ERC awards UCD ‘European identity’ project prestigious Consolidator Grant
9 December 2025
A project exploring how young people align with a ‘European’ identity, and the impact this can have on society, is the latest Irish project to receive a (opens in a new window)European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant.
(opens in a new window)Associate Professor Laura K. Taylor, from the UCD School of Psychology, has been awarded €2 million for her GENERATION EU project.
Principal Investigator of the (opens in a new window)Helping Kids! lab, she is one of only six researchers at Irish universities to receive a Consolidator Award as the ERC announced (opens in a new window)a total of €728 million in funding for 349 mid-career researchers across 25 EU Member States and associated countries.
GENERATION EU project will investigate how European identity develops across childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, and how support for, and identification with, Europe has significant implications for peace on the continent.
“My research in conflict zones across the continent shows that children who felt more European were more likely to act prosocially - to help and share - with conflict-rival peers,” said Dr Taylor.
“However, at a national level, there are examples where such categories have also been used to exclude and penalise minority groups.
“GENERATION EU comes at a critical time, to enhance understanding of how we can build peace on the continent. This project explores how youth come to identify with superordinate identities, examining the potential positive impact that this can have on society, as well as the unintended negative consequences.”
Recognising outstanding scholars, Consolidator Awards aim to support those at a career stage where they may still be consolidating their own independent research teams to pursue their most promising research ideas.
“Recognition of Assoc Prof Taylor’s research by the European Research Council through this award is most welcome given the timeliness of her GENERATION EU project on understanding how young people are developing and identifying with the idea of being European amidst great geopolitical uncertainty and polarisation,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Niamh Moore Cherry, College Principal at UCD College of Social Sciences and Law.
“The GENERATION EU project builds on her previous work with children and young people in divided societies and will help us to better understand and foster inclusivity and social cohesion. We look forward to following this important research as it progresses.”
Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said the “record budget of 728 million euro invested” in this latest round of Consolidator Grants shows the EU “is serious about making the continent attractive for excellent researchers”.
Professor Maria Leptin, ERC President, added: “To see all this talent with groundbreaking ideas, based in Europe, is truly inspiring. This bold research may well lead to new industries, improve lives and strengthen Europe’s global standing.
“This was one of the most competitive ERC calls ever, with record demand and many excellent projects left unfunded. It is yet another reminder of how urgent the call for increased EU investment in frontier research has become.”
The ERC received 3,121 applications for this very competitive call - a 35% increase compared with the previous round.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Emma Loughney, UCD Research and Innovation)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
