Objective
We often assume that normal vision means everyone sees the world in the same way. While the optics of the eye are broadly similar across individuals, neural processing varies widely, leading to striking differences in performance. Some people effortlessly detect hazards in their peripheral vision, while others miss them entirely. Although vision is among the most studied systems of the brain, there is still no unified theory that explains this variability, which points to a deeper organizing principle of perception.
Across individuals, a hidden gradient emerges, a previously unrecognized axis of perceptual organization that spans from feedforward (bottom-up encoding) to feedback (top-down inference) dominance within a shared cortical architecture. PANORAMA introduces the Incomplete Compensation Hypothesis, which explains this gradient as the outcome of an imbalance between feedforward and feedback processing. Far peripheral vision, where feedforward input is sparse and feedback must work hard, provides the ideal testbed for uncovering these mechanisms.
Guided by this framework, the project addresses four key questions:
1. To what extent do individuals differ in peripheral vision?
2. Are these differences driven by the eyes’ input, the brain’s interpretation, or both?
3. How are these behavioral signatures reflected in cortical architecture and laminar pathways?
4. How can they be reshaped through targeted manipulation and plasticity?
Resolving this will redefine how sensory neuroscience conceptualizes individual variability, shifting the field from treating perception as the average of feedforward and feedback processes to understanding how their balance gives rise to distinct perceptual outcomes. Often overlooked in the dominant theories of vision, the far periphery may now hold the key to understanding why perception varies across individuals, and with panoramic displays and ultra-high field MRI reaching maturity, it can finally be studied in full detail.
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.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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 - HORIZON ERC 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-2026-STG
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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.
6200 MD Maastricht
Netherlands
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.