A Curious Mind: the spark of research

Talent, competence, passion. Plus another non-negotiable ingredient: curiosity, the "spark" that ignites research. This is the word that the University of Milan has chosen to celebrate this year's European Researchers' Night (25-26 September), giving the spotlight to the young researchers who every day contribute to pushing the boundaries of knowledge a bit further.

The University's efforts to support the new generations of researchers have been largely rewarded. In 2026 alone, the University of Milan obtained 6 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships and 11 grants for young researchers funded by Fondazione Cariplo. Another 26 research projects were selected as recipients of international and national competitive funding.

Altogether, more than 22 million euros will go into supporting the careers of young researchers, and consequently into promoting knowledge, innovation and societal impact.

"To our young researchers I say: be curious and remain curious, have the courage to follow your intuitions, your own "spark", when trying to find an answer to the questions posed by your subject field and research", said our Vice Rector for Research and Technology Transfer Monica DiLuca. "As a University, our duty is to make sure that this spark can not only be ignited, but also fuelled. It means creating a scientific environment that is open and interdisciplinary. It means providing advanced research infrastructures that can truly enable us to further our knowledge. And this is also what the University of Milan is striving to achieve with its new campus in Milan Innovation District (MIND). We want to think big, to build a place where people, disciplines and advanced technologies can really interact and grow together."

"The European Researchers' Night," commented Rector Marina Brambilla, "is a chance to remember how important research is for our country, and how much we value research within our University. In our latest Research Support Plan, we have devoted more resources and introduced some methodological changes to simplify procedures, improve flexibility and support young researchers. As a large public University, we want to continue and strengthen our efforts to foster research, taking on a leading role in the national and international landscape."

To provide an overview of the kind of research conducted at the University of Milan, from 20 to 25 September the University will post a series of Instagram reels entitled Curious Mind. The spark of research, describing some of its research projects and the researchers behind them. After the European Researchers' Night, the videos will also be uploaded on the University's YouTube channel (@UnimiVideo).

• Maria Italia, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences – GluA3-containing AMPA receptors in health and disease: from synapses to circuits, behaviour, and therapeutic potential – funded by Fondazione Cariplo (Young Researchers Call 2025)
• Martina Ghidoli, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Production, Landscape, Agroenergy – CAMELOT: Exploring CAMElina sativa's AlleLOpathic Potential for Sustainable Agriculture: The Role in Cover Cropping, oil production and BiostimulanT Development – funded by Fondazione Cariplo (Young Researchers Call 2025)
• Veronica Gallo, Department of Cultural and Environmental Heritage – LINkED. Late Bronze Age and Cultural Identities: Networks, Ecology and demography – funded by Fondazione Cariplo (Young Researchers Call 2025)
• Chiara Eleonora Scardoni, Department of Physics – Tracing the journey of forming planets: from planet formation to exoplanet distribution – funded by Fondazione Cariplo (Young Researchers Call 2025)
• Franco Giovenzana, Department of Mathematics "Federigo Enriques" – Stab-HK, Stability Conditions, Projective Models, and Derived Equivalences in Hyperkähler Geometry – MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship.