'Excellence and equity are not competing ambitions -they reinforce one another' Harriet Bulkeley and Liselotte Højgaard's editorial on why fairness and trust are foundations of excellent science, not extras, in the latest #ERCMagazine. 👉 t.co/SZSrlvndih @harrietbulkeley.bsky.social

Great meeting with the new Hungarian State Secretary for Science Policy and Innovation, Péter Horváth, this week. He has so many good ideas for improving the conditions for top-level research in Hungary! We will do what we can to help - all fingers crossed for success!

Huge pleasure to host 2 great leaders who served their country and continue to serve Europe: •⁠Janez Potočnik who was behind the initial 5th freedom idea (EU Single Market); also an ERC founder •⁠⁠Enrico Letta who elaborated the 5th freedom in the report ‘Much More Than a Market’ Watch our debate ⬇️

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · last mo.

🔴 Starting now in Brussels: an important discussion on Europe's future in research. As the debate on #FP10 gathers pace, leading scientists and policymakers will discuss what Europe needs to remain a global leader in R&I. Join the livestream: webcast.ec.europa.eu/voices-from-...

Congratulations! Bernhard Häupler at INSAIT secures the first ever ERC grant in Natural Sciences and Engineering in Bulgaria. Testament both to his own excellence and to the value of a country and institution creating an attractive and supportive environment!

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · last mo.

From transport systems to the internet, our life depends on vast networks of interconnected nodes and links. With new Advanced Grant funding, Bernhard Häupler at Sofia University wants to develop mathematical and algorithmic tools to help optimise these networks. 👉 link.europa.eu/d9qgY4 🇪🇺 #ERCAdG

Congrats to all 2026 #KavliPrize winners, especially to five ERC grantees: 🥇Vasily Belokurov from @cam.ac.uk, Amina Helmi @rug.nl & Rodrigo Ibata @cnrs.fr in #Astrophysics 🥇Christine Holt from @cam.ac.uk & Erin Schuman @maxplanck.de in #Neuroscience. 🔗 link.europa.eu/JkJwbg @kavliprize.bsky.social

Five ERC-funded researchers among 2026 Kavli Prize laureates

Five researchers supported by the European Research Council (ERC) are among the winners of the 2026 Kavli Prize, an award that recognises advances in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience.

link.europa.eu

“Most innovation comes from frontier science. 50% of EIC Transition projects indeed originate from ERC Proof of Concept results.”   “For innovation, we need diversity early in the process and to trust researchers to pursue bold ideas.” ERC President Maria Leptin at #EICSummit

“My wish is that this will provide a positive message to the young girls who would like to follow the path of science and to show them that women in science can also have an impact through their research.” Emmanuelle Charpentier, Nobel Prize winner and since this year ERC Scientific Council member.

“We are falling dangerously behind our competitors.” ERC President Maria Leptin on the next EU R&I budget: “Maintaining the Commission proposal is the minimum. Strengthening it would be strategic.” Listen to the hearing at the European Parliament (9’32’30) 🎥 bit.ly/4scILfc

Our Scientific Council met for the first plenary in its new constellation! Meet our six new members and our three new Vice-Presidents: link.europa.eu/NdwjMm Learn more about our independent governing body: link.europa.eu/CPH7DW

Curiosity, adventure and discovery. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Giulia Giordano, Eleonora Macchia and Géraldine Laloux share what inspired them to choose a career in science, from early curiosity to inspiring teachers. #WomenInScience #GirlsInScience #IDWGS #STEM

Even when the focus is on research with immediate industrial applications, many policymakers recognise that breakthroughs start with fundamental science. That's why Mario Draghi recommended doubling the ERC’s budget. ERC President spoke at @sciencebusiness.net Annual Conference earlier this week.

Great group of new colleagues on the ERC Scientific Council, welcome to all of you! There's a lot of work to be done!

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · 8mo ago

Six new members join the ERC Scientific Council: 🔸Michel Campillo 🔸Emmanuelle Charpentier 🔸Kateřina Králová 🔸Susana Narotzky 🔸Karin Roelofs 🔸Eleftheria Zeggini Read more: erc.europa.eu/news-events/...

very much looking forward to working with Lotte, Torsten and Nicola!!

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · 8mo ago

ERC Scientific Council also elected three new Vice Presidents: 🔸Liselotte Højgaard 🔸Torsten Persson 🔸 Nicola Spaldin All changes take effect on 1 January 2026. 👉 erc.europa.eu/news-events/...

Today is #Nobel Day! 🏅 Watch the festive ceremony with speeches - a true celebration of blue sky discovery and scientific curiosity! 🎥 m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPSK... Philippe Aghion, funded by EU via the ERC, is among the 2025 laureates! erc.europa.eu/news-events/... 🇪🇺 Congratulations to all!

The results of the ERC Consolidator Grant call have been announced! 📣 349 researchers have been selected for funding. Congratulations to all! #ERCCogG! 👉 buff.ly/uu62uFV #FrontierResearch #EUfunded #HorizonEurope @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu

🏅#NobelPrize week began in enlightened fashion with a dazzling light show in Stockholm. ERC grantee Philippe Aghion won the Economics Prize for work on “innovation-driven economic growth”. Watch his Nobel lecture: ⏰ MON 8/11 from 14.30 🎥 Livestream www.nobelprize.org/prizes/econo... 🇪🇺

Fruitful meeting between Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and the ERC Scientific Council last Friday. Much common ground on key topics including academic freedom, boosting the budget for cutting-edge research, gender and diversity issues, and widening participation in ERC calls.

@marialep.bsky.social, President of @erc.europa.eu: “President von der Leyen wants research at the heart of the EU’s economy. Since 2007, the European Research Council has delivered breakthroughs that boost industry and competitiveness.” #2025YearsOfEBS #EBS2025 #ChooseEurope

what amazing company I find myself in!

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · 9mo ago

Join the ERC session @ebsummiteurope.bsky.social tomorrow 19/11 at 11:30: ‘Breakthrough discovery & innovation: Securing Europe’s competitive edge?’ - Nobel Laureate in economics Ph. Aghion - Pascal Lamy - J-F van Boxmeer Livestream (quick, free registration): ebsummits.eu/live/ #EBS2025 🇪🇺

Switzerland is joining Horizon Europe! We are uniting two research powerhouses. For cutting-edge innovation that will boost our energy security, digital transformation, health and so much more. Today is a good day for science, and for our EU-Switzerland partnership.

Breaking Nobel news!🏅 Congratulations to Philippe Aghion, Joel Mokyr and Peter Howitt on winning the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economics in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The European Research Council is proud to have backed Philippe Aghion with two ERC Advanced Grants. 🇪🇺

Super visit to the IIT with demos of their robotics with @erc.europa.eu funded projects by Antonio Bicchi, @awykowska.bsky.social and others. Maria Fossati’s artificial ‘soft hand’ is much better than my neuro-impaired natural one! @ercgrantees.bsky.social @axc.bsky.social @giorgiometta.bsky.social

Very promising news on the next seven-year EU budget, with a proposed substantial increase for Horizon Europe including the ERC. We are analysing the other parts of this proposal in more detail. @Vonderleyen @EZaharievaEU research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-res...

Horizon Europe 2028 - 2034: twice bigger, simpler, faster and more impactful

Research and innovation news alert: As part of the next long-term EU budget 2028-2034, the Commission is proposing to double the budget of the research and innovation framework programme to €175 billi...

research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu

The report identifies factors that limit innovation in Europe: fragmentation, both of markets and of regulatory frameworks, incl different national implementations of EU legislation, no true financial union, incompatible standards, insufficient R&D funding, risk-averse regulatory culture.

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · last yr.

New ERC report on Europe’s competitiveness! 🇪🇺 "It conveyed a shared message that fundamental research is not a luxury.” ERC President Maria Leptin on the conclusions from the ERC workshop with leading figures from industry, policy and science. Read workshop report: erc.europa.eu/news-events/...

🥁 New article 📢: #Mechanobiology of #development during #Drosophila #gastrulation using #Brillouin microscopy, now in @natcomms.nature.com : rdcu.be/ev6ZX Collab. w/ @Prevedel_Lab @embl.org , Maria Leptin @marialep.bsky.social, @abhisha-thayambath.bsky.social, Julio Belmonte @ncstate.bsky.social

🇩🇰🇪🇺 During the Danish EU Presidency which officially opened today, the ERC will visit Copenhagen. A high-level event on EU competitiveness will be held on 7 October, with research leaders including a Nobel laureate and political figures. 👉 t.co/LuwuoNL5U3 @eu2025dk.bsky.social #FrontierResearch

ERC President Maria Leptin was awarded the De Sanctis Europa Award.🏅 Congratulations to the winners - all prominent European figures in the fields of art, humanities & science - including @president.europarl.europa.eu, ECB president.ecb.europa.eu , H.M. Queen Mother of the Belgians Paola.

Great Scientific Council meeting @durhamuniversity.bsky.social incl. roundtable with some of the UK research community, and Minister Vallance joining online. Inspiring research presentations from ERC grantees. Huge thanks to our hosts Durham Uni and Council member @harrietbulkeley.bsky.social !

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · last yr.

"The UK is a star performer in science and, after a hiatus, it’s back in the lead in ERC calls.” President @marialep.bsky.social at the ERC plenary @durham-university.bsky.social; the first in the UK since 2007. To date, c. 2230 ERC grants awarded in the UK, worth over €4B. 👉 europa.eu/!xPQ4Rk

So proud to be among this group of extremely eminent and fun people!

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu · last yr.

Congratulations to ERC President @marialep.bsky.social, and all those just awarded honorary degrees by @cam.ac.uk! Nobel winner Oliver Hart Rap artist Stormzy Actor Sir Simon Russell Beale Olympian Dame Katherine Grainger Prof Angela Davis Lady Arden of Heswall Sir @johnrutter.bsky.social