The new president of the European Research Council (ERC) Maria Leptin wants to see the budget doubled to increase its ability to fund excellent science and says the agency must remain independent, setting its own direction without pressure from policymakers who want to see an increased focus on climate and digital technologies.
In pushing for more money for basic research, Maria Leptin can be seen to be picking up the mantle of her predecessors who have called on the EU to boost its budget to meet the demand for fundamental science grants. But the message has been falling on deaf ears, with member states refusing to allocate significant increases for the EU’s science budget.
Currently, the ERC has only enough money to fund around 12% of ERC applicants. Leptin argues at least another 10% of applications are as good as the winners. Turning down half of excellent proposals each time is painful, she said.
The ERC’s brief is to fund basic research in any field, judging only the excellence of the proposal. It’s been running since 2007 and likes to boast it has awarded grants to nine Nobel prize winners. For the next seven years, the agency has €16 billion to deliver on its mission.
