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The European Research Council (ERC) has selected 436 early-career scientists and scholars from 40 nationalities across Europe to build their own teams and conduct pioneering research across all disciplines. The grants are part of the EU’s Research and Innovation programme, Horizon 2020. The total funding is 677 million Euros to unravel scientific mysteries.
One of the winners of an ERC Starting Grant is future MPI-CBG research group leader Jonathan Rodenfels, who will begin his research here in Dresden in the upcoming weeks. Jonathan receives the grant for his project "Energetics of Biological Systems (EnBioSys)." In their project, the Rodenfels group will develop non-invasive approaches to quantitatively measure the heat exchanged between biological systems and their environment. The team aims to use and expand these approaches to generate quantitative thermodynamic data needed to understand how cells and organisms use energy to stay alive, grow, and develop. The Rodenfels group will receive 1.9 million Euros from the ERC over a period of five years. At the MPI-CBG, Jonathan’s research group will focus on understanding how energetics shape the behaviour of biological systems.
Congratulations, Jonathan!
Amongst the winners, 20 researchers are moving to Europe from further afield thanks to the funding. The new grantees will be based in 25 countries across Europe, with Germany (88 grants), the UK (62), the Netherlands (42) and France (38) as top locations. Some 13% of applications were selected for funding in this round. The European Research Council, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premiere European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. Every year, it selects and funds the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based in Europe. To date, the ERC has funded over 9,500 top researchers at various stages of their careers, and over 50,000 postdoctoral fellows, PhD students and other staff working in their research teams.
Press Release of the European Research Council on ERC Starting Grants