June 09, 2017
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
ERC label: scientific excellence supported by Europe
"Supporting top researchers from anywhere in the world" is the slogan adopted by the ERC (European Research Council). In ten years, ERC grants have become an unquestionable label of scientific excellence. Several grant recipients have come from the Institut Pasteur – a total of 47 ERC grants have been awarded to talented Institut Pasteur scientists since 2007. We look back at a system that has won the recognition of the entire scientific community.
- What is the ERC?
The ERC (European Research Council) has now become a label of excellence in European research. Its role is twofold, attracting the best international researchers in Europe and, even more importantly, improving European scientific competitiveness. The ERC works towards "strengthening excellence, passion and creativity in European research," explained David Itier, the Institut Pasteur's European Affairs Coordinator. Launched on February 27, 2007, the ERC has a budget of €13.1b for the period between 2014 and 2020 – a sum that amply reflects its importance in terms of research support.
ERC grants can comprise up to €3m over a five-year period. An ERC statement in December 2016 affirmed that "to date, the ERC has funded almost 7,000 top researchers at various stages of their careers and supported more than 40,000 team members". In addition, "its support has been acknowledged in nearly 100,000 articles published in scientific journals of international repute".
- 47 ERC grants have gone to the Institut Pasteur in the past 10 years
The Institut Pasteur has received a total of 47 grants, of all types, since 2007. "Results obviously vary from one year to the next, but our overall success reflects the Institut Pasteur's scientific excellence," explained David Itier. "In 2015, when the Institut Pasteur created a number of young teams – G5s, or Five-Year Groups–, we obtained four ERC Starting Grants." These Five-Year Groups at the Institut Pasteur have been highly successful in providing opportunities for young, talented scientists to form their own, five-year teams and work independently on their projects. "The funding is allocated to a specific individual; in other words, a grant holder who leaves his or her research institute retains the funding in question. The Institut Pasteur welcomed two ERC grant holders in 2016, in addition to the four grant holders already on board."