UNIVERSITE DE FRIBOURG

Their core work

The University of Fribourg is a Swiss research university with particular strength in soft matter physics, photonic materials, and self-assembly — designing materials that control light through structure rather than chemistry. Their groups work across a surprisingly broad range of fundamental science, from computational physics and mathematics to membrane biology and DNA nanotechnology. They also maintain active research in social sciences, including local governance and behavioral economics, making them a genuinely multidisciplinary institution with deep pockets of specialist expertise in materials science.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), Fribourg focused heavily on polymer self-assembly, optical metamaterials, and bio-inspired photonic structures, alongside computational physics and an unusual humanities project on play in classical antiquity. From 2019 onward, the portfolio broadened significantly: climate science (Greenland ice dynamics), DNA nanotechnology for diagnostics, membrane biology, and local governance research all emerged as new directions, while photonic materials remained a constant thread. The university appears to be diversifying from a materials-physics core into applied biosciences and societal challenges.

Fribourg is increasingly bridging its materials expertise toward biomedical applications (DNA diagnostics, membrane biology) while expanding into climate and governance research — expect future proposals that combine photonic materials with health or environmental sensing.

How they like to work

Fribourg is predominantly a project leader: 18 of 29 projects (62%) are coordinated by the university, mostly through ERC Starting and Consolidator Grants and MSCA Individual Fellowships — schemes that fund single-PI or small-team research. This means they are accustomed to driving the scientific agenda rather than fitting into large consortium structures. When they do participate (11 projects), they tend to contribute specialist expertise in materials characterization or nanoscale analysis within larger multi-partner efforts like PATROLS (8+ partners) or SuperCol.

With 92 unique consortium partners across 27 countries, Fribourg maintains a broad European network despite being a Swiss institution. Their partnerships span the continent without strong geographic clustering, reflecting the university's attractiveness as an ERC host institution that draws fellows and collaborators from diverse origins.

What sets them apart

As a Swiss university, Fribourg offers access to Switzerland's research infrastructure and funding ecosystem while maintaining deep integration with the European research landscape through H2020. Their distinctive strength is the combination of photonic materials expertise with emerging bio-nano capabilities — few universities can offer both DNA origami-based diagnostics and structural colour research under one roof. Their high ERC success rate (9 grants across starting and consolidator levels) signals research groups of exceptional quality, making them a credible anchor for ambitious fundamental-science proposals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PrISMoID
  Largest single grant (EUR 2.5M ERC) investigating how controlled disorder in photonic materials creates structural colour — directly at the core of Fribourg's identity in optical materials.
• miRanDa
  Bridges Fribourg's materials expertise into medical diagnostics by using DNA origami arrays and super-resolution microscopy for breast cancer biomarker detection — signals a strategic move toward health applications.
• CASSANDRA
  A EUR 2M ERC grant on Greenland ice sheet dynamics, representing a bold expansion into climate science that is far from Fribourg's traditional materials focus.