Cyprus University wins €1.2m ERC grant

A University of Cyprus project on how dark matter and dark energy affects gravitational theory has won a €1.2m Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council.

Headed by Dr Constantinos Skordis, the project “Theories and Models of the Dark Sector: Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Gravity (TheMoDS)” asks whether Einstein’s General Relativity provides all the answers to gravitational queries. The TheMoDS project will work towards accurately assessing dark matter and dark energy and attempt to test gravitational theories against cosmological evidence. The team of researchers will draw chiefly on cosmic microwave radiation data from the European Space Agency’s Planck Surveyor and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope in Northern Chile.

The newly appointed President of the ERC, Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, said: “Judging by the ever increasing demand for ERC grants, especially from early- and mid-career researchers, it is clear that funding of this kind is much needed. It’s pivotal for Europe to create conditions for its new generation of researchers to thrive while following their scientific curiosity.”

The dark sector is made up of dark matter and dark energy. Skordis and his team aim to further test current paradigms and to revise knowledge of the dark sector.

Consolidator Grants are worth up to €2.75m each, with an average of €1.84m per grant. The ERC has said that this funding will allow excellent researchers to consolidate their own research teams and to develop their most innovative ideas across the European Research Area.