An independent study on the impact of European Research Council (ERC) projects in frontier research in 2016 and 2017 has shown that a whopping 79% had a major impact of some sort, with 19% leading to a breakthrough, and 60% to a major scientific advance. Only 1% of projects were observed to have had no appreciable scientific contribution. The finding was celebrated by ERC President Jean-Pierre Bourguignon who praised the ERC’s management ‘by scientists, for scientists’. Read the full press release.

The publishing of the study coincided with the ERC-STOA event held on 31 May in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. MEPs and other high-level decision-makers, including Commissioner Moedas, discussed the benefits and future of the ERC with a number of scientists and ERC grantees. Nobel prize winner, ERC grantee, and chemist Jean-Marie Lehn gave an opening speech in which he observed that together they were ‘’making science in Europe great again’’.

Meanwhile, seven experts have been appointed by Commissioner Moedas to find the next president of the ERC who will start on the new job on 1 January 2020.