ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards 2026

Prof. Karim Lekadir has been recognised with one of the ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards 2026 for his work bringing an artificial intelligence project for ultrasound screening during pregnancy to local communities in rural areas of Kenya.

This award recognises ERC grantees who have developed initiatives to engage audiences beyond the academic community in their research. In this fourth edition, eight researchers have been honoured for developing creative ways to involve citizens in research and bring scientific knowledge into the public debate.

In the case of Karim Lekadir, the ERC particularly highlights the respect, the building of trust and the choice of culturally appropriate channels for working with women from local communities.

Karim Lekadir, ICREA Research Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Barcelona.

The project applies artificial intelligence to ultrasound screening during pregnancy in rural areas of Kenya and involves pregnant women and those who influence their healthcare decisions. Participation is carried out through channels adapted to the cultural context of the communities, such as baraza meetings and dialogue with religious leaders. In this way, local communities have helped shape the technology and have come to make the project their own. In fact, they have renamed it ‘Scan Zetu’, which means ‘our scan’.

The ERC highlights the project as an example of how community engagement can help build trust and encourage their involvement in research and technology projects.

The ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards 2026 received 110 applications from 26 countries. An independent jury of public engagement and science communication experts selected the eight winners, who each receive a prize of €10,000.

The award winners will share the lessons learned from their public engagement work in a dedicated session during the European Research and Innovation Days, which will be held in Brussels in November.

More information about the ERC Public Engagement with Research Awards 2026