In the University of Latvia (UL) Foundation's competition for projects in the fields of natural, technological, and medical sciences, supported by “MikroTik,” a record number of applications has been received – 55 projects. The “MikroTik” project competition, announced at the end of 2024, offers one million euros for the implementation of UL scientists' projects.
The total required sum for the proposed projects exceeds the available funding by more than three times.
“The record number of applications confirms the intensity of scientific work at UL and the desire to achieve results more quickly. We are grateful and pleased that researchers trust the UL Foundation. Ambitious, innovative, and high-quality projects are the basis for motivating benefactors to invest in the future of Latvian science,” says Baiba Ebuliņa, Chair of the Board of the UL Foundation.
The projects cover a wide range of areas, including space exploration, human and animal health, pharmacy, agriculture, beauty care, and more. The funding is mainly intended for the purchase of various equipment, apparatus, and software, but also includes goals such as publishing educational materials and books, producing documentaries, and more.
The most projects – 22 – were submitted by researchers from the UL Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences. 21 projects were submitted by scientific institutes and research centers from the UL Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology. Among the applications are projects from the UL Solid-State Physics Institute, the UL Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, the UL Faculty of Humanities, and the UL Botanical Garden.
The commission and invited independent experts will evaluate the project applications by February 15, 2025.
Support for both fundamental and applied research “MikroTik” (SIA “Mikrotīkls”) has been a patron of the UL Foundation since 2011, providing support for student scholarships and funding significant research projects and researchers' work, including equipment purchases. So far, donations from the UL Foundation's patron have made a significant contribution to both fundamental and applied research, supporting 87 research projects totaling more than four million euros.
“Supporting education in Latvia is important for anyone who wants to promote the growth of our country's science and academic environment. By donating to the UL Foundation, I have the opportunity to foster the achievements of the most talented and ambitious UL students and researchers, thus strengthening the future of Latvia,” said Arnis Riekstiņš, co-owner of SIA “Mikrotīkls.”
Some of the LU projects supported by “MikroTik”:
- Investigation of the neurorestorative properties of metformin in an experimental Alzheimer's disease model. The project's goal is to identify the cellular signaling pathways involved in promoting the neuroprotective effects of metformin in an animal model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease, according to Labs of Latvia.
- Adaptation of the methodology for the proliferation of natural end-stage cells for use in an automated ex vivo cell cultivation system. The goal of the project is to adapt the large-scale cultivation methodology for end-stage cells for use in an automated cultivation system.
- Exploration of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the case of mesenteric ischemia in vivo. The aim of this project is to use an experimental animal model that mimics clinical practice to study the body's overall response to insufficient blood circulation in the intestines, simulating three clinical situations in pediatric and adult medical practice, according to Labs of Latvia.
- Screening for therapeutic and diagnostic biomarkers for bladder cancer using an innovative aptamer selection method. The project's goal is to identify bladder cancer biomarkers for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools using an innovative aptamer selection technology, according to Labs of Latvia
