European Research Projects

Certain IQS research groups have been very active – for more than 15 years – in applying for funding from the European Commission to conduct competitive research projects. Within the various Framework Programmes, funding has been obtained for research in multiple scientific areas such as, for example, concern for safety when working with nanoparticles, public health issues, the challenges in terms of addressing various diseases from biomedicine, pharmaceutical products, and extremely personalized technologies, not to mention the challenges of nuclear fusion, research on industrial automatic systems, studying indicator systems about the Chinese economy, and many others.

Over the past three years alone, IQS has submitted 70 project applications. In addition, ten European projects have been favourably approved and awarded during this period, with grants totalling more than three million euros for IQS.

Among the most recent research projects for which IQS has been awarded funding, the following are worth highlighting in particular:

OBGATE (Creating an Orthogonal Gate to the Brain), focused on a paradigm shift in the field of brain administration starting with a new orthogonal brain gate in which targeted drugs could cross the blood-brain barrier to treat brain diseases. Led by Dr Benjamí Oller Salvia, the project received an individual ERC Starting Grant, with funding of almost €1,500,000 to carry out the project between June 2023 and May 2028.

FASTCOMET (Future Data Storage Using Colloidal Memory Technology), based on a new concept of colloidal memory in which nanoparticles are considered data carriers and the particles are organized in specific sequences in the capillaries to store data through electrodes, applied frequencies, and electrophoresis. Lasting for three years, this consortium project under the scientific direction of Dr Roger Bresolí Obach began in November 2023, and IQS has been awarded a budget of €283,000.

IMMUTOL (Cell-Based Therapy to Re-Establish Tolerance in Immunemediated Diseases) aims to accelerate the development and validation of an advanced therapeutic drug based on dendritic cells modified with vitamin D3. This consortium project began in May 2023, under the direction of Dr Jordi Martorell López, and the IQS team has a budget of €274,000 for the next four years.

Currently, we have nine European projects underway: Light4Lungs, PopMed-SusDev, Immutol, OBGate, FastComet, ADC2GBM, NextGENPS, TumorOut, and Eurofusion), four of which are led by IQS (Light4Lungs, PopMed-SusDev, TumorOut, and OBGate). Leading these types of projects is especially complex in terms of coordinating multiple partners from various countries and working towards a common goal. The dedication of the principal investigators and the support provided by project managers are tasks that, without a doubt, require continuous learning.

Last week, European researchers and project managers met in Madrid as part of the ERCEA Grant Management Event to learn about the characteristics of the most recent calls for grants. Professor María Leptin, President of the European Research Council (ERC), opened the event by presenting news on ERC policies and the Horizon Europe programme. IQS faculty members Dr Benjamí Oller, Dr Manuel Morillas, and Dr Joedmi Pereira attended the event and also participated in the training sessions that were held.

Dr Núria Vallmitjana

Director of IQS Tech Transfer