. Prof Alexandre Tkatchenko from the Physics and Materials Science (PHYMS) at the University of Luxembourg has been elected APS Fellow for his work on interactions between molecules and materials.

Experiment, experience, marvel: Science Festival, the biggest celebration of science in Luxembourg returns with its 12th edition in November 2019! Thursday, 7 and Friday, 8 November is reserved for school classes, while the Science Festival opens its doors to the general public on Saturday, 9 and Sunday, 10 November.

Friday, 25 October 2019. Lecture: 11:30 – 12:30, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, 4, rue Ernest Barblé, L-1210 Luxembourg, room: Amphitheatre. Meet the speaker: 12:45 – 14:00 (registration required), LIH, 1A-B, rue Thomas Edison, L-1445 Strassen, room: Curie/Pasteur (3rd floor). Topic: ‘Digital in mental health : “Fashionable gimmick” or “True innovative tool” ?’

‘Mathemarmite’ A game created by the xCIT research group, led by FNR ATTRACT Fellow Dr Pedro Cardoso Leite, is nominated for an Indie Development Award at Game Connection Europe 2019. The free game is a research tool in itself: the goal is to help children learn by understanding how they learn.

Monday, 28 October 2019, 11:00 – 12:30. Black Box conference room, ground floor MSH. Maison des Sciences Humaines (MSH), 11, Porte des Sciences, L-4366 Esch-sur-Alzette/Belval

Every two years, the FNR commissions a survey study to understand the level of notoriety and the perception of the Luxembourg research community among the general public. Discover the findings!

On the occasion of the Royal Visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, UCLouvain announces that the University of Luxembourg, the FNR and the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) have signed a letter of interest to establish partnerships in the framework of the launch of the new ‘VIVES Inter-University Fund’.

The FNR has signed two bilateral agreements with the FWO and the F.R.S-FNRS to strengthen and intensify the excellent research cooperation with Belgium.

A project looking at the impact of diet on colorectal cancer cells, using ‘HuMiX’, the gut on a chip developed by the lab of FNR ATTRACT Fellow Prof Paul Wilmes at the University of Luxembourg’s LCSB, took home the Healthcare Research Award at the 2019 Luxembourg Healthcare Awards. 

Tuesday, 5 November 2019, 13:00. European Investment Bank, 98-100, Bd Konrad Adenauer, Luxembourg. Speaker: Prof. Michael C. Wolfson, University of Ottawa

The FNR is recruiting a Research Programme Manager to strengthen our team within the material and physical sciences domains and public-private research partnerships. The position is on a 12-month (CDD) contract, with an application deadline of Monday, 11 November 2019.

Professor Gilbert Fridgen has been appointed the inaugural PayPal-FNR PEARL Chair in Digital Financial Services which will allow him to conduct scientific research at the digital transformation of financial services and the intersection of finance and technology. The partnership supports the Luxembourg Government’s aim of making the country a world leader in innovative financial services.

Médecins Sans Frontières is organising a panel discussion on the topic ‘epidemics, today and tomorrow’ on Wednesday, 6 November 2019 in Esch. The panel discussion features Sean Sapcariu, Programme Manager at the FNR.

The 5th International Systems Biomedicine Symposium will take place on Tuesday, 5 and Wednesday, 6 November 2019 in Belval, Luxembourg. The theme is “Systems Neuroscience: bridging the scales of the brain”. The conference will bring together world-wide leading experts in neuroscience in an interdisciplinary framework to address the huge complexity of the human brain and to demonstrate how systematic approaches can be used to reveal disease mechanisms.

The FNR is pleased to announce the call for talented young researchers to participate as Luxembourg delegates at the 7th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences, which takes place from 25 – 29 August 2020 in Lindau, Germany. Deadline to apply to attend is Monday, 4 November 2019.

The FNR is pleased to be able to communicate that 4 of 31 proposals involving Luxembourg partners have been retained for funding in the ANR-FNR Call, representing an FNR commitment of 1.57 MEUR. 

The Luxembourg Digital Innovation Hub (L-DIH) has been officially launched in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Étienne Schneider. As a key element of the national strategy for a data-driven economy, L-DIH is a platform hosted and managed by Luxinnovation, with the FNR among the partners. It is part of a European initiative aimed at bringing together supply and demand in the context of the digitisation of industry, in particular SMEs.

Researchers from the University of Luxembourg have made it to the final round in the 2019 Fast Forward Science Web Video Contest. The winners of the final round are partially decided through a public vote, open until Sunday, 13 October – vote now! Every like and comment on the video will be counted.

The 2019 edition of the October Days for Sustainable Development (ODSD) will take place on Thursday, 17 and Friday, 18 October. Every year since 2015 (the year of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs), the October Days for Sustainable Development (ODSD) have contributed to the global debate on the SDGs by enhancing dialogue among stakeholders.

The FNR is pleased to announce the opening of the Call for proposals with France’s Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR). Deadline for pre-proposals is Thursday, 24 October 2019, 13:00 CET.

Monday, 30 September 2019. Lecture: 11:30 – 12:30. Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, 4, rue Ernest Barblé, L-1210 Luxembourg, room: Amphitheatre. Meet the speaker: 12:45 – 14:00 (registration required). LIH, 1A-B, rue Thomas Edison, L-1445 Strassen, room: Curie/Pasteur (3rd floor). Topic: New dimensions of design for user experience and evaluation in digital health

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 32 of 119 eligible PhD projects have been selected for funding in the 2019 AFR Call. This represents an FNR commitment of 5.72 MEUR. Of the 32 projects, 7 projects were previously on the reserve list, but have now also been accommodated funding.

Luxinnovation is organising an information day on 10 October 2019 for Horizon 2020, the European funding programme for research and innovation. 

Welcome to all new PhD candidates from all over the world who start their doctoral research in Luxembourg! The 4th edition of the National PhD Welcome Day will take place on Thursday, 21 November 2019.

The ERA-NETs SUSFOOD2 and CORE Organic Cofund launch a joint Call for transnational research within the area of sustainable food systems. The FNR supports Luxembourg researchers in this multilateral Call via its international cooperation scheme INTER. Deadline for pre-proposals is Monday, 4 November 2019, 15:00 CET. 

Wednesday, 18 September 2019, 16.00 – 17.30. Belval Campus, Maison des Sciences humaines – Black Box. 11, Porte des Sciences, L-4366 Esch-sur-Alzette. Speaker: Prof Dr Jane Winters, School of Advanced Study, University of London.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announces it is the first of the United Nations agencies to join the growing coalition of research funders and charitable foundations who implement Plan S. This commitment will ensure that all WHO supported health research will be free to read online on the day it is published. 

The University of Luxembourg’s Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) celebrates its 10th anniversary with the exhibition ‘Mind the Brain’, taking place in Luxembourg City from Sunday, 15 September to Sunday, 6 October 2019. 

Wednesday, 25 September 2019, 13:00. European Investment Bank. 98-100, Bd Konrad Adenauer, Luxembourg. Speaker: Prof Charles Yuji Horioka, Kobe University and NBER.

Wednesday, 4 September 2019, 12:00. Campus Belval, Maison du Savoir; Amphi 3.510. Topic: ‘The rapidly expanding universe of giant viruses’.

Thursday, 5 September 2019. Lecture: 11:30 – 12:30 – Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg. Meet the speaker: 12:45 – 14:00 – LIH, 1A-B, rue Thomas Edison, L-1445 Strassen. Topic: ‘Digital Health Literacy: a starting point for digital health equity and systems reform’.

In spring 2015, the National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease (NCER-PD) was created as the very first inter-institutional research programme of its kind in Luxembourg. It represents a joint effort between five partners that unite their complementary expertise for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) has committed 8.3 million euros to this collaborative research programme for the past four years. At the end of this first funding period, the programme has been evaluated with outstanding scores by an international jury of experts. This paved the way for its second phase until May 2023, funded with an additional 6 MEUR.

Professor Dr Sean Takats, an internationally renowned expert on digital history, will start his research work in Luxembourg in October 2019. Backed by an FNR PEARL Chair from the FNR, Sean Takats joins the Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH), one of the interdisciplinary research centres of the University of Luxembourg. The PEARL programme, funded by the FNR, provides competitive funding to attract top researchers in strategic research areas for Luxembourg.

The FNR is pleased to inform that COST in June 2019 has decided to support 40 new Actions in all fields of science and research, starting in late Summer/Autumn 2019. COST Actions are networks of researchers all over Europe and abroad and Luxembourg researchers are strongly encouraged to participate, especially early-career researchers. The next deadline to propose a new COST Action is Thursday, 5 September 2019.

Top Japanese research consolidates ties with Luxembourg: Representatives of the Japanese RIKEN Institute, the University of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Institute for Health (LIH) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which the three institutions declare their intention to further strengthen future scientific cooperation. The fundamental elements are the so-called joint RIKEN Outpost Labs in Luxembourg, where senior scientists from the RIKEN Institute will undertake research in the Grand Duchy, intensifying their collaboration with Luxembourg science. 

‘Der Spiegel’, a widely read news magazine generally considered one the most influential of continental Europe in June published a cover story focussed on human gut microbiome research. The elaborate, seven-page article by the German weekly magazine features the recognised research work of Prof Mahesh Desai from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH).

The FNR has the pleasure to publish the final report of the external assessment exercise of the implementation of the National Quality Framework for Doctoral Training (NQFDT).

The JUMP programme is now accepting proposals, with a deadline of Friday, 27 September 2019, 14:00 CET.

The 24th edition of the European Symposium on Research in Computer Security (ESORICS2019) will take place in Luxembourg from 23 to 25 September 2019, followed by two days of satellite workshops on 26 and 27 September 2019.

The 8th European Conference on Injury prevention and safety promotion (‘EU safety’) will take place on 3 and 4 October 2019. Organised by in collaboration with the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), this conference builds on the series of European Injury Prevention Conferences successfully organised over the past decades by EuroSafe and the success of the World Safety-Conferences attended by a large European contingent.

Space Café Luxembourg returns on Tuesday, 16 July 2019. This special event will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the Moon in 1969 aboard Apollo 11.

The FNR is pleased to communicate that 8 of 12 eligible Industrial Fellowship projects have been selected for funding in the 2019-1 Call, representing an FNR commitment of 1.38 MEUR. 

The FNR is pleased to inform that 3 out of 8 Luxembourg proposals are invited to submit a full proposal to the NORFACE programme on democratic governance: “Democratic governance in a turbulent age”.