On 17 June 2025 the European Research Council (ERC) (external link) selected Martino Marisaldi as a winner of the very prestigious ERC Advanved Grant. His ENLIGHTEN project will receive 3,5 million Euros to investigate the causal relationship between high-energy radiation and lightning initiation.

ENLIGHTEN stands for Exploring Lightning Initiation and Gamma-ray High-energy emission in Thunderstorm Environments. It will uncover how gamma-ray emissions are linked to lightning, which is crucial for understanding atmospheric electricity.

More information is found in an official news release from the University of Bergen:
https://www.uib.no/en/news/178627/erc-advanced-grants-marisaldi-and-fomin