Objective
Endometriosis and adenomyosis affect over 190 million women worldwide and remain underdiagnosed for an average of eight years, despite being linked to debilitating pain, infertility and impaired quality of life.
Infertility itself affects one in six couples in the EU, often requiring assisted reproductive technologies such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Mounting evidence connects both disorders, as well as IVF implantation failure, to abnormal uterine peristalsis—the wave-like contractions of the uterus that guide sperm transport, facilitate implantation, and enable menstrual shedding. Yet, despite its central role, no method exists to reliably and non-invasively measure uterine peristalsis in clinical or research settings.
Building on the ERC Starting Grant EARTHWORM, which pioneers artificial AI-driven Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), SyncWorm will significantly increase its impact: a wearable, MRI-compatible belt to characterize uterine peristalsis. By combining the high temporal resolution of electrophysiology with the spatial mapping of dynamic MRI, SyncWorm will deliver validated, quantitative, reproducible measures of uterine peristalsis.
This diagnostic innovation has transformative potential: to guide IVF timing and improve implantation success, to stratify treatment in endometriosis and adenomyosis and to advance research into uterine physiology.
The project will develop and validate a safe, robust MRI-compatible belt with optimized electrode placement; demonstrate discriminatory power in targeted patient studies; and assess user acceptability and market potential with an industrial partner.
SyncWorm addresses a clear unmet clinical need with high-risk/high-gain potential: enabling the first non-invasive, spatio-temporal assessment of uterine peristalsis. If successful, this innovation will unlock a new diagnostic paradigm in women’s health, accelerate translational research, and open a market across infertility, gynecology, and beyond.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine gynaecology reproductive medicine
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
30167 Hannover
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.