Biodegradable vascular implants and the history of one of the most important mining regions in Central Europe – these are the topics of the projects of the latest recipients of the Weave-UNISONO call, carried out by researchers from Poland and Germany.
The team from the Warsaw University of Technology, led by Dr hab. inż. Beata Butruk-Raszeja, in cooperation with the University Hospital Erlangen, will develop biodegradable nanofibrous materials for the tissue engineering of blood vessels. The researchers plan to create implants that can support the reconstruction of blood vessel walls while reducing the risk of infection and inflammation through the use of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory substances. In the future, this solution may increase the availability of effective vascular grafts for patients with cardiovascular diseases.
In turn, researchers from the University of Silesia, led by Prof. Dr hab. Ireneusz Malik, together with partners from Germany, will carry out a comprehensive study of the area inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Tarnowskie Góry. The project will provide a better understanding of the centuries-long history of mining activity in the region and its impact on the landscape and the environment. The researchers will use geoarchaeological, geomorphological and pedological methods to identify and analyse former mining shafts and heaps. The research findings will provide new knowledge about the transformations of the post-mining landscape and the processes of its natural regeneration.
The proposals were evaluated by the German lead agency DFG, and NCN accepted the results of these evaluations under the Weave programme. The total budget allocated to the work of the Polish teams is almost PLN 1.89 million.
Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure
Weave-UNISONO is a result of multilateral cooperation between the research-funding agencies associated in Science Europe and aims at simplifying the submission and selection procedures in all academic disciplines, involving researchers from two or three European countries.
The winning applicants are selected pursuant to the Lead Agency Procedure according to which one partner institution performs a complete merit-based evaluation of proposals, the results of which are subsequently approved by the other partners.
Under the Weave Programme, partner research teams apply for parallel funding to the Lead Agency and their respective institutions participating in the Programme. Joint research projects must include a coherent research program with the added value of the international cooperation clearly identified.
Weave-UNISONO is carried out on an ongoing basis. Research teams intending to cooperate with partners from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium-Flanders are urged to read the call text and apply for funding.