– These grants are extremely prestigious and demonstrate that both research and research support at the faculty are of the very highest international standard. ERC funding provides a unique opportunity to conduct ambitious, long-term, curiosity-driven research, and gives both project leaders and their research communities visibility and recognition far beyond national borders, says Dean of Research Lars Tjelta Westlye.
The project Inclusion and Belonging in Education: Life Course Outcomes via Natural Experiments and Genetics in Schools (I-BELONG) will investigate why some pupils lose their sense of connection to school, and how this affects learning, health and social inequality across the life course and between generations. The researchers aim to identify which school practices and policies are best able to prevent exclusion and strengthen pupils’ sense of belonging.