Research Projects & Grants
Exploring advanced scientific frontiers through national and international research grants, collaborative partnerships, and competitive funding.
Ongoing Research Projects
Grant of Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-IV-P6-6.1-CoEx-2024-0196
Contract: no. 17/2.03.2026
Program name: Program 5.6 – Challenges
Subprogram name: Subprogram 5.6.1 – Partnerships for the Strategic Agenda
Project type: Centers of Excellence (CoEx)
Beneficiary: University of Bucharest
Project Coordinator Location: 90, Panduri Street, Sector 5, 050663, Bucharest, ROMANIA
Project Principal Investigator: Prof. Mariana Carmen Balotescu-Chifiriuc
Partener 6: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi
Partener 6 location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Partener 6 Group Leader: Dr. Mariana PINTEALA
Project duration: 60 months
Project Objectives: The ARES project is a collaborative initiative aiming to establish the National Multidisciplinary Research Centre of Excellence for Drug-Resistant Infections, a dynamic platform integrating multiple functions for addressing one of the top ten global health challenges: the antimicrobial resistance (AMR). ARES combines the expertise of leading research and educational institutions, consolidating Romania’s fragmented efforts to tackle AMR through game-changing, cutting-edge research, career development, and capacity building. ARES embodies a philosophy of integration and innovation, fostering a unified, OneHealth approach across human, animal, and environmental sectors to enhance understanding and management of AMR. Our strategic objectives include developing and validating innovative diagnosis tools and drugs. We also aim to develop novel models to study the complex host-pathogen-microbiome-anti-infective drugs crosstalk. This strategy is designed to influence national and international AMR policies through robust data collection, analysis, and strategic partnerships. ARES will establish a state-of-the-art distributed infrastructure and interactive platform dedicated to AMR research, introduce new antimicrobial drugs and groundbreaking tools for rapid diagnosis of drug-resistant pathogens and antibiotic susceptibility testing, as well as pioneering therapeutic strategies that could be adopted globally, and align with European and global research networks.
Total project budget: 85.900.000,00 lei
Project funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europa Research and Innovation Programme
Project code: HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-01-01
Contract: no. 1101086667
Program name: Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)
Call name: ERA Chairs (HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-01)
Type of Action: HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
Type of MGA: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]
Contracting Authority: European Commission
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project Location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 60 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Teodora Rusu
Scientific Manager: Dr. Mariana Pinteala
BioMat4Cast ERAChair Holder: Prof. Aatto Ilmari Laaksonen
Project funded under the Romanian Government
Project code: PN-IV-P8-8.1-PRE-HE-ORG-2023-0048
Contract: no. 15PHE/2023
Program name: Program 5.8 – European and International Cooperation
Subprogram name: Subprogram 5.8.1 – Horizon Europe
Project type: Horizon Europe Awards – Institutions
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project Location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project Leader: Dr. Adina Coroaba
Project duration: 47 months
Project Objectives: The aim of the BioMAt4CAST – Suport project is to strengthen the institutional capacity of ICMPP through the institutional award granted to organizations that successfully apply for and implement projects funded under the European Commission’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Total project budget: 2.500.000,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-IV-PCB-RO-MD-2024-0018
Contract: no. 43PCBROMD/2025
Program name: Program 5.8 – European and International Cooperation
Subprogram name: Subprogram 5.8.3 – Bilateral/Multilateral
Project type: Complex bilateral projects with the Republic of Moldova
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project Location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project Director: Dr. Maria Cristina Al-Matarneh (ICMPP)
Responsable Partener: Veaceslav Kulcițki (Moldova State University)
Project duration: 24 months
Project Objectives: The “NATPHERA” project aims to develop innovative anti-infective agents to combat serious infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The project focuses on creating a new class of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) with antibacterial properties. These inhibitors will be based on novel compounds that integrate two biologically active components: terpenoids and sulfonamides. Chiral terpenoids, known for their broad-spectrum biological activity, will be combined with sulfonamide moieties—potent enzyme inhibitors—on a central pyrrol-2-one core.
The unique combination of these components is expected to enhance antibacterial activity by targeting multiple pathways, including enzyme inhibition and disruption of bacterial metabolism. The goal is to develop multifunctional molecules capable of binding to the bacterial CA enzyme and inhibiting its function, providing a polypharmacological approach that reduces the likelihood of bacterial resistance.
Total project budget: 750.000,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-IV-P7-7.1-PED-2024-1008
Contract: no. 76PED ⁄ 2025
Program name: Program 5.7 – Partnership for Innovation
Subprogram name: Subprogram 5.7.1 – Partnerships for competitiveness
Project type: Demonstration Experimental Project
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project Location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project Director: Dr. Maria Cristina Al-Matarneh (ICMPP)
Responsable Partener: Ioana Cristina Marinas (SC DELTAROM SRL)
Project duration: 24 months
Project Objectives: The aim of the project is to develop new tailored collagen-based formulas with specific bioactive pyrrole-sulfonamide hybrids. These formulas are designed to address the pressing medical need for effective treatments for patients with chronic wounds, considered a burden on global healthcare system (affecting 1.51 to 2.21 per 1000 population) through its economic and social impact. Faster and more efficient therapeutic strategies will be highly benefic considering costs and patients’ psychological well-being. The project will build on our existing expertise on synthesis of biological active N-heterocycles and development and characterization of collagen-based compositions for biomedical applications, aiming to improve existing dressings to facilitate healing of chronic wounds. Our approach involves the fusion of recently developed pyrrole-sulfonamide hybrids, which exhibit potential antimicrobial properties, with collagen, a material known for its biocompatibility, biodegradability, low immunogenicity, and ability to promote wound healing. The advantages that differentiate the synthesis protocol for pyrrole-sulfonamide hybrids are short reaction times, clean work-up, cheap catalyst and high yields. The resulting bioactive formulas will be subjected to rigorous in vitro testing to confirm their biological activity and ability to enhance wound healing. Ultimately, this project aims to establish laboratory-scale technology for producing antimicrobial tissue regeneration formulas.
Total project budget: 750.000,00 lei
Finished Research projects
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF-2016-0050
Contract: no. 4/2018
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 48 months
Project Coordinator: Prof. Aatto LAAKSONEN
Total project budget: 8.450.000,00 lei
Post – Doctoral Grants of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-0751
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Director: Dr. Lucian Bahrin
Project Mentor: Prof. Dr. Henning Hopf
Total project budget: N/A lei
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-0922
Contract: no. TE 108/2020
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Sorin – Alexandru IBANESCU
Total project budget: 431.900,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-1303
Contract: no. PD XXX/2019
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Post-Doctoral research projects
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Director: Dr. Ioan-Andrei DASCALU
Project Mentor: Prof. Dr. Christoph JANIAK
Total project budget: 246.950,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-0604
Contract: no. TE 165/2020
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Cristian-Dragoș VARGANICI
Total project budget: 431.900,00 lei
The project is co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund through the Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020
Project code: P_37_707/31.08.2015
Contract: No. 142/10.10.2016
Program name: Axis 1. Research, technological development and innovation (CDI) in support of economic competitiveness and business development
Subprogram name: Action 1.1.4. Attracting personnel with advanced skills from abroad to strengthen CD capacity
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 48 months
Activities: Creation of a high-level scientific research core in the field of metal-organic networks (MOF). Research and development activities. Experimental activities
Total project budget: 8.952.378,00 lei
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
Project code: Horizon 2020 WIDESPREAD 2-2014: ERA Chairs
Contract: No. 667387
Program name: Horizon 2020
Subprogram name: Action 3.2. Horizon 2020 projects, ERA Chairs initiative
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 60 months
Objectives: The strategic objective of the SupraChem Lab Project is to unlock and foster excellent research in PPIMC IntelCentre by setting up a strong research group in the field of hybrid materials for adaptive self-organized supramolecular structures.
Project coordinator: Dr. Mariana PINTEALA
Project manager: Dr. Teodora RUSU
SupraChem Lab ERA CHAIR holder: Marc J.M. ABADIE – Emeritus Professor
Total project budget: 2.600.000,00 Euro
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P3-3.6-H2020-2016-0011
Contract: No. 5/2016
Program name: P3 – European and international cooperation
Subprogram name: SUBPROGRAM 3.2 – Horizon 2020
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 48 months
Objectives: The SupraChem Lab project – Award support for participation in the Horizon 2020 Program complements the European funding for the WIDESPREAD 2-2014 project: ERA CHAIR, no. 667387
Project coordinator: Dr. Teodora RUSU
Scientific manager: Dr. Mariana PINTEALA
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0083
Contract: No. 37PCCDI/2018
Program name: P1 – Development of the national RD system
Subprogram name: Complex projects carried out in CDI consortia (PCCDI)
Beneficiary: “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi (TUIASI)
Project coordinator location: 73 prof. dr. Dimitrie Mangeron BVD., 700050 Iasi
Project coordinator: Acad. Bogdan C. SIMIONESCU
Partener 1: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi
Partener 1 location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Partener 1 coordinator: Dr. Mariana PINTEALA
Project duration: 36 months
Objectives: TERADOT consortium will implement this project with the aim of reaching its strategic objective: the consolidation of the consortium scientific and technical competencies in the field of econanotechnologies and advanced materials by supporting / developing the existing research competences and the transferability of its research results.
Project budget: 5.287.500,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0697
Contract: No. 13PCCDI ⁄ 2018
Program name: P1 – Development of the national RD system
Subprogram name: Complex projects carried out in CDI consortia (PCCDI)
Beneficiary: “Nicolae Simionescu” Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology (IBPCNS)
Project coordinator location: No. 8, B.P. Hasdeu St, 050568, Bucharest
Project coordinator: Acad. Maya SIMIONESCU
Partener 3: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi
Partener 3 location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Partener 3 coordinator: Dr. Gheorghe FUNDUEANU
Project duration: 36 months
Objectives: INTERA project will provide the support to strengthen the scientific and technical competencies of the partner research units in the Bioeconomic domain, an area of strategic importance for economic and social development.
Project code: ERA-IB-16-040
Partener: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi
Partener location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Partener coordinator: Dr. Teodora RUSU
Project duration: 36 months
Objectives: The central objective of ProWood is to generate innovative, economically feasible and ecologically friendly bio-coatings to protect wood and wood derivatives against decay. The project aims to develop wood protective bio-coatings based on sol-gel, functionalized vegetable oils and alkyd coatings suitable for incorporation of decay preventing microorganisms, biological compounds or enzymes (fillers).
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-1180
Contract: no. TE 116/2018
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Lilia CLIMA
Total project budget: 449.995,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2016-1117
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Post-Doctoral research projects
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Lucian BAHRIN
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-1444
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Alexandru ROTARU
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-II-ID-PCCE-2011-2-0028
Contract: no. 4/2012
Program name: P4 – Basic and frontier research
Subprogram name: Complex Exploratory Research Projects
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 60 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Mariana PINTEALA
Project budget: 6.999.150,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-II-RU-TE-2011-3-0174
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 36 months
Project Coordinator: Dr. Claudia MIHESAN
Project budget: 920.000,00 lei
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-II-PT-PCCA-2011-3.1-0252
Partener: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Partener location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 36 months
Partener Coordinator: Dr. Adrian FIFERE
Objectives: The major aims of this project were to enhance the thermal ablation procedures in liver and pancreatic tumors through the use of computer-controlled radio-frequency ablation (RFA) needle, as well as to develop methods for targeted intratumoral magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) delivery and induction of tumor hyperthermia
Grant of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0739
Contract: no. 158/23.06.2022
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams (TE)
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Director: Dr. Irina ROSCA
Total project budget: 450.000,00 lei
Post – Doctoral Grants of Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2021-0606
Contract: no. PD 37/2022
Program name: Program 1 – Development of the national system of Research and Development
Subprogram name: Subprogram 1.1 – Human Resources
Project type: Post-Doctoral research projects
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project Director: Dr. Bogdan – Florin CRACIUN
Project Mentor: CS I Dr. Mariana PINTEALA
Total project budget: 250.000,00 lei
Exploratory Research Projects (PCE 2020)
Fundamental and groundbreaking research PNIII Program
Project code: PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1523
Contract no. PCE 161 /2021
Contracting authority: Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding
Contractor: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi, Romania
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 24 months
Project director: Dr. Mariana PINTEALĂ
Total project budget: 1.198.030,00 lei
Project funded under the Research Programme associated with the EEA Financial Mechanism (EEA Grants)
and administered by UEFISCDI as Programme Operator
My SMIS code: N/A
Contract: no. N/A
Project promoter: Iasi Regional Institute of Oncology (IRO)
Partners: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry (PPIMC) Iasi, Romania and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Project duration: 36 months
Activities: Produce and characterize a pH-dependent micellar assembly of functionalized copolymer blocks and targeted delivery of AXL inhibitor to target Her positive breast cancer tumors and develop a range of complex functionalized and loaded nanostructured assemblies with different pH stability.
Total project budget: 1.212.500,00 € (EEA Grant funding – 989.400,00 €; Public national co-financing – 174.600,00 €)
Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020 co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund
“Investing for your future”
My SMIS code: 107524
Contract: no. 241/27.04.2020
Axis 1 Research, technological development and innovation (RDI) in support of economic competitiveness and business development
Action 1.1.3: Create synergies with the RDI actions of the European Union’s HORIZON 2020 framework program and other international RDI programs
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi (ICMPP)
Project location: 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Project duration: 39 months
Activities: Development of the BioNanoTech Center – Support for project consulting for the European Union Research Framework Program
Total project budget: 3.000.000 lei
Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020 co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund
“Investing for your future”
MySMIS code: 108983
Financing contract: no. 339/390015 / 25.02.2021
Axis 1 Research, technological development and innovation (RDI) in support of economic competitiveness and business development
Action: 1.1.3 Creating synergies with the RDI actions of the European Union’s HORIZON 2020 framework program and other international RDI programs
Project type: CATEDRE-ERA
Competition code: POC-A.1-A.1.1.3-H-2016
Call code: POC / 81/1/2 / Creating synergies with the RDI actions of the European Union’s HORIZON 2020 framework program and other international RDI programs
Beneficiary: “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry
Project duration: 28 months
Project location: The project is being implemented in the “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, within the Center for Advanced Research for Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers (IntelCentru), 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi
Activities: Modernization / consolidation / modification / change of buildings; Acquisition of equipment and tangible assets for CD; Project management
Total value of the project: 21.993.436,57 lei
The value of the total eligible non-reimbursable financing: 19.993.436,57 lei