Researchers from the University of Birmingham have been awarded European funding to help translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
ERC Proof of Concept funding supports researchers in translating frontier research into practical digital and societal solutions.
Professor Jennifer Cook from the School of Psychology and Dr Connor Keating (previously at the University of Birmingham, now based at the University of Oxford) have received an ERC Proof of Concept Grant for their project, AutismScreeningTool, which aims to bring to market a digital tool designed to facilitate more effective screening for autism. The award will support the next phase of development, exploring how research insights can be transformed into an accessible, practical solution with clear societal benefit.
Some people wait up to 18 years for an autism diagnosis. AutismScreeningTool uses objective movement data - developed through 15 years of research and co-designed with lived-experience experts - to identify autism with over 91% accuracy. This project will take the tool from research to real-world healthcare, improving access, equity, and efficiency in autism diagnosis
The funding is part of the final 2025 round of Proof of Concept Grants announced by the European Research Council (ERC). In this round, 136 grantees across Europe will each receive €150,000 to help move their scientific discoveries towards early commercial or practical application. Overall, the ERC awarded 300 Proof of Concept Grants in 2025, representing a total investment of €45 million under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.
Cook and Keating’s project sits alongside a diverse portfolio of ERC-funded innovations in 2025, ranging from the use of artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to assess war damage, to new medical imaging techniques that allow doctors to visualise the smallest blood vessels in the human kidney in real time. Collectively, the projects demonstrate how curiosity-driven frontier research can lead to tangible advances in health, technology, humanitarian action and industry.
The discoveries emerging from ERC-funded research are very often more than academic breakthroughs. They form the bedrock of future innovation ecosystems across Europe, inspiring new technologies, businesses and societal solutions.
With these Proof of Concept Grants, many ERC grantees will explore the commercialisation or societal potential of their curiosity, laying the foundation for future technological innovations and societal solutions that drive progress in Europe.
The United Kingdom is among the leading countries for awards in this round, with 31 projects funded. To be eligible, applicants must already hold, or have recently completed, an ERC frontier research grant, ensuring that Proof of Concept funding builds directly on established excellence.
For the University of Birmingham, Professor Cook’s success underscores the institution’s strength in delivering research with real-world relevance. By advancing a digital autism screening tool towards market readiness, the project has the potential to improve early identification and support, delivering meaningful benefits for individuals, families and healthcare systems.
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience
Professor Cook's work investigates action and social cognition in typically developed adults and those with autism spectrum conditions.
