Extremely prestigious ERC Superior Grant will create as much as eight new jobs
An astronomer based mostly at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) has been awarded €2million to research how the primary stars within the universe ‘switched on the lights’ following the Massive Bang.
25 June 2026 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
Professor Jorick Vink believes the funding – one in every of solely a one in every of a small variety of ERC Superior Grants held by establishments on the island of Eire – has the potential to be ‘transformational’, not just for the 235-year-old establishment, however for analysis worldwide.
The funding can even create as much as eight new analysis positions at AOP over the course of the venture.
ERC Superior Grants are amongst essentially the most aggressive and coveted awards in European science, reserved for established researchers on the very frontier of their fields.
“It’s the top of my profession,” stated Prof. Vink, who has lately been appointed Vice President of the Royal Astronomical Society, one of many world’s oldest and most distinguished scientific our bodies.
“I’ve been profitable in getting grants earlier than, however none like this one – that is very prestigious.”
The analysis centres on some of the profound questions in astrophysics: what ended the Universe’s so-called ‘darkish ages and successfully “switched on the lights” within the early Universe?
After the Massive Bang, the Universe expanded and entered a interval referred to as the Cosmic Darkish Ages, earlier than the primary stars ignited and remodeled the cosmos.
The earliest stars are believed to have been a lot greater than most stars we observe at the moment, together with the solar.
Their extraordinary brightness is believed to have been accountable for flooding the universe with mild, which billions of years later we are able to observe with devices such because the Hubble Area Telescope and the James Webb Telescope.
By uncovering the character of those first stars, astronomers consider it’s going to assist mankind uncover our personal cosmic origins.
25 June 2026 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
This venture builds on years of analysis into how stellar winds form the evolution of large stars, serving to to clarify why stars and black holes had been seemingly extra large within the early universe.
The analysis can even converse to the origin of the chemical components from which all life is made.
“The oxygen we breathe, the iron in our blood, the nitrogen that we’d like, the carbon in our bones – that’s all made within the stars,” stated Prof. Vink.
The newest optimistic information comes following the latest announcement of a serious funding at AOP which is able to reshape the treasured landmark.
The event will create a state-of-the-art science and discovery centre, that includes a next-generation LED Planetarium, expanded analysis and training functionality, and an immersive and interesting customer expertise.
“There’s going to be an enormous funding right here over the subsequent couple of years and there’s going to be some actually thrilling issues taking place,” Prof. Vink stated. “This place will probably be remodeled.”
The advantages of the ERC grant stretch past the observatory partitions.
“Each time society invests in basic analysis, it lifts the complete training system,” he stated. “And you’ll see all through historical past – each time folks have invested in science the entire of society has benefited.”
The grant was secured following an intensely aggressive course of, the place candidates submitted an in depth analysis proposal alongside a synopsis. Solely a small fraction of candidates progressed by way of rounds of exterior peer evaluation and panel interview earlier than a remaining award was made.
Prof. Vink, who’s initially from the Netherlands and has been based mostly at AOP for 17 years, hopes the venture won’t solely advance scientific information however encourage the subsequent era.
“People wish to perceive their very own origins. I feel that’s a really human want, a want to know the place we come from,” he stated.
“Subsequently, analysis grants akin to ERC have cultural elements in addition to advantages for science and the financial system.”
For extra on Armagh Observatory and Planetarium go to armagh.space.
Ends
Media Contact
Michael Scott, Jago – michael@jagocommunications.com
