The University of Bonn celebrates a remarkable achievement as three of its early-career researchers have been awarded the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, each receiving €1.5 million in funding to propel their groundbreaking research projects over the next five years. This highly competitive grant targets exceptional scientists who have recently completed their doctorates and aims to support innovative and ambitious projects that promise significant advances in their respective fields. The recipients—Assistant Professor Amelie Schiprowski in economics, Professor Lucie Flek in computer science, and Dr. Moritz Lürig in evolutionary biology—represent a diverse spectrum of disciplines, reflecting the University of Bonn’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary excellence.
Assistant Professor Amelie Schiprowski’s research dives into the complexities of labor economics during a time of demographic transformation that is reshaping global labor markets. With aging populations and shifting workforce compositions, companies face increasing challenges in recruiting young talent despite persistently high youth employment rates. Schiprowski’s ERC-funded project, “Entry-Level Hiring in Tightening Labor Markets: Frictions, Firm Heterogeneity and Public Policy” (ENTRYHIRE), seeks to unravel the intricate matching processes between emerging workers and employers under conditions of labor market stress. Utilizing comprehensive empirical data from the German apprenticeship system, her research involves sophisticated econometric models designed to elucidate how firms adapt their hiring and training practices in response to constrained labor supply. Through this, Schiprowski aims to produce evidence-based policy recommendations that can improve labor market efficiency and support smoother workforce entry for young workers.
Meanwhile, evolutionary biologist Dr. Moritz Lürig embarks on a pioneering journey to decode the vibrant and complex wing coloration patterns exhibited by butterflies and moths—the Lepidoptera—through an innovative blend of artificial intelligence and evolutionary biology. His project, “The Evolution of Wing Coloration in Lepidoptera” (EWINCOL), leverages millions of digitized images sourced from natural history museums worldwide to construct a comprehensive digital atlas of wing color patterns. This “wing atlas” represents a revolutionary tool to explore the evolutionary trajectories of color and shape diversity in these insects. Using deep learning algorithms, Lürig seeks to identify correlations between coloration changes and speciation events, understand whether and how wing colouration and morphology have co-evolved or diverged, and investigate the influence of environmental variables such as habitat light conditions, temperature gradients, and geographic distribution on phenotypic diversity. This approach promises novel insights into the genetic and ecological drivers of evolutionary biodiversity.
In the realm of computer science, Professor Lucie Flek tackles one of the most urgent challenges in artificial intelligence: imbuing AI systems with genuine social intelligence and empathy. Her ERC-funded project, titled LLMpathy, aims to transcend the superficial mimicry of human emotions currently prevalent in AI conversational agents by equipping language models with the capability to structure, justify, and explain human thoughts and feelings in a causally coherent manner. By integrating advanced machine learning techniques with longitudinal psychological research, Flek’s project will develop personalized AI profiles linking traits, values, emotions, and behaviors to enable models to reason more transparently and respond with nuanced social understanding. The project also involves creating simulated environments where AI agents engage in complex social interactions such as conflict resolution and negotiation, setting the stage for empirical assessment and refinement of perspective-taking and goal-oriented behaviors in AI. This work is not only foundational for enhancing human-AI interaction but also essential for ensuring ethical AI development aligned with transparency, trustworthiness, and the forthcoming EU AI regulatory framework.
The University of Bonn’s interdisciplinary ethos is highlighted by the diversity of these ERC projects spanning labor economics, evolutionary biology, and artificial intelligence, each addressing pressing scientific questions with innovative methodologies. Schiprowski’s empirical investigation into labor market mechanisms offers vital insights into socioeconomic policies amid demographic shifts, promising to inform effective public interventions that safeguard youth employment and a sustainable workforce. Lürig’s data-driven evolutionary analysis leverages cutting-edge AI to unlock centuries-old genetic mysteries encoded in butterfly and moth wing patterns, potentially transforming our understanding of natural selection and adaptation. Flek’s socially conscious AI research confronts the limitations of current language models, pioneering avenues toward machines that can genuinely empathize and reason about human emotions, crucial for applications spanning healthcare, education, and digital communication.
The ERC Starting Grant, universally recognized as one of the most competitive funding programs globally, empowers early-career scientists with a proven scientific track record to pursue visionary ideas over five years, with up to €1.5 million in grant support. Applicants from any nationality are eligible, provided they demonstrate excellence in their fields and submit rigorous proposals via their host institutions. This grant not only fuels scientific discovery but also fosters the development of the next generation of leading researchers prepared to tackle complex global challenges.
Amid ongoing global discussions on labor market resilience, biodiversity conservation, and the ethical deployment of AI, the work undertaken by these three scholars at the University of Bonn stands out for its compelling blend of technical rigor and societal relevance. Schiprowski’s nuanced analyses of labor market frictions will aid policymakers in adapting to the realities of shrinking youth labor pools and evolving company hiring behaviors. Lürig’s methodological fusion of AI and museum collections exemplifies the transformative power of technology in natural sciences, enabling large-scale comparative analyses previously unattainable. Meanwhile, Flek’s exploration of personalized, ethically transparent AI promises to revolutionize human-machine interaction, addressing concerns about emotional manipulation and bias while leveraging AI’s potential as a socially competent assistant.
The synergy of expertise at the University of Bonn further amplifies the impact of these projects. For instance, Flek’s work blends computer science with psychology and ethics, reflecting a transdisciplinary approach vital for developing trustworthy AI. Schiprowski’s integration with the “ECONtribute” Cluster of Excellence couples empirical macroeconomic research with policy dialogues, while Lürig’s collaboration with international museums showcases the global scope of biodiversity studies empowered by AI. This collaborative environment nurtures cross-pollination of ideas and facilitates both theoretical advancements and practical applications.
As these projects commence, the scientific community and broader public alike can look forward to transformative findings that advance knowledge across multiple domains. Schiprowski’s labor market insights are expected to inform economic models that better account for demographic trends and firm heterogeneity, thus improving labor policy design. Lürig’s digital wing atlas will serve as a foundational resource for future evolutionary studies and conservation efforts by providing a detailed morphological and ecological database. Concurrently, Flek’s LLMpathy initiative anticipates breakthroughs in AI architecture that marry cognitive and affective computing, fostering machines capable of richer human-like social engagement.
Ultimately, the achievements of these researchers underscore a larger paradigm within contemporary science: that interdisciplinarity, data-driven methods, and socially embedded research are critical to tackling the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century. The University of Bonn’s success in securing multiple ERC Starting Grants not only honors individual academic excellence but also reflects the institution’s vibrant research culture poised to make enduring contributions to science, technology, and society.
For more detailed inquiries and ongoing updates, the media contacts associated with each project remain accessible. Assistant Professor Amelie Schiprowski can be reached through the ECONtribute Cluster of Excellence, Professor Lucie Flek is affiliated with the Lamarr Institute and Bonn-Aachen International Center for IT (b-it), while Dr. Moritz Lürig is connected with the Florida Museum of Natural History. The continued dissemination of their work promises to inspire interdisciplinary innovation and the responsible advancement of knowledge at the crossroads of economics, biology, and artificial intelligence.
Subject of Research: Labor economics focusing on labor market entry mechanisms; evolutionary biology investigating wing coloration evolution in Lepidoptera; computer science research on socially intelligent AI and language models.
Article Title: University of Bonn Researchers Awarded ERC Starting Grants to Advance Labor Economics, Evolutionary Biology, and Socially Aware Artificial Intelligence
News Publication Date: (Not provided)
Web References: (Not provided)
References: (Not provided)
Image Credits: Collage by Max Waidhas/University of Bonn; Marc Thürach/ECONtribute; Kristen Grace/Florida Museum of Natural History
Keywords: ERC Starting Grant, labor economics, demographic change, apprenticeship market, evolutionary biology, butterfly wing coloration, Lepidoptera, artificial intelligence, socially intelligent AI, language models, AI ethics, interdisciplinary research
