St Petersburg University is the first in Russia to have the largest number of new mega-grants
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation has announced the results of the mega-grant competition. The expert committee considered almost 300 applications from 49 regions of the country and selected 30 of the most promising and relevant projects. Three of them will be developed at St Petersburg University. The University has become the absolute leader in terms of the number of supported applications both in St Petersburg and in the Russian Federation.
The mega-grant programme is part of the national project "Science and Universities".
The mega-grant programme provides support for research conducted in Russian universities and research centres under the guidance of leading Russian and foreign world-class scientists. Each of the winners will receive a grant of up to 90 million roubles for the development of science.
With the state support, a laboratory of crystal photonics will be created at St Petersburg University. It will be headed by the Greek scientist Constantinos Stoumpos. The deputy director is appointed Professor in the Department of Photonics at St Petersburg University, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics Alexei Emeline, who is also Head of the research group "Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials".
In the field of "Medical and Health Sciences", the project of Axel Haverich (Germany) was highly appreciated. He proposed to open a laboratory of microangiopathic mechanisms of atherogenesis at the University. The project also includes Leonid Churilov, Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at St Petersburg University, Candidate of Science (Medicine). He is the author of more than 630 research papers, including about 30 monographs, manuals and textbooks on pathophysiology, immunology and endocrinology. In the field of ’Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering’, the winner is a project ’Dynamics and Extreme Characteristics of Promising Nanostructured Materials’. It is developed by Baoqiang Li (China). His research partner will be Yuri Petrov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor in the Department of Elasticity Theory, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics. He is an outstanding scientist in the field of continuum physics, optimisation problems, impact and explosion mechanics, and fracture dynamics.
All three applications for mega-grants are the result of the systematic development of scientific areas stipulated in the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan 2010-2015.
For example, specialised subdivisions of the Centre for Extreme States of Materials and Constructions (since September 2015) and the Nanophotonics Centre (since February 2013) were created and are now successfully operating at the Research Park at St Petersburg University. In September 2021, the world’s first Centre for the Study of Autoimmune Diseases and the Effects of the New Coronavirus Disease opened at the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies at St Petersburg University. These centres will provide a scientific infrastructure for research areas created under the new mega-grants. Obviously, the right choice of growth points and constant targeted work in the chosen areas lead to the successful development of science and formation of new scientific schools. Today we see worthy results of the research policy of St Petersburg University.
During the implementation of the mega-grant programme in Russia, 315 laboratories were created at 133 universities and research organisations. Its participants received grants totalling 35 billion roubles. This year, 235 of the applications were submitted by universities, while 58 applications were submitted by research organisations. Researchers from Germany, the USA, France, Italy, Great Britain, China, and Spain also actively participated in the competition.