Tibetan myths as a cultural foundation

Between the 11th and 14th centuries, a body of literature emerged on the Tibetan plateau that continues to shape culture, religion, and politics to this day. Reinier Langelaar from the Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia at the OeAW – the youngest principal investigator among all ERC Starting Grant recipients in 2025 – is reconstructing the development of this “national founding myth.” Working with previously unknown manuscripts, he shows how key texts shaped the interplay between religion, political authority, and collective identity in Tibet—and how neighboring Buddhist regions influenced this process.

How climate extremes shaped life in the Ice Age

Extreme climate fluctuations posed major challenges for Ice Age hunter-gatherer groups. Dorothea Maria Bosch from the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the OeAW – one of the Academy’s first Seal of Excellence awardees – is investigating how communities in Central Europe responded to these environmental conditions. Her research focuses on the sites Grub-Kranawetberg I and II, which contain exceptionally well-preserved remains from before and during the Last Glacial Maximum. Using state-of-the-art methods ranging from isotope analysis to ancient DNA, Bosch reconstructs the resources used and the survival strategies developed in the face of extreme climate.

Quantum computers for fundamental physics

Simulating complex physical systems is one of the greatest challenges in modern science. Theoretical physicist Torsten Zache, based at the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information Innsbruck of the OeAW and at the University of Innsbruck, is developing new approaches to explore so-called lattice gauge theories with quantum computers. His goal is to calculate the dynamics of systems that display phenomena such as quark confinement—problems that classical computers can only solve to a limited extent. The quantum algorithms developed in the process could not only deepen our understanding of the fundamental forces of nature, but also open new applications in quantum chemistry and materials science.

How tissue aging drives disease

Aging is a complex biological process that spans molecules, cells, and organs. In many age-related diseases, however, it remains unclear how small changes at the cellular level lead to functional decline in tissues. To address this, André Rendeiro from the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the OeAW combines large-scale tissue imaging with advanced computational analysis. This approach makes it possible to detect the patterns and deviations that emerge during aging and to identify signals that precede the onset of disease. His project paves the way for a new understanding of aging as a process shaped by tissue architecture.