The Scientific Council of the European Research Council

Message from the Chairman

 

With the creation of a European Research Council (ERC), the European Union is taking a major step towards the realisation of a European Research Area by supporting scientific research in Europe.

 

The ERC will be the first pan-European funding agency for frontier research. Early stage as well as fully established investigators from across Europe will be able to compete for ERC grants with scientific excellence as the sole criterion for funding.

 

The Scientific Council will direct the ERC’s scientific operations and ensure that its support is in accordance with the highest standards of science and scholarship.

We intend to establish the ERC as a truly outstanding research funding agency. We aim to attract the very best researchers at all stages of their careers, starting with those who are embarking on their independent careers. Our aspiration is that the ERC will make a vital contribution to European science by offering talented individuals the resources and visibility to develop their creativity and reach their full potential.

In pursuit of these goals, we have already begun an intensive programme of work to ready the ERC for operation as soon as the European Parliament and Council of Ministers adopt their decision on the 7th Framework Programme. We hope to launch a first call for proposals, targeting early stage independent investigators, with a deadline in early 2007.


Prof. Fotis C. Kafatos 
The Europublic Writers Bureau provides English-language editorial services to Mostra SA., the main contractor to DG Research. 

THE ERC KICK-OFF CONFERENCE

Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Berlin

The ERC: Excellence in Research through Competition


27/28 February 2007, Berlin, Germany

 

The creation of a European Research Council (ERC) marks a new beginning. In establishing the ERC, the first pan-European funding agency for frontier research in Europe, the European Union is taking a major step towards the realisation of a European Research Area that includes education and innovation, and ranges in scope from basic to applied research and technology.

 

The ERC not only aims to provide resources for the very best researchers in Europe to enable, stimulate and advance a creative and pioneering potential that will make Europe the international leader in science and knowledge. It will also equip Europe with the frontier research capabilities needed to meet the challenge of worldwide competition.

 

In its capacity as a new and fundamental element to create a balance between research and innovation in Europe, the ERC will also naturally contribute to enhancing the European science landscape.

 

The German presidency of the Council of the European Union is very proud to host the ERC launch conference in Berlin on 27/28 February 2007. The ERC launch conference will provide an occasion to celebrate and raise awareness for this historic achievement as well as an opportunity to set the scene and look beyond the challenges of today.

 

The conference will consider the key challenges that the ERC faces: its function as an important motor for frontier research in Europe, its contribution to society and the knowledge-based economy, and its role as a European player with international reach.