UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

Their core work

The University of Oregon is a US-based public research university that contributes specialized expertise to European research networks through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Their H2020 involvement spans an unusually diverse set of disciplines — from paleontology and geospatial science to computational biophysics and sustainable food systems. They serve as a third-party host institution for visiting researchers, providing access to advanced computational facilities and interdisciplinary research environments. Their role is consistently that of an external expert partner bringing US-based capabilities into European consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The University of Oregon's H2020 trajectory shows a striking shift from humanities and earth sciences toward computational life sciences and sustainability. Early projects (2015–2018) focused on cultural activism and remote sensing for paleontological fieldwork. From 2020 onward, the focus pivoted sharply to computational biophysics (protein folding simulations) and sustainable food systems (agroecological transitions). This suggests the university is increasingly channeling its European collaborations toward computationally intensive and sustainability-oriented research.

Moving toward computationally driven life sciences and sustainability research, making them a potential partner for projects needing US-based simulation expertise or food systems knowledge.

How they like to work

The University of Oregon exclusively participates as a third-party partner in MSCA actions — they have never coordinated or directly partnered in H2020 projects. This means they function as a host or secondment destination for individual researchers rather than a consortium-building institution. With 21 unique partners across 6 countries from just 4 projects, they connect into moderately sized European networks but always in a supporting, expertise-providing role.

Connected to 21 unique partners across 6 countries, entirely through MSCA mobility schemes. Their network reflects researcher-level collaborations rather than institutional strategic partnerships, spanning diverse European universities and research centers.

What sets them apart

As a US university participating in European research, the University of Oregon offers something most H2020 partners cannot: a transatlantic bridge for researcher mobility and access to American research infrastructure. Their extreme disciplinary breadth — spanning paleontology, computational physics, cultural studies, and food systems — reflects a large university where individual faculty members, not a central strategy, drive EU engagement. For consortium builders, they are valuable specifically as an MSCA third-country host institution with proven experience in managing incoming European researchers.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EMPHABIOSYS
  Brings together protein folding research with advanced Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics simulation methods — the most computationally intensive project in their portfolio.
• ATTER
  Their most recent and longest-running project (2021–2025), signaling a strategic move into sustainable food systems and action research methodology.