A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences

Their core work

GPI RAS is one of Russia's flagship physics research institutes under the Russian Academy of Sciences, bringing deep experimental physics and instrumentation expertise to international research teams. Their H2020 involvement reveals two distinct capability clusters: atmospheric remote sensing and radiative transfer modelling (GRASP-ACE), and paper-based biosensor and microfluidic device development for point-of-care diagnostics (IPANEMA). In both projects they participated as a third party under MSCA-RISE, meaning they function as a secondment host — sending staff to EU labs and receiving visiting researchers — rather than as a full consortium member with direct EU funding. This structure reflects their role as a source of specialized physical instrumentation knowledge and laboratory capacity that EU teams want access to, even under the constraints of non-associated country status.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their H2020 track begins in 2018 firmly in atmospheric physics — aerosol optics, vertical profiling, and radiative transfer modelling — which reflects GPI RAS's historical strength in laser and optical physics. By 2020, their project portfolio pivoted sharply toward bioanalytical chemistry: microfluidics, isothermal nucleic acid amplification, biosensors for pathogens and toxins. Whether this represents an institute-wide strategic shift or simply two different research groups within the same large institute engaging with EU networks independently is unclear from two projects alone. The trajectory is nonetheless striking — from remote sensing of the atmosphere to point-of-care diagnostics for food and environmental safety.

GPI RAS appears to be expanding its EU-facing activity from core physics instrumentation into applied bioanalytical and biosensor research, making them a potential partner for consortia combining physical sensing methods with life science or food safety applications.

How they like to work

GPI RAS has participated exclusively as a third party in MSCA-RISE projects — a role that is structurally different from being a named consortium partner. They do not lead projects and do not receive direct EC funding; instead, they support researcher mobility, providing their labs and expertise as a secondment destination. Despite only two projects, they have been exposed to a remarkably wide network: 34 distinct partners across 15 countries, suggesting their labs are attractive to multiple different research communities.

Through just two MSCA-RISE projects, GPI RAS has connected with 34 unique consortium partners spanning 15 countries — an unusually wide reach for such a small project portfolio. This breadth reflects the multi-partner structure of RISE consortia and suggests the institute is genuinely integrated into pan-European research mobility circuits despite its non-EU status.

What sets them apart

GPI RAS brings the experimental depth of one of Russia's most prestigious physics institutes to EU consortia that need access to high-end physical instrumentation and a world-class secondment environment outside the EU. Their dual coverage of atmospheric optics and bioanalytical sensing is unusual — most institutes specialize in one domain — and makes them valuable to interdisciplinary consortia that bridge environmental monitoring and health diagnostics. As a Russian Academy of Sciences institute, they carry institutional prestige and access to research infrastructure that few Eastern European or Central Asian partners can match.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IPANEMA
  Represents a significant thematic expansion for a physics institute — from optics into microfluidic biosensor design for food and environmental pathogen detection, signalling cross-disciplinary ambition.
• GRASP-ACE
  A long-running (2018–2023) atmospheric science project that positioned GPI RAS at the intersection of remote sensing and climate-relevant aerosol research alongside major European atmospheric institutes.