In the “Frontline” Research Excellence Programme elaborated and announced for the first time by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, 12 research group leaders have won grants of HUF 150 million to 300 million (nearly EUR 0.5 to 1 million) each, of a total budget of HUF 3 billion, to be spent in the coming five years on creating or expanding their research group and implementing a promising discovery research project in Hungary.
45 project proposals were submitted, with funding requests of HUF 11.5 billion (nearly EUR 38 million) in total. 80% of the applications (both in terms of quantity and the requested funding) were submitted from the fields of mathematics, physics, chemical and engineering sciences, medical and biological sciences. Remaining applications are equally split between humanities/social sciences and agricultural/ecological/environmental/earth sciences.
Funding decisions were made in a multi-stage assessment process based on anonymous peer reviews and panel evaluation, supplemented with presentations by the applicants. Firstly, each project proposal was evaluated by four anonymous experts, amongst them at least one foreigner, invited by the NRDI Office upon the proposal of the disciplinary panels. Based on the peer reviews, an expert group proposed by the disciplinary panels evaluated the project proposals one by one against the selection criteria set out in the call for proposals, and invited twenty shortlisted applicants to present their project proposals in person. After the project presentations the expert group made a proposal for the decision.
FUNDED PROJECTS
Funding organisation: NRDI Office
Source: NRDI Fund
Date of decision: 13 November 2017
Project code
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Project leader
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Project title
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Project period (months)
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Awarded funding (thousand HUF)
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Project objectives
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126322
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Zoltán Nusser (1968) research professor of HAS Institute of Experimental Medicine, Széchenyi and Bolyai Prize winning veterinary surgeon, biologist and neurobiologist, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS)
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Molecular fingerprints of distinct functional properties of hippocampal excitatory synapses
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60
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277 680
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The major aim of the present proposal is to understand the molecular differences among synapses underlying their functional diversity. The causal relationships between the function and the amounts of proteins will be tested following genetic up- and downregulation of the proteins. This combined functional-molecular approach requires the development of new technologies, as none of the currently available localization methods is sufficient to accomplish our aims. Thus, the researchers will develop a novel molecular neuroanatomical method and analyze our results with state-of-the-art super-resolution fluorescent microscopy to reveal the molecular fingerprints of functional properties of hippocampal excitatory synapses. The researchers also aim at understanding the reasons for the differences in the strength of the synapses. By using modern in vivo two-photon calcium imaging in behaving mice in combination with in vitro electrophysiology, the researchers will test the hypothesis that the previous activity history of the nerve cells determines the strength of their synapses.
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126451
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Mihály Kállay (1974) chemist, doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; founded a research team in 2013 under the HAS Momentum call at Budapest University of Technology and Economics
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Accurate properties for large molecules
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60
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150 470
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Modern quantum chemistry enables the theoretical determination of numerous molecular properties. The theoretical results, because of the approximations invoked, are frequently inaccurate, and even today, quantum chemical calculations with experimental accuracy are only feasible for small molecules. The main purpose of this proposal is to develop new quantum chemical methods that are applicable to large molecules and simultaneously provide results sufficiently close to the experimental data.
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126506
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Csaba Pál (1975) research fellow at HAS Biological Research Centre in Szeged, Bolyai Prize winning biologist; founded a research team in 2012 under the HAS Momentum call
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Pathogen driven evolution of key molecules in the human adaptive immune system
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60
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247 310
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It has becoming increasingly clear that variation in the human genome influences susceptibility to infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens. However, the underlying mutations frequently remained enigmatic. This proposal focuses on the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC class II) molecules that shape the immune response against pathogens and tolerance to self-peptides. The corresponding genomic region is of particular interest, as it harbors more disease associations than any other region in the human genome, including associations to infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, tumors and neuropsychiatric diseases. The research proposes that MHC class II molecules can be categorized into two major types: specialists and generalists. The researchers argue that as a consequence, geographical distribution of generalist MHC class II molecules influences genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases, autoimmunity and vaccination success rates across human populations. Therefore, the promiscuity hypothesis could be a cornerstone theory in evolutionary medicine.
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126683
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András Stipsicz (1966) HAS and Rényi Prize winning mathematician, research professor at HAS Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; founded a research team in 2010 under the HAS Momentum call
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Knots, links and complex singularities
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60
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247 140
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One of the main unsolved questions in low dimensional topology is the structure of the concordance group and its variants. Recent advances regarding a similar group (the homology cobordism group of 3-manifolds) led to the resolution of a famous problem from the 1910s (the Triangulation Conjecture), and a better understanding of the concordance group might lead to similar discoveries. Further geometric structures on 3-manifolds, and their connection to complex geometry (either through contact geometry or as links of complex analytic singularities) help us understanding their structure better. The study of various tools (such as Heegaard Floer homology, knot Floer homology, lattice homology, the theory of graded roots) therefore is of central importance.
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126749
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László Gránásy (1955) research professor at HAS Wigner Research Centre for Physics, HAS Prize winning physicist, doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
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Modeling crystal morphology at various lengthscales: From atomic scale to biological systems
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60
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199 535
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Polycrystalline materials composed of a large number of crystallites are essential ingredients of our everyday life: they include technical alloys, ceramics, minerals, medicines, and crystalline food products, and some crystalline structures formed in biological systems, such as teeth, bones, kidney stones, cholesterol crystals in arteries, frozen biological tissues, etc. In some areas, computational materials physics reached a deep understanding of the processes involved, enabling knowledge based designing of materials. In this, predictive mathematical models played an essential role. It is expected that the three stages of polycrystalline freezing (nucleation, growth and grain coarsening) show some universal features, thus the behavior observed in one system can be projected to others. Obviously, there are limits for this. In the present proposal, starting from our earlier experience in phase-field modeling of complex polycrystalline microstructures, the researchers explore how far such similarities remain valid between colloidal crystal aggregation (readily observable by optical methods) and crystallization in metallic melts (inaccessible on the nanoscale for in situ experiments), and how far one can build on similarities between solidification of alloys and biological systems.
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126764
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László Orbán (1957) biologist, senior principal investigator of Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (Singapore), honorary professor of University of Pannonnia
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Analyses of factors regulating fish sex, using genomic tools
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60
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230 617
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In this project, researchers investigate the genetic regulation of reproductive processes in fishes and the potential effects of environmental factors, such as temperature, on them. Most of the tools to be used for these purposes are genomic methods: these approaches study the genetic material on a large scale. Instead of single genes or small gene sets, they will compare the complete genetic material of the two sexes in fish. That will enable them to analyse complex systems, where instead of a few major factors, hundreds or thousands of genetic components (possibly at different levels) will exert smaller effects resulting eventually in substantial changes. Main goals of the research will be to understand these interactions and potentially utilize them according to the needs of experiments or aquaculture production. Using this knowledge, it might become possible to predict potential effects of global warming on natural fish populations and cultured stocks. In the case of the latter, researchers may try to select lines that are more or less sensitive to temperature-induced shifts in their sex ratio than unselected ones, according to the needs of the fish farms.
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126769
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Sándor Katz (1975) physicist, professor at Eötvös Loránd University, corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; founded a research team in 2012 under the HAS Momentum call; awardee of the Talentum Prize and the Junior Prima Prize
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Critical point of Quantum Chromodynamics
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60
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298 133
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The researchers investigate what happens to strongly interacting matter when The researchers heat it up or compress it to large densities. Protons and neutrons undergo a transition to the quark-gluon plasma and under the right conditions this transition will be of second order resulting in infinite correlation lengths. This phenomenon is similar to the critical point of water: at the right pressure and temperature the water-steam system becomes opaque due to the long correlations. The researchers propose to determine the right conditions for this critical point which will guide future experiments for its discovery.
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126823
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Zsolt Radák (1961) doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, professor at University of Physical Education
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The enigma behind the systemic effects of regular exercise: Is it related to VO2max or molecular adaptive pathways?
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60
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222 278
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Regular exercise improves mean life-span and quality of life and the function of brain, lung, heart, liver, kidney, testis and gut microbiome, despite of the very different blood and energy supply during exercise. The adaptive mechanism of this whole body response is not known. The researchers suggest that the level of VO2max could be one of the key limiting factors of the adaptive response. The researchers plane to train middle aged human subjects and animals to increase VO2max and improve the function of all of the mentioned organs, and moreover The researchers will check the effects of exercise training on the offspring physiological function and biochemical regulating pathways. The researchers will monitor how different intensity exercise training will modify microbiome and what could be the functional consequences of this. The results of this study would be important to improve public health, prevention of life-style related diseases and to improve the quality of life.
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126835
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Zsolt Demetrovics (1971) psychologist, addictologist, cultural anthropologist, professor, doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, dean of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology at Eötvös Loránd University
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Budapest Longitudinal Study on Addictive Behaviors: Protective and risk factors in the addictive processes
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60
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298 490
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The aim of the research is to investigate the process of developing, sustaining, and eventually terminating smoking, alcohol and drug use and specific behavioral addictions (video game use, gambling, social media use, work addiction, hypersexuality, compulsory buying). Although the researchers know more and more about these disorders, the researchers still have no information on the course of these phenomena and in most cases investigations are being made after the problem has arisen, thus reveal little about the causes of their onset. Our objective is the annual follow-up of two populations (5th grade adolescents and 18-34-year-old young adults). During the surveys, the researchers would investigate specific behaviors, their potentially problematic and addictive nature and different personality characteristics, as well as genetic samples from the individuals. By doing this, the research will provide answers for the question regarding what factors influence that a given behavior becomes problematic and addictive in a person, while remain non-problematic in others.
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126949
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Tamás Székely (1959) professor at University of Debrecen, research professor at University of Bath, ethologist, ecologist, awardee of the Wolfson’s Excellence Award of the British Academy in 2017
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Sex role evolution: testing the impacts of ecology, demography and genes
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60
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229 362
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Sex roles (i.e. behavioural roles of males and females in reproduction) excites both scientists and the public, since understanding the evolutionary roots of this behaviour is challenging. For example, why do males court females and compete with other males whereas usually the females look after the young, although in a small number of species these "conventional" sex roles are completely reserved?
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126963
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Attila Reményi (1973) biologist, research fellow at HAS Research Centre for Natural Sciences; founded a Momentum research group in 2013
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Systems level profiling of cell growth and death promoting MAP kinase networks
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60
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299 345
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Cells in our body constantly renew themselves or die. There is a fine balance between these two processes throughout life. In pathological cellular states, the balance between growth and death is offset, which will lead to unbridled cell proliferation or chronic inflammation, respectively. There are enzymes in the cell which control these processes, called protein kinases. The researchers have been studying how a special group of kinases, called MAP kinases, work. There are several type of these MAP kinase: some are involved in promoting cell growth, while others promote cell death. The researchers believe that the key in understanding how cells decide if they grow or die lies in the way MAP kinases bind to other proteins. Based on our experience coming from fifteen years of research in the field, the researchers have created “designer cells” - modified human cells – in which the researchers can selectively turn on one kinase at a time. The researchers expect that this system can be used to explore how MAP kinases bind to and activate or deactivate proteins that are directly regulating cell growth or death. This new knowledge at hand will be used to set up new, cell-based experimental systems in which the balance between growth and death in pathological cellular states can be re-established by using drugs or their combination.
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126998
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Tamás Horváth L. (1967) veterinary surgeon, professor at Yale University and University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest
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Hunger controls aging
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60
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299 640
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Tremendous scientific progress in modern medicine and hygiene over the last century has helped solve common causes of human mortality. These developments however, have also revealed a plethora of new problems, such as chronic diseases as result of aging. Age is the single biggest risk factor for diseases. Nevertheless, the biomedical research enterprise all around the world spends equivalent of billions of euros every year to tackle each chronic disease separately. This disease focused approach has unquestionably produced new treatments, however, longevity has come with disability, where management of one age‐related chronic disease has been traded with emergence of another. Calorie restriction benefits health and extends lifespan in all species so far studies. The goal of our proposal is to develop mechanistic understanding of how calorie restriction benefits health- and life-span mediated by the brain with the long-term goal to develop mimic calorie restriction without its undesirable side effects, such as constant hunger and related stress.
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Total:
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3 000 000
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