Two University of Oxford academics have secured European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grants, each worth about €10.3 million, to lead major international research teams tackling urgent scientific challenges. The grants are among the most competitive in Europe, with only a small portion awarded from more than 700 applications this year.

🧠 Breakthrough Research on Nerve–Blood Vessel Communication\

The first funded project, MINerVA, is co-led by Professor Ellie Tzima from the Radcliffe Department of Medicine. Her team will explore how nerves and blood vessels communicate within the peripheral nervous system. Millions of people worldwide experience nerve damage linked to diabetes, chemotherapy or physical injury, yet scientists still understand little about how nerves and vessels influence each other.

The MINerVA team will map the cells involved, study how nerves and vessels react to force and movement, and test ways to deliver therapies directly to affected nerve tissues. Professor Tzima said the goal is to “crack the code of nerve–blood-vessel communication” so that new treatments can be developed. The project brings together experts from vascular biology, neuroscience, nanotechnology and mechanobiology.

🔐 Advancing Security of Probabilistic Digital Systems

The second project, VePaSS, is led by Associate Professor Vincent Cheval from Oxford’s Department of Computer Science. His team will work on verifying the security of digital systems that rely on randomness — such as secure messaging platforms, online banking systems and cloud-security infrastructure.

Today’s verification tools often simplify randomness, which can hide security weaknesses. VePaSS aims to create new mathematical methods that reflect how these systems behave in the real world. Associate Professor Cheval explained that the project draws on “security, game theory and symbolic computation” to test digital systems more accurately.

This work could strengthen security across industries that depend on trustworthy encryption and authentication, especially as digital threats continue to evolve.

🌍 Global Collaboration and Scientific Impact

Both Oxford-led teams will collaborate with international partners across Europe and beyond. The MINerVA project expects contributions from Italy, Estonia and France, while the VePaSS initiative will bring in mathematicians and computer-science experts from France and other regions.

The ERC Synergy Grants support large, interdisciplinary projects that require pooled expertise and long-term coordination. They recognise innovative, high-risk ideas with the potential to deliver major breakthroughs.

For Oxford, these awards highlight the university’s global research strength and its ability to lead ambitious scientific missions. The funding will help advance knowledge in health science and digital security — two fields with major implications for public well-being, clinical treatment and technological safety.

With these new grants, Oxford’s researchers are positioned to push scientific boundaries while contributing to solutions for some of today’s most complex global challenges.