More Ambassadors for the ERC | Maria Leptin at European Parliament | Science is Wonderful! | Advanced materials report | Science stories

[Henningsen Susanne]

  27 February 2026

	
ERC EC

European Research Council

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      ERC News


        Ambassadors for the ERC network expands

Following a call for expressions of interest launched in early February, 
the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG) has appointed seven new 
Ambassadors for the ERC, bringing the network to 37 researchers across 
Europe.

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/924996/en/2869>


        New report: Frontier science behind Europe’s next-generation
        advanced materials

The ERC has invested €2.37 billion in bottom-up frontier research on 
advanced materials between 2014 and 2023 – an area crucial to Europe’s 
industrial competitiveness and transition to greener and digital 
futures. ERC Vice-President Nicola Spaldin commented that the ERC 
supports “unrestricted, curiosity-driven frontier research whose 
technological impact may only become apparent in future generations.”

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/924997/en/2869>


      ERC President News


        Maria Leptin spoke at European Parliament hearing

Listen to the recording of the hearing at the European Parliament’s ITRE 
Committee on 26 February, where the ERC President spoke up for frontier 
research in the context of the debate on the next EU framework programme 
for R&I (starting at 9’32’30).

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/925037/en/2869>


      ERC Events


        18-20 March | ERC grantees at Science is Wonderful!

Five ERC grantees will participate in this year’s edition of ‘Science is 
Wonderful!`. This annual science fair, organised in Brussels by the 
European Commission, brings cutting-edge research to primary and 
secondary schools pupils.

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/924998/en/2869>


      Science Stories


        How plants defend themselves

For decades, plant antiviral defence was thought to rely on a single RNA 
interference system. Peter Brodersen’s research shows two layers 
instead: a silent, near-perfect defence, and a costly emergency response 
when it fails. Together, these layers may reflect a fundamental 
principle of life.

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/924999/en/2869>


        Iron Age massacre targeted women and children, new research reveals

New research has shown that women and children were deliberately 
targeted in one of the largest prehistoric mass killings discovered in 
Europe.

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/925000/en/2869>


        Cracking bacteria’s defences

Antibiotic resistance is rising faster than science can respond – 
claiming over 700 000 lives each year and threatening to reach 10 
million by 2050. Robert Vácha is taking the fight to the molecular 
level, using peptides, tiny natural molecules, to puncture bacteria’s 
defences and outsmart even the toughest pathogens.

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/925001/en/2869>


        Neuroscience study examines obedience and resistance in genocide

Why do some people obey destructive orders while others resist, even at 
great personal risk? A new neuroscientific study of survivors of the 
1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda offers striking insights.

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/925017/en/2869>


      Other


        FRONTIERS call for science journalists

An initiative funded by the ERC invites science journalists worldwide to 
apply for immersive residencies at European research institutions. 
Lasting between three and five months, this offers an opportunity to 
explore frontier research across diverse disciplines, including the 
social sciences and humanities.

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/925002/en/2869>


      ERC Calls


        Proof of Concept Grants

Deadlines: 17 March 2026, 17 September 2026

more <https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/erc/redirection/item/925003/en/2869>

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