ERC announces over 370 Consolidator Grant winners

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the 372 winning researchers of its 2014 Consolidator Grant competition, securing €713m of Horizon 2020 funding.

Winning projects include analysing the causes of harmful behaviour in teenagers, resolving puzzles about the nature of autism and dyslexia, and revolutionising the understanding of gravity and the dark universe. Grants are worth up to €2.75m each, with an average of €1.91m per grant. The funding will enable scientists to consolidate their research teams and to develop their most innovative ideas.

Providing his thoughts on the announcement, the president of the European Research Council, Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, commented: “These Consolidator Grants have been awarded to 372 research leaders, still in an early stage of their career, they will also back some 1,500 postdocs and PhD students as team members. This is one more way in which the ERC is fostering the next generation of bright research talent, and thereby the human basis for Europe’s competitiveness that conditions its economic growth.”

The share of female grantees in this call was 28%, a 4% increase from the 2013 Consolidator Grant competition. Female applicants were also slightly more successful than male applicants (15.2% compared to 14.9%). Overall, 15% of applicants were successful in securing ERC funding.

Adding his thoughts, Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: “With every project of this calibre, we’re making Europe the laboratory of the world. Our most extraordinary and creative researchers benefit from EU funding and, in turn, Europe benefits every day from its investment in knowledge and people.”

Researchers of 38 different nationalities were amongst the winners, with the highest number of grants going to Germany (69 grants), France (44) and the UK (37).