The European Commission has used additional funding available for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships Call 2017, to fund two Sapienza research projects.

Project PICVOLC, presented by Erika Ronchin from the Department of Earth Sciences in collaboration with Maurizio Battaglia, aims to provide a detailed representation of magmatic intrusions (estimating their position, depth and nature) by developing a methodology that integrates a varies of geophysical data (seismic, gravity, deformation) with a 3D numeric inversion. 

The ability to interpret changes in seismicity, land deformation and gravimetry can help predict volcanic eruptions and predispose emergency measures. In fact, over 500 million people live in volcanic areas in which even a minor event can have disastrous consequences, like that which occurred in Ruiz (Colombia) in 1985, destroying entire villages and killing thousands of people. And due to its high risk, the recent volcanic activity in Ruiz will be studied to develop, calibrate and verify the innovative approach presented by Project Picvolc.

Project AsArt-DATA, presented by Marina Gallinaro in collaboration with Savino di Lernia from the Department of Antiquities, is based on the advanced study of rock art produced in the Sahara by animal herders between 6300 and 850 BC. The study, which has been developed in collaboration with the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), is based on the complete archive of the Acacus and Messak Massifs in Southwestern Lybia and other regions. The project aims to investigate rock art through an original multidisciplinary approach that brings together archaeology, anthropology, visual studies and IT-assisted humanities. 

One of the main features of ASArt-DATA will be the development of an open access web atlas of rock art in the Lybian Sahara. It will be custom-tailored for scientific research, cultural heritage management and communication activities. In general, Project ASArt-DATA aims to reinforce the ties between archaeological/anthropological studies and contemporary society by promoting knowledge on rock art.

These two projects join six other projects that were previously approved for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships Call 2017,