Highly prestigious ERC Advanced Grant will create up to eight new jobs
An astronomer based at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) has been awarded €2million to investigate how the first stars in the universe ‘switched on the lights’ following the Big Bang.
25 June 2026 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
Professor Jorick Vink believes the funding – one of only a one of a small number of ERC Advanced Grants held by institutions on the island of Ireland – has the potential to be ‘transformational’, not only for the 235-year-old institution, but for research worldwide.
The funding will also create up to eight new research positions at AOP over the course of the project.
ERC Advanced Grants are amongst the most competitive and coveted awards in European science, reserved for established researchers at the very frontier of their fields.
“It’s the pinnacle of my career,” said Prof. Vink, who has recently been appointed Vice President of the Royal Astronomical Society, one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished scientific bodies.
“I’ve been successful in getting grants before, but none like this one – this is very prestigious.”
The research centres on one of the most profound questions in astrophysics: what ended the Universe’s so-called ‘dark ages and effectively “switched on the lights” in the early Universe?
After the Big Bang, the Universe expanded and entered a period known as the Cosmic Dark Ages, before the first stars ignited and transformed the cosmos.
The earliest stars are believed to have been much bigger than most stars we observe today, including the sun.
Their extraordinary brightness is thought to have been responsible for flooding the universe with light, which billions of years later we can observe with instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Telescope.
By uncovering the nature of these first stars, astronomers believe it will help mankind uncover our own cosmic origins.
25 June 2026 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
This project builds on years of research into how stellar winds shape the evolution of massive stars, helping to explain why stars and black holes were likely more massive in the early universe.
The research will also speak to the origin of the chemical elements from which all life is made.
“The oxygen we breathe, the iron in our blood, the nitrogen that we need, the carbon in our bones – that’s all made in the stars,” said Prof. Vink.
The latest positive news comes following the recent announcement of a major investment at AOP which will reshape the treasured landmark.
The development will create a state-of-the-art science and discovery centre, featuring a next-generation LED Planetarium, expanded research and education capability, and an immersive and engaging visitor experience.
“There’s going to be a massive investment here over the next couple of years and there’s going to be some really exciting things happening,” Prof. Vink said. “This place will be transformed.”
The benefits of the ERC grant stretch beyond the observatory walls.
“Every time society invests in fundamental research, it lifts the entire education system,” he said. “And you can see throughout history – every time people have invested in science the whole of society has benefited.”
The grant was secured following an intensely competitive process, where applicants submitted a detailed research proposal alongside a synopsis. Only a small fraction of applicants progressed through rounds of external peer review and panel interview before a final award was made.
Prof. Vink, who is originally from the Netherlands and has been based at AOP for 17 years, hopes the project will not only advance scientific knowledge but inspire the next generation.
“Humans want to understand their own origins. I think that’s a very human wish, a desire to know where we come from,” he said.
“Therefore, research grants such as ERC have cultural aspects as well as benefits for science and the economy.”
For more on Armagh Observatory and Planetarium visit armagh.space.
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