New regenerative therapies for heart disease, novel algorithms to make computer networks more resilient, a pioneering treatment for psychological conditions and better understanding of how illicit markets work, are examples of the challenges at the frontiers of knowledge that the new grantees of the European Research Council are going to take on.
The ERC has announced the awarding of its Consolidator Grants to 314 top researchers in Europe. The funding, worth a total of EUR 605 mln, will give them a chance to have far-reaching impact on science and beyond. The grants fall under the ‘Excellent Science’ pillar of Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation programme.
On this occasion, Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: “The ERC has been established to find the best quality in science, to cherish it and support it, making Europe a centre of international scientific excellence. The new grant winners have been awarded this competitive funding because they are top-notch scientists with truly ground-breaking ideas – investment in their success will pay back.”
The President of the ERC, Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, commented: “Consolidator Grants support talented researchers still early in their careers. In 2016 the demand for this type of ERC funding increased again. It testifies to the need for more funding for curiosity-driven research in Europe. It is satisfactory to see that, for one more call, the success rates of women and men are comparable. The grantees who succeeded in this tough competition will enjoy full freedom and flexibility, important characteristics of ERC grants, to contribute to major advances in science.”
The research projects proposed by the new grantees cover a wide range of topics in physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, as well as social sciences and humanities.
The grantees will carry out their projects at universities, research centres and other host institutions in the EU or associated countries. In this competition, researchers of 39 nationalities received funding, amongst them are for example Germans (50 grants), Italians (38), French (34) and Britons (24). The researchers will work in 23 countries across Europe, with the United Kingdom (58 grants), Germany (48), France (43) and the Netherlands (29) as leading locations. Cyprus was not among the recipients, even though a Cypriot grantee was awarded as part of a project at an overseas university.
The ERC has evaluated 2,274 research proposals this time, out of which 13.8% have been selected for funding. In all, 28% of grants were awarded to female applicants. The grants will create an estimated 2,000 jobs for postdocs, PhD students and other staff working in the grantees’ research teams.
