Press Release: European Research Council will benefit European scientific excellence

The European Research Council, the first pan-European funding organisation to support frontier research across all fields of science and scholarship is now a reality. The formal act of establishment has been adopted by the European Commission and the first call for proposals, focused on researchers early on in their careers, has been launched, offering nearly €300m of direct grants in 2007. By inviting the most original minds to push the boundaries of current knowledge, the ERC can open the way for new discoveries that can help Europe answer its pressing social, environmental and economic challenges. With a total budget of €7.5 billion over the next 7 years, the ERC will support the best research in Europe. A conference to be held in Berlin on 27 and 28 February 2007 will mark the official inauguration of the ERC.