Turning Research Excellence into Funded European Projects
During his career at leading industry and research-intensive universities, Ainars Blaudums has played a key role in the preparation and implementation of over 100 successful EU grant applications and projects. His experience spans Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, FP7, and other EU programmes.
All services offered by EU Project AB are delivered through tailored consultancy engagements, supporting clients in securing funding and successfully implementing projects.
EU Project AB operates as an independent, ad-hoc consultancy. All services are provided outside of Ainars Blaudums’ university role and are offered exclusively to external organisations.
Contributions towards success
Ainars’ contributions cover the full research funding lifecycle, including:
- Leading proposal preparation and providing technical input for bid writing, budgeting and costing
- Conducting detailed proposal reviews to ensure alignment with funder requirements
- Preparing and negotiating grant agreements and consortium agreements
- Coordinating large multi-beneficiary, international collaborative projects
- Overseeing financial and administrative management of grants
- Facilitating collaboration between project partners and stakeholders
- Preparing and submitting project reports to comply with funder requirements
- Providing expert advice on legal, financial, and regulatory matters
Portfolio of Grants and Projects
Below is a selection of awarded grant applications and implemented projects. The list is illustrative, not exhaustive.
ERC Grants
The European Research Council (ERC) is the premier European funding body for frontier research, awarding grants solely on the basis of scientific excellence. These highly competitive schemes support individual researchers pursuing ground-breaking, high-risk/high-gain research.
- ECOTELO – The ecological significance of telomere dynamics: environments, individuals and inheritance (ERC Advanced Grant)
- IRIS – Infrared imaging and sensing: the single-photon frontier (ERC Consolidator Grant)
- MaGPIE – Mass Grave Protection, Investigation & Engagement (ERC Consolidator Grant/UKRI funded)
- PULTAR – Delivery of PULmonary Therapeutics through TARgetted Delivery using Phononics (ERC Proof of Concept Grant)
- SMART-POM – Artificial-Intelligence Driven Discovery and Synthesis of Polyoxometalate Clusters (ERC Advanced Grant)
- WorkOD – Work on Demand: Contracting for Work in a Changing Economy (ERC Starting Grant)
Horizon Europe/Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) support excellent research and innovation through international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral mobility. The programme focuses on researcher training, career development, and knowledge transfer across borders.
- 3D Intel-Surgery – 3D Scene Reconstruction, Segmentation and Augmented Reality for Robotic and Endoscopic Surgery – NEW (fellowship, 2025)
- ACMod – Affective Computing Models: from Facial Expression to Mind-Reading (staff exchanges)
- AFib-TrainNet – EU Training Network on Novel Targets and Methods in Atrial Fibrillation (training network)
- CfACTs – Centre for Applied Creative Technologies (COFUND)
- DIRECT – Predicting the impacts of river reconnection, biological invasions and climate change for the conservation of endangered cold-water fishes in Europe – NEW (fellowship, 2025)
- EVOdrops – Directed EVOlution in DROPS (training network)
- FoodMAPP – Local Food supply communicated through a transactional searchable MAP based APPlication (staff exchanges/UKRI funded)
- MultiFluid – Multi-level Multi-phase Fluid Animation (fellowship)
- RESOLUTE – Predicting outcomes of nature based solutions and river reconnection for endangered cold-water fishes in European rivers – NEW (fellowship, 2025)
Horizon Europe Collaborative Projects (Pillar II)
Horizon Europe Pillar II funds large-scale international collaborative research and innovation projects. These actions bring together multidisciplinary consortia to strengthen European competitiveness and address major societal challenges.
- ARTEMIS – AcceleRating the Translation of virtual twins towards a pErsonalised Management of fatty liver patients (Health Technologies and Digital Solutions)
- ExtremeXP – EXPerimentation driven and user eXPerience oriented analytics for eXtremely Precise outcomes and decisions (Computing and Big Data)
- LoGaCulture – Locative Games for Cultural Heritage (Culture and Creative Industries)
- PRESERVE– Ethical and Privacy-preserving Big Data platform for Supporting criminal investigations (Fighting Crime)
Horizon 2020 Collaborative Projects (Pillar II)
Under Horizon 2020, Pillar II supported collaborative research and innovation across key societal and industrial challenges. Projects were designed to translate research excellence into tangible economic and societal impact through European cooperation.
- PRESTIGE – Design-driven integration of innovative PRinted functional matErialS into inTeractive hIgh-end and fashion consumer Goods addressing tomorrow’s societal challEnges (Advanced materials)
- RESONATE – RESilient fOrest value chains –enhancing resilience through NATural and socio-Economic responses (Environment)
- SITless – Exercise Referral Schemes enhanced by Self-Management Strategies to battle sedentary behaviour (Health)
- TAPAS – Tools for Assessment and Planning of Aquaculture Sustainability (Food security)
- TERAPOD – Terahertz based Ultra High Bandwidth Wireless Access Networks (ICT)
- YOUNG_ADULLLT – Policies Supporting Young People in their Life Course. A Comparative Perspective of Lifelong Learning and Inclusion in Education and Work in Europe (Europe in a changing world)
…and many more projects across ICT, robotics, health, environment, energy, and other EU funding schemes.
How We Work with Clients
We support organisations in securing and managing EU funding:
• Strategic advice to identify the most suitable calls
• Proposal review and one-to-one coaching sessions
• Horizon Europe sessions focused on specific funding schemes and calls
• Advising on compliance with funder rules and reporting requirements
Knowledge transfer, training, and coaching are delivered within consultancy engagements, enhancing client capacity while driving measurable project outcomes.
Engagements are tailored to the specific needs of each organisation and may cover individual proposals or any part of project lifecycles
Next Steps
For further details on Ainars’ professional experience, visit the LinkedIn profile. Our Horizon Europe grant consultancy approach.
To discuss future collaboration, please use the Contact Us feature in the page footer.