European Research Council awards Synergy Grants worth €571 million to 57 research teams tackling major scientific challenges

Fifty-seven research groups will receive a total of €571 million to address some of the most complex scientific problems, covering a wide range of disciplines. The ERC Synergy Grants foster collaboration between outstanding researchers, enabling them to combine their expertise, knowledge and resources to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. This funding is part of the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.

Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:

'Innovation thrives on collaboration, especially when tackling the pressing scientific challenges of our time. The ERC Synergy Grants work with Horizon Europe funding to connect brilliant minds across borders and disciplines, enabling them to push the frontiers of knowledge together. I am particularly delighted to see researchers from countries with historically fewer ERC grants among the awardees, reflecting our mission to foster scientific excellence across Europe.'

President of the European Research Council, Prof. Maria Leptin, said:

'It is so inspiring to see how the Synergy Grants bring together remarkable researchers from many disciplines, countries and even continents, united by their ambition to tackle difficult research questions. Many of the teams include a researcher based outside Europe, which shows the global and open character of these grants. Congratulations to all the winners - I much look forward to following their progress as they push our boundaries of knowledge.'

Projects selected for funding

Can we make concrete infrastructure both eco-efficient and durable? What is the nitrogen cycle of our oceans and its impact on the climate? Can digital technology help bring communities together? These are just some examples of issues the new winners in this round of Synergy Grants will explore.

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Facts & figures

Applicants submitted 548 proposals in this call. The 57 winning projects involve 201 researchers who will carry out their projects at 184 universities and research centres in 24 countries across Europe and beyond: Germany (with 34 projects), the UK (18), France (13), the US (12), Spain (11) and Netherlands (10) are hosting the highest number of projects. Six projects involve researchers based in Czechia (2 projects), Greece (1), Hungary (1), Poland (1) and Portugal (1) - countries that have so far hosted fewer ERC grants.

Twenty-two of the groups include one researcher based outside Europe: in the US, Switzerland, Australia and - for the first time - the Republic of Korea. The international aspect of this grant scheme helps to open top European research to the best scientific talent globally, creating further synergies.

Nearly 32% of the researchers who are part of the winning projects are women, the highest proportion since the scheme began. This marks a notable increase compared to previous years, with 18.5% in 2023 and 22% in 2022. Additionally, six research teams are composed entirely of female researchers.

See the full list of winners

About the ERC

The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation. The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council. Maria Leptin has been the President of the ERC since November 2021. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than €16 billion, as part of the Horizon Europe programme, under the responsibility of European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova.

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