ERC awards €619 million to first research Starting Grants under Horizon Europe

Four grants are also heading to Czech research institutions.

Following the first call for proposals under the ERC Starting Grants within Horizon Europe, €619 million will be invested into 397 projects. The selected proposals cover all disciplines of research, from the medical applications of artificial intelligence, to the science of controlling matter by using light, to designing a legal regime for fair influencer marketing. Female researchers were awarded some 43% of grants (the highest share to date), as opposed to last years’ 37%.

The laureates of the Starting Grant competition proposed to carry out their projects at universities and research centres in 22 EU and associated countries, mostly in Germany (72 projects), France (53), the UK (46) and the Netherlands (44). There are nationals of 45 countries among the winners of this call, notably Germans (67 researchers), Italians (58), French (44) and Dutch (27). Thirteen researchers who were previously based in the US will move to Europe as a result of this funding. This call for proposals attracted over 4,000 proposals, which were reviewed by panels of researchers from around the world. The grants will create more than 2,000 jobs.

Four Starting Grants are also heading to the Czech Republic to Charles University, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Visit the ERC website for more information.