ERC Synergy Grant winners announced
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the winners of 13 Synergy Grants, who will share a total of €150m. The projects, at the crossroads of many disciplines, will receive funding of up to €15m each during the next six years.
Each project brings together two to four outstanding researchers, meaning 45 scientists based in 11 countries in the European Research Area are supported through the prestigious grants. The selected researchers will explore a wide variety of topics in all disciplines. The projects include creating the first ever picture of a black hole, addressing the future of internet security, evaluating the environmental impact of the lack of phosphorous, and developing new instruments for non-invasive eye treatments.
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, commented: “ERC Synergy Grants invest in remarkable research, bringing together top-notch scientists. These projects will push the frontiers of our knowledge. That’s exactly the type of science that we need if we are to make Europe more innovative and globally competitive.”
In contrast to consortia, which are funded by other parts of EU research programmes, the ERC Synergy Grant targets individual investigators whose complementary skills, knowledge and resources enable them to take risks that can lead to exceptional results.
