With the “PRIN 2022 PNRR” call for proposals of September 14, 2022 (Ministerial Decree No. 1409/2022), the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) funds public research projects focused on one of the emerging strategic themes related to the objectives of a cluster within the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 2021–2027.
The aim of the call is to promote the national research system, strengthen interactions between universities and research institutions in line with the objectives set out in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), and encourage Italian participation in initiatives related to the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
The QUANTAGRID project – Next quantum-based traceability and new accuracy description for synchronized multifrequency phasor measurements in modern distribution grids – has been successfully completed. The project was funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the PRIN 2022 programme and ran from 30 November 2023 to 28 February 2026.
The project involved a consortium comprising the University of Cagliari (coordinator), the University of Padua, the University of Palermo, and INRiM, with the aim of developing new methodologies and tools to improve the accuracy and metrological traceability of synchrophasor measurements in modern electrical distribution grids.
Within the project, INRiM was primarily involved in the development of a quantum-based reference system for synchrophasor measurements. In addition, a laboratory testbed was established for the calibration of commercial phasor measurement units (PMUs). Finally, a comprehensive description of the system, including the identification of intrinsic error sources relevant to uncertainty evaluation, was provided.
The main results of this work are documented in project deliverables D2.1, D2.2, and D2.3.
INRiM participates as a partner in the DOMANI project, funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and running from November 30, 2023, to February 28, 2026.
Submicroplastics (SMP), generated by industrial processes and material degradation, pose significant analytical challenges: they have variable composition and size, cannot be detected with optical instruments, are ubiquitous, and highly heterogeneous. Moreover, they modify their identity in exposure media, since their large surface area and high binding affinity promote the spontaneous and unavoidable formation of eco- and bio-coronas, which depend on environmental conditions. The impact of these coronas on the biological effects of SMP remains poorly explored, making it urgent to develop general or matrix-specific approaches for environmental and food samples.
Available techniques (imaging, spectroscopy, separation) produce large amounts of data that are difficult to correlate; however, multiblock chemometric and machine learning methods are still rarely applied.
The DOMANI project pursues two main objectives: to understand eco-coronas through qualitative and quantitative profiling and characterization of SMP, and to develop predictive models for the rapid recognition of clean or contaminated matrices, thus creating fast and sustainable screening tools.
The approach integrates interdisciplinary expertise, combining metrology, analytical, surface and colloidal chemistry with chemometrics and machine learning.