• Posted 09-Nov-2020

ERC ANNOUNCES 34 NEW SYNERGY GRANTS

Thirty-four research groups will receive EUR 350 million in total to address some of the world’s most formidable research problems spanning multiple scientific disciplines. More than 440 proposals were submitted in this Synergy Grant call, making it one of the most competitive in ERC history. The funding helps groups of two to four outstanding researchers bring together complementary skills, knowledge and resources in one ambitious project.

The research selected for funding covers a wide range of scientific domains. One group based in Germany, France and USA aims to uncover the mysteries our brain’s immune system. Another group working from Ireland, Portugal and the UK will investigate the unknown past of human interactions with the oceans. And the goal of four scientists in Poland, France and Chile is to elucidate the fundamental questions about the Universe by improving how we measure astronomic distances.

The 34 projects involve 116 researchers who will carry out their projects at 86 universities and research centres in 22 countries across Europe and beyond. The most common locations are Germany (involved in 18 projects), France (13) and the UK (8). Ten research groups will include one researcher working in the USA, Canada, Chile, Japan or Australia.

The grants, each worth around 10 million euro, will help create some 1,000 jobs for postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and other staff in the grantees' research teams.

List of all selected proposals.

Source: European Research Council News (https://bit.ly/3pdmvCz)