The Erc supports another 294 senior top researchers in Europe

With a budget of just over €660 million, the European Research Council (Erc) is funding 294 top researchers in the fourth competition for its covered Advanced Grants. These established scientists will perform ground-breaking 'blue sky' research over the coming five years across Europe. Open to all domains, the grants are worth up to €3.5 million each. The demand for Erc funding is still on the rise; the number of applications increased by 13% compared to the last Advanced Grant call. The projects selected cover a wide array of topics, for instance new treatments of visual impairment (presbyopia), and a better use of sustainable fuels for automotive and aeronautic engines.

Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: "Supporting the very best researchers working at the frontiers of knowledge is essential for European competitiveness. The European Research Council has been a huge success in its first five years, with an ever growing flow of research results from its investment. I have therefore proposed a major increase of the Erc budget under the EU's future research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020".

Erc President Professor Helga Nowotny commented: "On the eve of the Erc's fifth anniversary celebrations, we are pleased to announce another successfully concluded call, providing substantial funding for many more established researchers of any age and nationality. I am particularly glad that we are able to maintain a success rate of 12%, faced with a continuing increase in demand for Erc grants. Europe should make sure to nurture the talent it has and is able to attract, especially in times of the crisis".

This Advanced Grant call attracted 2.284 proposals, which is a 13% rise from the last call. The estimated total budget also increased by 12% from last year. The success rate remains stable at 13%. Regarding the profile of these senior researchers, the average age is about 53 years. The number of female researchers selected (12%) slightly increased in this call. The projects will be carried out in universities or research institutions in 20 countries across Europe. The greatest number of grant winners will be based in the United Kingdom, Germany and France. In this call, 26 different nationalities are represented, with British, German and French researchers being the most numerous. Furthermore, of the awarded grants, around 46% are in the domain 'Physical Sciences and Engineering', 36% in 'Life Sciences' and 18% in 'Social Sciences and Humanities'.

The Cnr researchers Gianluigi Condorelli and Stefano Zapperi are among the awarded scientists.

Fonte: Madeleine Drielsma, European Research Council (Erc), tel. +32 (0)2 298 76 31, email erc-press@ec.europa.eu