ERC publications

Annual Report on the ERC activities and achievements in 2023 Prepared under the authority of the ERC Scientific Council

A new report published by the ERC highlights findings from an analysis of 1,048 ERC-funded projects. The supported research encompasses a wide range of activities, including the development of AI technology and systems, their application in various domains, and research into their societal impacts.

Since its establishment nearly twenty years ago, the European Research Council (ERC) has supported diverse scientific research. Has it effectively fostered excellence and established itself in European research? Since 2015, annual evaluations assess the impact of ERC-funded projects under FP7 (2007-2013), providing insights into scientific progress and future research trajectories.

This report presents ERC-funded research projects that examine a wide variety of aspects linked to democracy. It explores the multifaceted challenges confronting democratic systems while also illuminating the enduring resilience of democratic principles and civic engagement. The projects presented in this report were identified by keyword searches on all Horizon 2020 (2014 – 2020) and Horizon Europe (2021 – 2027) ERC-funded projects. As the list was broad, the resulting pool was refined, retaining 215 projects. The projects were divided into clusters to present these in a thematic manner, and some are highlighted in this report. The criteria for this selection were, first, how advanced the project was and whether it had produced research outputs that could be highlighted. Second, we aimed for variety, showcasing the plurality of topics covered.

The European Research Council (ERC) is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It has been a key component of the EU’s funding programmes for research and innovation since it was set up in 2007. It gives its grantees the freedom to develop ambitious research projects that can lead to advances at the frontiers of knowledge and set a clear and inspirational target for frontier research across Europe. The ERC funds a rich and diverse portfolio of projects in all fields of science, selected without any predefined academic or policy priorities. These projects can have an impact well beyond science and provide frontier knowledge and innovation to help solve societal challenges and inform EU policy objectives. This report gives an overview of curiosity-driven research on biodiversity funded by the ERC and highlights connections with EU policies for the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.

This report highlights how ERC funded researchers are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their scientific processes, and how they see its potential impact by 2030. It summarises the findings of a foresight survey conducted among ERC grantees, which focused on their present use of AI and their views on future developments by 2030, potential opportunities and risks, and future impact of generative AI in science.

This report outlines the rich diversity of ERC funded projects which are in various ways relevant for the pathways identified in the EU’s Food 2030 research and innovation policy, either through the advancement of our understanding of the underlying causes of the sustainability challenges at hand and/or by proposing concrete solutions for overcoming these, as indicated by many of the examples described above. ERC bottom-up, frontier research is thus instrumental for ensuring that we have cutting edge solutions to the pressing issues that society faces but also for strengthening the science-policy interface by providing a solid evidence basis in the form of new knowledge, concepts, data and methodologies.

In 2022, the ERC continued to support precursor daring ideas, projects, and researchers, regardless of their origin. Its focus on excellence and independence is enabling Europe to identify and invest in the best research that leads to scientific breakthroughs linking creativity with the world’s most pressing challenges that required knowledge-based approaches.

From Master degree to advanced stages of career, the European Union funds outstanding students and researchers from all over the world to develop their potential in Europe. Discover the opportunities available under the EU programmes Erasmus+, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the European Research Council and how to apply.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the projects relevant for the selected areas of EU4Health. The projects were funded under the Starting Grant (StG), Consolidator Grant (CoG), Advanced Grant (AdG) and Synergy Grant (SyG) schemes launched in the H2020 Framework Programme (2014–2020)