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Research in the spotlight

Research in the spotlight is a podcast for scientists and passionate science people having as protagonists the principal investigators (PI) of the Collaborative Research Projects funded in 2018 & 2019 calls under the Romanian Research Programme - EEA & Norway Grants .

This podcast is designed by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development, and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI), as Programme Operator of the Research Programme funded under the EEA & Norway Grants.

The first series of the podcast was launched in December 2021 and included 11 episodes. The discussions within the PI's of the EEA Grants were focused on the main challenge that the projects addresses, if research is able to find solutions, in the next decades, for different problem that the current society is facing and how the partnership between researchers from different countries is working for an green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

The second series of the podcast was launched on 22nd of February 2023. Stay tuned for 13 new and disruptive interviews within the PI's of the research projects funded under the Norway Grants.

Prof. Czibula and her research team aim to develop an efficient, seamless nowcasting platform that employs deep learning techniques on multiple data sources including radar, satellite, and weather station observations. The main purpose of the WeaMyL project is to attain lower decision times for issuing
nowcasting warnings, compared to current, exclusively human-based decision times.

Keep watching the sixth episode of the Research in the Spotlight to discover how a deep learning-driven platform for an early forecast of severe meteorological phenomena will improve people’s response to meteorological danger.

The LGBT community is one of the most vulnerable communities in the face of prejudices and negative attitudes.

The Collaborative Research Project conducted by Professor Sava aims to develop an internet-delivered prevention program based on acceptance and commitment principles. The program will help younger generations to cope with adverse events through self-acceptance and personal agency. At a National level, Professor Sava’s solution promises to drive the adoption of anti-discrimination policies and the reduction of stigma surrounding the LGBT community.

Keep watching the five episode of Research in the Spotlight to discover how an experimental approach plans to improve the lives and protection of the LGBT community.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most debilitating neural disorders, affecting millions of elderly people worldwide.

Dr. Mureșan aims to develop an optimized therapy that will employ advanced closed-loop simulation tools. For the highest efficiency, this technique will dynamically change the properties of visual and auditory stimuli to optimally engage brain activity.

Watch the fourth episode to learn how the CIRCUITGENUS therapy promises to restore normal brain function and alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

The change of the industrial relations and the uneven territorial development contribute to the social marginalization of Roma communities in the Baia Mare area.

Together with the FAFO Institute in Norway, Prof. Vincze aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the living and working conditions of Roma people.

Keep watching the third episode of Research in the Spotlight to discover how this research will provide the groundwork for creating a collaborative network of people for the betterment of the most distressed ethnic minorities in Romania.

Emerging contaminants in drinking water deeply affect the quality of life. Dr. Socaci and her extensive team of Romanian and Norwegian researchers aim to develop a rapid and green alternative for water remediation. The goal is to develop immobilized nano-structured surfaces, which will exhibit a high deficiency of visible-light driven remediation of aquatic pollutants.

Keep watching the second episodes of the Research In The Spotlight to learn how their experimental set-up can get us closer to better environmental solutions.

Microalgae produce more than 50% of the oxygen that we breathe and are the foundation of the aquatic food web. However, climate change is putting a serious toll on their abundance, diversity and distribution.

The ADVANCE project coordinated by PhD. Druga studies the impact of climate change on microalgae, and, ultimately, on the quality of human life. Together with the Norway Institute for Water Research, his team plans to understand the microorganisms’ response to changes in order to help them adapt. Keep watching this episode to learn how a marine analysis can drive better environmental decisions and offer the needed protection of the aquatic ecosystem.