The European Research Council supports RWTH Professor Daniele Leonori on the way from basic research to full application
Professor Daniele Leonori of the RWTH Institute of Organic Chemistry is being funded by the European Research Council with an ERC Proof of Concept grant. The funding is based on an ERC Starting Grant that Leonori obtained in 2018. The focus of his research is on the development of new catalytic methods for chemical synthesis. The proof of concept grant will now help him to develop a scalable large-scale route to produce stable borylated building blocks. This has the potential to streamline the production of high-value pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.
ERC grants are considered to be the highest scientific award for cutting-edge research at the European level. An ERC Proof of Concept is a complementary grant and it aims to test market potential. It is awarded to scientists who wish to pre-commercially exploit a research result from their ongoing or already completed ERC project and are planning initial steps towards technology transfer. This means that the funding is not provided for pure research activities, but rather for further measures aimed at application maturity and commercialization. Leonori is being funded with around 150,000 euros for one year.
This is already the third time that the chemistry expert has been funded by the ERC. After his ERC Starting Grant, which he acquired at the University of Manchester and brought with him to RWTH Aachen University last year, it was announced in January that he will be funded with an ERC Consolidator Grant from January 2024.