ERC has announced the allocation of 400 Starting Grants to promising young scientists and scholars across Europe, amounting to an impressive €628 million.
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the allocation of 400 Starting Grants to promising young scientists and scholars across Europe, amounting to an impressive €628 million.
These grants will bolster cutting-edge research endeavors spanning various fields, from medicine and physics to social sciences and humanities. They serve as a vital platform for early-career researchers to embark on their independent projects, assemble teams, and pursue their innovative ideas.
Part of the EU’s Horizon Europe program, this funding injection will be directed towards scientific ventures encompassing all realms of research.
Among the selected projects are a geochemist in the Netherlands studying Venus’ atmosphere to gain insights into habitability beyond Earth, a German computer scientist aiming to enhance inclusivity in virtual reality for physically disabled individuals, a UK-based geneticist delving into the analysis of malaria-causing parasites, and an Israeli researcher investigating the workplace application of algorithms for employee supervision.
ERC President Professor Maria Leptin commented on the initiative, stating, “It is part of our mission to give early-career talent the independence to pursue ambitious curiosity-driven research that can shape our future. In this latest round of Starting Grants, we saw one of the highest shares of female grantees to date, which I hope will continue to rise. Congratulations to all winners and good luck on your path to discovery.”
Recipients of these grants will conduct their research projects at universities and research institutions across 24 European countries. Germany leads with the highest number of hosted projects (87 grants), followed by France (50), the Netherlands (44), and the UK (32).
The awardees represent a diverse range of nationalities, with 44 countries being represented, notably Germany (66 researchers), Italy (57), France (32), and the Netherlands (27). Fourteen European researchers currently based in the US will carry out their ERC-funded projects in Europe.
This highly competitive call for proposals garnered a total of 2,696 submissions, which were rigorously evaluated by panels of esteemed researchers from around the world. The overall success rate stood at 14.8%. It is anticipated that these grants will generate over 2,600 job opportunities for postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and other staff at the host institutions.
Notably, female researchers secured approximately 43% of the grants, signifying a notable increase from 39% in 2022. Since 2007, the Starting Grants program has garnered over 58,000 submissions. During this period, the proportion of proposals submitted by women has risen from around 30% to over 40%.
The ERC, established by the European Union in 2007, stands as the foremost European funding organization for supporting outstanding frontier research. It provides funding to innovative researchers of any nationality and age, enabling projects based across Europe.
In addition to Starting Grants, the ERC offers Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants, and Synergy Grants, along with a Proof of Concept Grant scheme to facilitate the transition from pioneering research to its early commercialization stages.
The ERC is governed by an independent body, the Scientific Council, and since November 2021, Maria Leptin has served as its President. The ERC’s budget for 2021 to 2027 exceeds €16 billion, forming part of the Horizon Europe program, currently overseen by European Commission Executive Vice President Margarete Vestager.