European Research Council (ERC)

"The proposed cuts to the next Horizon Europe FP10 budget send the wrong signal. To be world leaders in science, compete in emerging technologies and strengthen our economic and technological resilience, we must invest in science now. It’s not too late to change course!" Maria Leptin, ERC President

🎢 We are seeing a record 7710 proposals – a 60.4% increase since 2026 – for ERC Starting Grants in 2027. ⚛️ Physical Sciences & Engineering proposals are most numerous (43%), followed by Social Sciences & Humanities (29%), and Life Sciences (28%). 🔗 link.europa.eu/d3J8Jw 🧪 #AcademicSky

Berlin, February 2007: the ERC’s early days. On World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, revisit our history as we approach the ERC's 20th anniversary. 👇 You can also explore our archive (and follow new stories!) on ERC YouTube: @europeanresearchcouncil 🎥 #AudiovisualHeritage ec.europa.eu

Servus! 🇦🇹 On Austrian National Day let's celebrate >630 ERC-funded research projects hosted at 63 Austrian institutions! A major contribution to European science... ... and to a more inclusive society, as showcased by one researcher - @katta.bsky.social - based there. 🔗 link.europa.eu/rhQ6Fc

Fruitful visit to Madrid 🇪🇸 Thank you for your support for frontier science, State Secretary Cruz Cigudosa, and to our host, @ageinves.bsky.social! Spanish scientists inspired the room and ERC President Maria Leptin denounced the proposed EU budget cuts. 🎥 Playback: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcjp...

Fresh perspective on how children make sense of the social world. Very young children do not recognise character traits but focus on patterns of interaction. Research result from Gergely Csibra and his team @weareceu.bsky.social. More details 👉 buff.ly/G9SPdnr

📍Researchers in Australia & New Zealand — this one’s for you! Join the EURAXESS ANZ + European Research Council webinar on funding opportunities with the ERC. 📆 4 Nov 2026 🕓 6.00 p.m. AEDT | 8.00 p.m. NZDT 💻 Online | in English 🔗 link.europa.eu/r6jXkw

🎬 It's #OpenAccessWeek and we're taking you behind the scenes! We're filming a brand new #ERCclasses video on open access and what it means for ERC-funded researchers. 🎥 📺 Coming soon! Subscribe to the ERC's YouTube channel and you won't miss it 👉 buff.ly/44lVP38

Live from Athens 🇬🇷 🇪🇺 Join via Zoom - the right link: us06web.zoom.us/j/8725584639... “Strengthening Greece's Participation in the ERC”

📊 There are 19 000+ ERC-funded projects. What do the numbers reveal? On #EuropeanStatisticsDay, explore and analyse the data behind frontier research, using the ERC Dashboard. 🔎 Discover trends, compare countries and more! 🎥 Watch our tutorial 👇 and then get started 👉 link.europa.eu/6TgQCp

Today 🇬🇷🇪🇺 Maria Leptin is in Athens to meet the scientific community and politicians - her first EL visit as ERC President. ⏰ 20/10 8.50 CEST (9.50 Athens time) Event on “Strengthening Greece’s ERC participation" Programme praxinetwork.gr/el/doclib/Ho... 🎥Join via Zoom us06web.zoom.us/j/8893164710

If you’re a researcher looking for your next opportunity, why not come and join us at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre? We have positions open across Europe: recruitment.jrc.ec.europa.eu/vacancies

🔮 What will shape biotech by 2030? ERC grantees point to AI-powered data mining in the life sciences as the technology most likely to transform the field. 🧬🤖 What else is on the horizon? 🔗 buff.ly/P9O8ecz #Biotechnology #FrontierResearch @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu

Many families sit down together to a big meal at weekends. Did you know that eating with loved ones is good for you? @shiratzil.bsky.social investigates a biological theory of social relations, and found that in these circumstances, blood glucose lowers afterwards. 🔗 buff.ly/tTHcEYA

🌍 How can science drive food innovation? On #WorldFoodDay, hear from Carlos Gonçalo das Neves, Chief Scientist at @efsa.europa.eu, on how the best science connects the dots to further #FoodInnovation.🌽 @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu @cgdasneves.bsky.social

There is no single pathway to ERC readiness. Mentoring, Visiting Fellowships, national and institutional support – see what different approaches look like in practice during our webinar on 23 October. 🔗 link.europa.eu/xy4JG7

How does the ear detect and amplify sound? @fgiano.bsky.social’s love of the violin sparked his interest in the physics of hearing. 🏳️‍🌈 As a queer scientist, he advocates for an academic world where everyone can be themselves. The 3rd story from our Talking Pride series: 🔗 link.europa.eu/hPDHbY

🎥 Watch live from Madrid: discussion on next EU R&I programme FP10. 📅 14 Oct 17:00 Tune in! m.youtube.com/watch?v=FcjpAI… Speakers include: ERC President M. Leptin, Secretary General at Science Ministry Teresa Riesgo, former ERC Secretary General Andreu Mas-Colell, ERC grantees and many more.

Planning to apply for an ERC Consolidator Grant? Don't miss the special webinar on 30th October at 10:00 CET. Registration 🔗 bit.ly/47wDTtc. It's organised by the ERC's network of National Contact Points (NCPs). More about #mERCury 👉 mercuryncp.eu/ #ERCCoG #research #grant #funding #AcademicSky

Congratulations!

How do songbirds navigate thousands of kms? The answer may lie in their eyes.🐦 ERC grantees found evidence supporting the idea that birds use a quantum compass to sense Earth's magnetic field. Could this inspire new navigation technologies? 🤔 👉 buff.ly/iTDHIWS World Migratory Bird Day #WMBD

Are you attending #AIS26? Catch up with the ERC's Andre Schirotzek at these 2 sessions in UCD's O'Reilly Hall 👇 15/10 @ 16:00 Panel discussion 'Keeping Trust in AI Enabled Science - Use of AI in Evaluation and Submission of Proposals' 16/10 @ 10.30 Info session on the ERC #AIinScience

The 2026 Nobel Prize laureates in physiology or medicine have laid the foundation of a new era in neuroscience.

🍂 As autumn arrives and flu season approaches, vaccines need to stay protected from the moment they are made to the moment they are used. Vincenzo Cerullo of @helsinki.fi developed a wood-based coating that keeps vaccines stable for months at temperatures up to 40°C. 🔗 buff.ly/TqmicTX

Mario Cairon and his team @iitalk.bsky.social is developing edible electronics using food materials and non-toxic components, to explore new approaches for health monitoring & food safety. 👉 link.europa.eu/wHfXRK More @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu biotechnology innovation 👉 link.europa.eu/K9WKwT

🧬 Mina Gouti her team @mdc-berlin.bsky.social developed self-organising human neuromuscular organoids that recreate interactions between motor neurons and muscle cells. This could help researchers better understand diseases such as #ALS 💙 & #SMA, and their potential treatments. 👉 buff.ly/Govc3Zk

Could yeast change the future of food colours? Irina Borodina @dtu.dk uses engineered yeast to produce natural colours through fermentation 🔗 link.europa.eu/xVVmfX A glimpse of how ERC frontier research can unlock new biotech applications 🔗 link.europa.eu/HYdf9m #Biotechnology #FoodInnovation

Congratulations!

🪐 A planet that may have been born from the ashes of its own star. Boris Gansicke and team @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social identified the first candidate for a second-generation planet around a white dwarf. 🔗 link.europa.eu/CVtnjg 🖼️ ©Snehalata Sahu (artist's impression) 🔭 #astronomy #astrophysics

Congratulations!

🔬 From discovery to impact. How does frontier biotechnology research move towards innovation and application? A new ERC analysis explores the journey - and what it takes along the way. 🔗 link.europa.eu/HYdf9m #biotechnology #innovation @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu

“Call me back. l’ve something important for you.” Recognising the Sweden country code after his sailing there, Peter Hegemann had news from Nobel today. Hear him talk about the value of curiosity about what nature has to offer and give advice to young talent. 🎧 www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medic...

🏅Peter Hegemann shared the 2026 Medicine Nobel Prize for his breakthroughs that paved the way for optogenetics, which enables controlling the activity of cells with light. He has won ERC funding over 9 years. Find out more: erc.europa.eu/news-events/... 🇪🇺

🏅Congratulations to all the new Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine! The European Research Council has supported Prof. Peter Hegemann with two substantial grants since 2016. #EUfunded 🇪🇺

📢 We've opened registrations for the European Research and Innovation Days 2026! We'll talk funding, AI and more with those who are driving change in the EU. Whether in Brussels or online, we're waiting for you on 10–11 November: link.europa.eu/b9PxJG #RiDaysEU @ec.europa.eu @erc.europa.eu

🚨 ERC grantees: want to share your research with schoolchildren? Apply for #ScienceIsWonderful 2027 by 🗓️ 15 October We can’t wait to discover your crazy, bold & engaging ideas! Apply 👉 link.europa.eu/tYtFX6 [Q3 has been tweaked: you can now submit a short description and/or a video link!]

Today’s discoveries can become tomorrow’s possibilities. In a new ERC report, Dirk Inzé and Geneviève Almouzni reflect on how curiosity-driven research in #biotechnology can open new avenues towards innovation. 🔗 link.europa.eu/HYdf9m #EUBiotech #BiotechAct @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu 🧪

Preparing for an ERC grant is about more than writing a strong proposal. How can mentoring, visiting fellowships and national & institutional support help? Especially those researchers in countries with fewer ERC grants? Tune in on 23 October to find out! Explore the programme: buff.ly/In6Kaho

Where is biotechnology heading? A new report explores ERC frontier research in biotechnology and asks researchers what could shape the field by 2030 - from CRISPR-Cas to AI-enabled life-science research. 🔗 link.europa.eu/BxhjD4 #EUBiotech @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu