ERC announces ‘blue sky’ grant winners
The European Research Council has announced the winners of grants worth €150,000 as part of the ‘Proof of Concept’ funding scheme.
A total of 27 grants have been awarded. The winning bids cover a range of topics, including innovative drug therapies and new biomaterials, greener and cheaper industrial chemical substances, as well as a more inclusive approach for building accessibility. The financing will help bridge the gap between research and a marketable innovation.
Commenting on the announcement, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said: “This second round of ‘Proof of concept’ grants is great news, as we need to bring more of our best ideas to market in Europe. This initiative helps ERC grant holders to realise the potential of their breakthroughs and discoveries. Through these grants, and by funding ‘blue sky’ research in general, the ERC is helping make Europe more competitive now and for the future.”
Researchers from ten countries in the European Research Area will receive the grants; 60 awards have already been outlined. The ‘Proof of Concept’ scheme was launched in March 2011 and is open to existing ERC grant beneficiaries. The ERC is set to benefit from a significant budget increase as part of Horizon 2020, from €7.5bn to over €13bn.
