• H2020
• Excellent Science
• European Research Council

The European Research Council is celebrating the funding of its 5,000th researcher.

The milestone ERC grant is being awarded to Croatian cell biophysicist Dr Iva Tolić. The Consolidator Grant will allow her to study the forces acting on the chromosomes during cell division; her research could be critical for the development of new therapies against cancer. Tolić will carry out her project at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in the Croatian capital Zagreb.

After receiving the news, the milestone grantee commented: “This ERC grant will make a big difference to me professionally. It will allow me to establish my new lab in Croatia, hire six team members and buy a state-of-the-art microscope. For the next five years, I will be able to focus purely on my research. I am very happy to be the 5,000th ERC grantee.”

In order to mark the occasion, the ERC will take part in an exchange of views with the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in Brussels, where the organisation’s president, Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, will address MEPs. Speaking ahead of his speech, Bourguignon commented: “With this symbolic 5,000th grant, the ERC is marking what it has achieved so far. Looking to the future, the ERC’s mission will remain unchanged – funding frontier research ideas coming from scientists selected solely on scientific quality.

“But the ERC also has challenges ahead: we wish to see more ERC-funded researches in the newer EU members states and more female grantees. The ERC must contribute even more decisively to making Europe a magnet for top talent.”

ITRE Committee Chair Jerzy Buzek said the committee had “worked very hard to secure the money earmarked for researchers, both via the European Research Council and other parts of Horizon 2020” and stated that the “EU’s future depends on researchers” such as Tolić.

In addition, a grant signing ceremony will take place on Wednesday evening with high-level speakers and ERC grantees. Commenting, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, who will speak at the signing ceremony, described the ERC as “an organisation open to top talent from around the world, regardless of nationality, gender and age.” He added: “The ERC is the best example that investing in excellent scientists pays off, as their research is crucial for boosting innovation, stimulating the economy and improving our daily lives.”

During this week at the parliament, the ERC is also presenting some of its funded research achievements, including the 3D-printed robot Poppy.