Researchers from eleven universities and non-university research institutions are collaborating in the six new Emerging Fields. The aim is to implement cooperative projects on research questions with particularly high innovation potential that could trigger a paradigm shift in their respective fields. The funding creates conditions for close cooperation at the participating institutions and gives researchers the necessary freedom to pursue promising approaches and riskier ideas.
Emerging Field "Comparative Ecological Innovation Styles"
How bodies and environments give rise to inventions – from animals to robots
Where does inventiveness come from? It is not a purely a human trait but can also be found in the animal kingdom. In the emerging field of "Comparative Ecological Innovation Styles", the researchers involved are investigating how different body structures, ecological niches, and cognitive abilities shape the emergence of new behaviours. Rather than simply comparing successful problem-solving strategies, the team is analysing the detailed processes of acquisition, learning and development in some of the most innovative animals, such as parrots, corvids and great apes. This creates a process-based understanding of how innovation arises, what role motor skills and environmental conditions play, and why inventive strategies differ between species. These findings will not only expand our understanding of animal intelligence but also contribute to the development of robot systems that are more flexible and adaptable.
"Innovation is the result of the interaction between body, environment, and experience. By comparing these processes, we gain a new understanding of inventiveness—both in evolution and in its transfer to robotics", says Alice Auersperg, coordinator, about the goals of the Emerging Field.
Three co-investigators from the Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology at the Faculty of Life Sciences are studying this emerging field: Barbara Klump, Christoph Völter and Mark Christopher O’Hara. Barbara Klump explains: "We humans are the greatest innovators on this planet, yet, we still do not fully understand the processes and mechanisms that underlie the emergence of such novel behaviours. In the emerging fields project CEIS we will study diverse animal species that evolved high innovation levels independently from each other. This will allow us to uncover the mechanisms of innovative behaviours and transfer them to artificial agents like robots. An important aspect is the inclusion of the ecology of each species in the interpretation of our data. Animals have adapted to the different environments they live in over a very long time, so studying the process by which they approach, solve or fail to solve problems will significantly broaden our understanding of how innovation is influenced by ecology, ultimately helping us to shed light on the evolution of intelligence."
Emerging Field "Marine Micro/Nanoplastics: Emission, Fate and Health Impacts"
On the hunt for plastic dust
More than two-thirds of the world's population live near the coast. Although the ocean has long been considered a sink for plastic pollution, the action of breaking waves throwing sea spray into the air allows plastic to enter the atmosphere. The emerging field of "Marine Micro/Nanoplastics: Emission, Fate, and Health Impacts" raises three key questions: How much plastic do waves release into the atmosphere? Where is it transported? And what risks does it pose to humans? By bringing ocean processes into the laboratory and linking emission experiments with transport modelling and health studies, this project will bring together emissions, transport and health effects within a consistent framework for the first time. The findings will fundamentally change our understanding of global plastic pathways and human exposure and lay the foundation for future air quality predictions.
"We want to initiate a paradigm shift in which the ocean is no longer exclusively seen as a sink for plastic, but rather as a central source that releases plastic back into the atmosphere. This will lead to a new understanding of the emission, global transport, and health effects of micro- and nanoplastics", says Markus Holzner, coordinator, about the goals of the Emerging Fields.
Lea Ann Dailey, project partner from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Faculty of Life Sciences, explains: "We know that the oceans are full of plastic debris. We also know that this plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become small enough to breath in. What we don't know is how much plastic is transferred from sea water to the air through the action of breaking waves. AERIAL will develop new physics to understand the mechanisms of micro- and nanoplastic transfer from sea water to air. This will enable more accurate estimates of the amounts we inhale. My group will determine the concentrations at which inhaled micro- and nanoplastics, which are coated with biomolecules from the sea, will become hazardous to lung health."
Decision based on international expert opinions and jury recommendations
To ensure an independent decision based on scientific criteria, the FWF organised a three-stage selection process for the second round of applications. First, the international, multidisciplinary jury, headed by Aileen Fyfe (University of St Andrews, Scotland), assessed the 37 applications submitted based on a three-page synopsis, judging them on their potential to implement highly transformative and innovative ideas. Only applications that demonstrated a high degree of innovation were reviewed internationally and submitted to the FWF Board of Trustees, which drew up a shortlist of nine consortia based on the international reviews. These consortia then presented their research projects to the jury in a hearing, after which the jury made its funding recommendation. The final funding decisions were made by the FWF Board of Trustees based on the jury's recommendations.
This online map provides an overview of the Emerging Fields: excellentaustria.fwf.ac.at
Learn more:
- Lea Ann Dailey
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Barbara Klump
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology
