In the past, EU Framework Programs have focused more on research that aimed directly at improving European industrial competitiveness than on investigator-driven basic research.
However, in December 2003, "The European Research Council Expert Group" (ERCEG) officially stated the "need for excellence in basic research" on a European level. In its report, the ERCEG also called for a strengthening of the European Research Area (ERA) by establishing a European Research Council (ERC).
Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for Science, announced in July 2005 the 22 members who would make up the ERC's Scientific Council that is responsible for establishing the ERC's scientific strategy and, eventually, for its implementation.
In the following interview, Prof. Helga Nowotny, vice-chair of the ERC's Scientific Council, talks with bridges about how the ERC will be embedded in the European scientific landscape, the ERC's funding, and the target groups ERC is going to address.
Access to
the full article is free, but requires you to register. Registration is
simple and quick – all we need is your name and a valid e-mail address.
We appreciate your interest in bridges.
