Professor Lucie Cluver wins ERC Public Engagement with Research Award

Professor Lucie Cluver (Department of Social Policy and Intervention) has been awarded the 2024 ERC Public Engagement with Research Award ‘for initiating and fostering global collaboration to provide research-based parenting support in crises, improving the well-being of millions worldwide’ through the ParentPOWER project.

Partnering with UN agencies, NGOs, businesses, and citizen groups, the project provided parenting resources to support families in crisis - whether due to pandemics, war, or climate disasters - by developing and distributing tools to caregivers in over 30 languages, reaching millions of families during the covid pandemic and in conflict zones such as Ukraine and Pakistan. The resources included animated videos and a parenting song, adapted by locals to match their cultural references.

By combining scientific research with broad public collaboration, the project had a global impact on parenting practices and mental health. The jury praised it as 'an embodiment of how public engagement thrives at the intersection of science and collaboration', noting its 'remarkable impact across all continents and several crises', while the ERC described the project '[setting] a benchmark for public engagement by fostering strong partnerships across sectors, ensuring the material produced was both participatory and scientifically reliable. The project highlights the power of trust and collaboration in achieving widespread societal impact.'

Professor Cluver said, 'I’m honoured to have received this award – but it shouldn’t have just been to me! All the impact was jointly led by Professor Jamie Lachman, and an incredible team of staff and volunteers who recognised the need to support families in the crazy time of COVID-19.'

Professor Lucie Cluver on stage alongside fellow winners of the ERC Public Engagement Awards 2024

Professor Lucie Cluver was named among the winners of the ERC 2024 Public Engagement with Research Awards. Photo credit © ERC

The names of the laureates were announced in an award ceremony in Brussels on 24 October 2024. Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: ‘Congratulations to all winners for their outstanding efforts to make science accessible to the public. Their innovative approaches to engage with diverse audiences demonstrate the power of research to inspire, educate and positively impact our communities. By bringing scientific knowledge beyond academic circles, they are bridging the gap between science and society.’

ERC President Maria Leptin commented: ‘It is wonderful when excellent researchers also know how to engage with a broader public. This can inspire others! Today we recognise ERC grantees who have gone the extra mile, sharing their knowledge and passion beyond their communities and their labs, and interacting in a range of ways. This resonates with the ERC’s ambition to promote not only frontier research, but also a broader appreciation of science. Warm congratulations to all the winners!’

Lucie Cluver won two major ERC research grants, a Starting Grant in 2012 and a Consolidator Grant in 2017 as well as Proof of Concept Grant in 2016. The title of her last ERC-funded research project was 'Helping Empower Youth Brought up in Adversity with their Babies and Young children (HEY BABY)'.