Danish Initiative Coming to Fruition: DKK 56 billion on its Way to Europe's Most Excellent Researchers

The European Research Council will be established at a high-profile conference in Berlin during the next few days, 27-28 February, where the German EU Presidency is represented by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan.

This completes the initiative launched by Helge Sander, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, during the Danish EU Presidency in 2002. Helge Sander appointed a working group to identify the need for a European research council, chaired by Unesco's former Director General Federico Mayor and vice-chaired by Professor Mogens Flensted-Jensen, University of Copenhagen.

– The establishment of the European Research Council is a historic event for European research and a tangible recognition of top-level research in Europe. In the new EU framework programme for research we have allocated DKK 56 billion for distribution via the European Research Council. This shows a common wish to support the elite that we have a very strong interest in retaining within European research environments, says Helge Sander.

The European Research Council consists of 22 distinguished scientists from all over Europe, among them Jens Rostrup-Nielsen, Director R and D Division, Haldor Topsoe A/S, who is the corporate sector's only member of the Council.

For evaluating projects, the European Research Council has set up 20 peer review panels, two of which are chaired by distinguished Danish woman scientists. These are Gretty M. Mirdal, Research Professor, and Katherine Richardson Christensen, Vice Dean, both from the University of Copenhagen.

Just now the European Research Council is inviting applications for grants for young researchers, and next autumn experienced researchers will be able to apply for grants. The Council has emphasised that these grants will be awarded to frontier research, for new and very advanced projects being at the very top in terms of quality.