The Scientific Council of the European Research Council

Message from the Chairman

With the creation of a European Research Council (ERC), the European Union is taking a major step towards the realisation of a European Research Area by supporting scientific research in Europe.

The ERC will be the first pan-European funding agency for frontier research. Early stage as well as fully established investigators from across Europe will be able to compete for ERC grants with scientific excellence as the sole criterion for funding.

The Scientific Council will direct the ERC’s scientific operations and ensure that its support is in accordance with the highest standards of science and scholarship.

We intend to establish the ERC as a truly outstanding research funding agency. We aim to attract the very best researchers at all stages of their careers, starting with those who are embarking on their independent careers. Our aspiration is that the ERC will make a vital contribution to European science by offering talented individuals the resources and visibility to develop their creativity and reach their full potential.

In pursuit of these goals, we have already begun an intensive programme of work to ready the ERC for operation as soon as the European Parliament and Council of Ministers adopt their decision on the 7th Framework Programme. We hope to launch a first call for proposals, targeting early stage independent investigators, with a deadline in early 2007.

Prof. Fotis C. Kafatos