Hundreds of researchers across Europe have just received some very welcome news.
As part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, 478 early-career researchers across Europe have been awarded grants totaling €761m.
European funds
According to a press release from the European Research Council (ERC), the grant competition attracted 3,928 proposals, marking a 13% increase in demand from 2024’s opening call.
The successful candidates are affiliated with 25 countries, including Germany (99 grants), the UK (60), the Netherlands (44) and France (41). They account for 51 nationalities, notably German (87 researchers), Italian (55), French (33), British and Spanish (32 each).
“This demonstrates Europe’s potential to attract and keep top scientific talent,” Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said in a statement. “We see leading scientists coming to Europe with these new grants, and many choosing to remain here thanks to this support.
The grantees include a researcher in the Netherlands exploring new ways to make artificial touch feel more natural and realistic, an Austria-based scientist investigating how aging reshapes human tissues and triggers disease and a scientist in Spain examining how plants protect themselves from excessive sun exposure.
In the UK, one of the 32 recipients, Dr. Stephen Fielden of the University of Birmingham, described his €1.5 million grant as “transformative”.
“Being awarded an ERC Starting Grant is transformative for my fledgling research group, because it provides us with ample resource to tackle a 125-year-old research question.”
This question concerns why bonds in emulsions, such as oil and water, are unstable and quickly break down.
“I am excited to welcome more bright young minds to my group and am grateful for the support given to me by the University of Birmingham when applying for this prestigious grant,” Fielden said in a statement. “It is vital that the UK continues to support future generations of scientists through association with the ERC.”
The ERC grant scheme
Since launching in 2007, the ERC has funded more than 17,000 projects undertaken by more than 10,000 researchers.
Its Starting Grants amount to €1.5 million for a period of up to 5 years. Additional funds, however, can be made available to cover certain research costs, such as purchasing equipment.
Remarking on the successful grantees of the 2025 call, Prof. Maria Leptin, president of the European Research Council, said that “all these bright minds and the plethora of brilliant ideas that they will go after really inspire me, and so does their scientific creativity.”
“It also gives hope that Europe empowers them and backs them,” she added in a statement. “Yet, we could do more! Only 12% of all proposals in this competition are being funded, even if many more are excellent. More investment in this type of science is needed for Europe to reach its full potential.”
2025-09-06 02:41:00