Prof. Irena Kogan and Prof. Ulrich Wagner Receive ERC Consolidator Grants

Press release, 10 December 2019

Two researchers from the University of Mannheim have been awarded prestigious EU grants. While sociologist Irena Kogan was recognized for her project on partner searches among refugees, economist Ulrich Wagner received the grant for his research on the economic impact of air pollution. The funding is provided for a period of five years, with the grants worth almost two million euros and 1.4 million euros respectively.

The President of the University of Mannheim, Prof. Thomas Puhl, congratulated Prof. Kogan and Prof. Wagner on their enormous achievement. “We are very pleased that another two researchers at our university have received ERC grants. In this latest round of funding, only seven Consolidator Grants were awarded for projects in the economic sciences, and only twelve for projects in the social sciences, throughout Europe. The prizes confirm our university’s excellent international reputation in these two fields.”

About Prof. Irena Kogan’s research

In her research project, Irena Kogan examines how male refugees who have recently immigrated to Germany find partners. “This is a crucial aspect of social integration,” the sociologist explains. Her research focuses on male refugees from Syria and Afghanistan aged between 18 and 30 years.

The project was developed from an ongoing long-term study Kogan is involved in, which is conducted in Mannheim and funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). This study examines the life course and integration processes of young people with and without a migrant background. Read more about Irena Kogan’s research and publications: https://www.sowi.uni-mannheim.de/kogan/forschung/#c126948

About Prof. Ulrich Wagner’s research

Economics professor Ulrich Wagner studies and assesses the impact of air pollution on our health. One of the aspects he looks at is the economic damage caused by air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and fine particles as a result of the European carbon emissions trading.

The economist has already advised various political institutions in the past. These include, for instance, the working group on emissions trading established by the federal government (“Arbeitskreis Emissionshandel”), but also international organizations such as the OECD and the World Bank. Before coming to Mannheim in 2015, Wagner taught at the Charles III University of Madrid. He completed his doctoral thesis at American Ivy League school Yale. Read more about Ulrich Wagner's research and curriculum vitae:  https://www.vwl.uni-mannheim.de/wagner/

About the European Research Council (ERC)
Funding fundamental pioneering research is a key priority of the European Union. With the ERC Consolidator Grants, the EU promotes outstanding scientists and scholars at a relatively early stage of their career and supports them in consolidating their standing as independent researchers. The ERC bases its selection on the applicants’ scientific track record and the significance and impact of their research proposal. In this round of funding, a total of 600 million euros were awarded to 301 top researchers across 24 countries. Read more about the ERC: www.erc.europa.eu  

Latest round in funding brings University of Mannheim’s count of ERC grants up to eight
Since its foundation in 2007, the European Research Council has awarded a total of eight ERC grants to researchers of the University of Mannheim. Four of these received an ERC Starting Grant, while the other four were recognized with an ERC Consolidator Grant.

Click here to read the press release by the ERC:https://erc.europa.eu/news/erc-awards-over-600-million-euro-europes-top-researchers