Fundamental research is the foundation of any progressive and just society. We therefore support the statement of the AERG (The Association of ERC Grantees), which calls on European leaders to increase the autonomy of the ERC with its own legal and institutional status and to increase the budget to support fundamental research for the benefit of social progress and Europe’s competitiveness.
As decisions are being made about the future of research in the EU and the continuation of the highly successful Horizon Europe programme, it is vital that we safeguard the creative and exploratory nature of academic research.
“True scientific progress often emerges not from rigid agendas, but from the freedom to follow curiosity wherever it may lead. While research can be made more efficient, we must recognise that genuine breakthroughs require space for ideas to develop independently and unexpectedly,” wrote Dr. Mojca Mihelj Plesničar, ERC ambassador in Slovenia.
That is why the European Research Council (ERC) plays such a crucial role. By supporting fundamental, investigator-driven research, the ERC enables the kind of ambitious, high-risk work that drives real innovation. Preserving the ERC’s independence and its ability to fund bottom-up research is essential if Europe is to remain at the forefront of global science and discovery.
As a research community, we must continue to advocate for and actively persuade decision-makers to protect and prioritise scientific freedom and excellence in future EU research policy.
This position, clearly articulated by the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG), reflects a critical point: as a research community, we must continue to advocate for and actively persuade decision-makers to protect and prioritise scientific freedom and excellence in future EU research policy. And as European citizens, we should strive to understand why this matters—not only for science, but for society as a whole—and encourage our political representatives to support a vision of research that is bold, open, and driven by curiosity.
