These calls aim to promote innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research projects led by early-career researchers within the UNITA alliance.
Following a highly competitive selection process, a number of promising projects have been awarded funding across the two thematic areas. All proposals were evaluated by expert committees, and the results have been communicated to the applicants.
Global Health
This thematic hub addressed two specific research areas:
Topic 1 – Cellular and Molecular Human and Veterinary Medicine
9 projects were selected:
- Redefining Micro- and Nano-Plastics (MNP) as Active Disruptors of Gut–Liver Barriers and Vectors of Microbial Translocation in Global Health, involving UNIZAR, UNIBS, UBI, UNITO
- Targeting insect cytochrome P450 with natural inhibitors: a green strategy for malaria and other vector-borne disease control as a global health challenge, involving UNITO, UBI, UNIBS, CHNU
- Disrupting Immune-Metabolic Crosstalk in Cancer via Dual Targeting of TLR2 and xCT, involving UNITO, UNIZAR, UBI
- REVA: Repurposing drugs to trEat Vaginal yeast: search for new Antimycotics, involving UBI, UNIBS, UNITBV, UNITO
- MINERVA: Micro/Nanoplastics Exposure and Reproductive Vulnerability Assessment in Ruminants – A Pilot Study with True-to-Life Particles, involving UNITO, UNIZAR, UNIBS, UBI
- Unfolding Non-Invasive Treatment Advances Against Pain (UNITA-AP) – Validation of novel peptides and their non invasive delivery strategies, involving UNITO, UBI, UPPA
- Veterinary Cell Therapies in a One Health World (VetCellOH), involving UNIZAR, UNIBS, HES-SO, UNITO
- MOSAICOH – Mining soil microorganisms for antimicrobial discovery within a One Health approach, involving UNIZAR, UNITO, UNIBS, IPG
- NeuroUnita – a transdisciplinary Neuroscience platform of the Unita alliance, involving UNITBV, UNITO, UNIBS, UBI, IPG, UNIZAR
Topic 2 – Mental and physical health, well-being, and prevention medicine in humans and animals
8 projects were selected:
- Modulation of Energy Metabolism by treatments and Exercise in Cancer, Obesity, Inmunological blood diseases, and Hemoglobinopathies, involving UNIBS, USMB, UNIZAR, UBI
- Toward a UNITA Student Health Observatory (U-SHO), involving UPPA, UNIZAR, UPNA, UNIBS, UVT, UNITBV, IPG
- EMPOWER, involving USMB, UVT, UNIZAR, UPPA, IPG
- Advancing Knowledge to Promote Health Equity across the UNITA Alliance (AKHE-UNITA), involving UNIZAR, IPG, UNITO
- Spreading global health citizen science research methodologies for UNITA (SPHERE), involving UNITO, UNIZAR, UVT, UPNA
- ROOTS Rural Opportunities for Ongoing physical activity through Theory-based Strategies, involving UNIZAR, UPPA, UNITBV
- HEALPS (Health & Environment in the Alps). OneHealth Mountains – Building a Multidisciplinary Network for Sustainable Mountain Futures, involving UNIBS, UNITO, UNIZAR, UBI
- Lifestyle Behaviours, Mental and Physical Health, and Oral Health in Students and Migrants living in Mountain Areas: a Preventive Medicine Perspective, involving UNIBS, UNITBV, UNITO, UVT
Inclusive societies
The Inclusive societies hub focused on key challenges at the intersection of technology and sustainability:
Topic 1 – Social inclusion and equal opportunities in a multicultural setting
7 projects were selected:
- SHE-MAP – Smart Historical Exposure Mapping for Minority Women in Advertising, involving UNITBV, UNITO, UNIZAR, UBI, HES-SO
- W(h)OCAREs? – A Recipe for a Holistic Approach to Women’s Health: Strengthening the Therapeutic Alliance in Gynecological Care involving UNITO, UVT, UNITBV, UNIBS, UBI, HES-SO
- MORES – Mobility and Remittance Strategies. Circular links among Spain, Italy and Romania, social inclusion and policy implications, involving UNIZAR, UNITO, UVT
- DESIGN-IN-LAB – Designing Inclusive Pathways for Migrant Women’s Integration in the Labour Market, involving UNIBS, UPNA, UVT
- Witches: From Marginalization to Reconciliation and Cohesion (ReCo). Crossroads between Social History, Literature, Arts, and Environment, involving UPPA, UNITO, USMB, UPNA
- Active Ageing at 25: Lessons, Policies, and Pathways Forward – AA@25, involving UNIZAR, UNIBS, UNITBV, UBI
- Intersections of Resistance: Young Minority Women’s Digital Voices for Inclusive Societies, involving UNIZAR, UNITO, UBI
Topic 2 – Pathways to inclusive societies: Exploring the role of Democracy, Institutions, Politics, Citizenship, and Information
9 projects were selected:
- Political transformations in an era of democratic changes: challenges to social inclusion, involving UNIZAR, UPNA, UVT, UPPA, UNIBS
- COMCRIS Commoning in Crisis: Community, solidarity and resistance in rural and mountainous regions, involving USMB, UNITO, UBI, UVT, UPNA
- The Criterion of Consent in the Criminalization of Sexual Offenses: Insights from a European Perspective (CONSENT-EU), involving UPPA, UNIBS, UVT, UNIZAR, UPNA
- Housing4Youth: Re-imagining Local Communities through Sustainable Housing for Students and Young Workers, involving UNITO, IPG, UNIZAR
- DemoSoc-EU – Democratic Backsliding and Social Inequalities in the European Union: Framing the Interplay in Theory and Action, involving UNITO, USMB, UVT, UPNA
- Amplifying Silenced Voices Through Service-learning: Towards Polyphonic Solutions, involving UNITO, UNIBS, UVT, UBI, UNITBV, UPNA
- Technologies of Control: critical frameworks, lived experiences, and pathways to justice, involving USMB, UNITO, UNIBS, UNIZAR
- Diet and exercise disparities and inequalities in European rural and mountainous areas: Diagnosis and solutions through participation, involving UNIZAR, UNITO, UNITBV, UBI
- Inclusiveness beyond “reasonable accommodations”: Toward the concept of “social ergonomics” in the VUCA-D society, involving UNITO, UNIBS, HES-SO, UVT
The selected projects reflect the Alliance’s strong commitment to scientific excellence and its strategic vision in addressing global challenges through transdisciplinary cooperation.
UNITA extends the congratulations to all applicants and look forward to following the development and impact of the selected initiatives in the coming months.
