The project ERA-Chair Spectroscopy@IKU: Manipulating and Characterizing Molecular Architecture: from Isolated Molecules to Molecular Crystals, is an innovative initiative in Türkiye, being the first to receive funding from the European Research Agency (ERA) under the Horizon Europe Framework. The project with 2.5 million euros budget is led by ERA Chair Coordinator and Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız, while the research team is directed by ERA Chairholder Prof. Dr. Rui Fausto, a globally recognized scientist in his field is supported under the Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA) ERA-Chairs Program.
The ERA Chairs program seeks to bridge scientific capacity gaps across Europe, fostering a more balanced and cohesive research ecosystem within the European research area. Focused on promoting excellence-driven research in Widening countries, including Türkiye — where research and innovation performance is on the rise — the program supports the recruitment of internationally prominent researchers and the establishment of robust research centers to cultivate scientific leadership in these regions. Aligned with this mission, the Spectroscopy@IKU project was conceived to enhance Türkiye's scientific infrastructure and contribute to the advancement of its research capabilities on a global scale.
The preparation and successful approval of the Spectroscopy@IKU project highlight IKU’s commitment to advancing scientific research and its ability to secure international funding.
Spectroscopy@IKU Project has resulted in the establishment of the IKU-SPECTRA: Physical and Natural Sciences Advanced Research Center, which will serve as a hub for innovative research in molecular spectroscopy, materials science, physics, and chemistry. Moreover, the project has played a pivotal role in shaping the Research Center’s scientific vision and strategic direction.
For the first time in Türkiye, a center equipped with cutting-edge research facilities for matrix isolation spectroscopy (a sophisticated and powerful technique for manipulation of molecular structures) will be established, alongside other experimental laboratories dedicated to advanced Raman, infrared and ultraviolet/visible spectroscopies as well as diffraction techniques. With this state-of-the-art infrastructure, IKU-SPECTRA will address critical scientific challenges, such as the structure and reactivity of molecules relevant to atmospheric and astrophysical studies, as well as polymorphism in molecular crystals. Over the next five years, the center is anticipated to produce high-impact academic publications, secure patents, and foster industrial collaborations that will garner international recognition. This center, shaped under the guidance of the ERA Chair Spectroscopy@IKU, will not only serve as a platform where new scientific discovers will be produced, but will also serve as an attractive center for young researchers and graduate students to carry their studies, strongly contibuting to make the Istanbul Kultur University a pole of scientific excellence.
