UU researchers get four ERC grants

There were about 3,121 applications this year – a whopping 35 per cent more than last year. Although the ERC allocated an additional 50 million euros for grants this year, the proportion of applicants receiving a grant has actually diminished. Only 11.2 per cent of applicants (349 researchers) were successful, compared to 14.2 per cent last year. 

In total, the ERC distributed 728 million euros among 25 EU countries and countries that contribute to the Horizon Europe research programme. The United Kingdom is the frontrunner with 65 grants, followed by Germany with 58. The Netherlands is in third place with 40 grants. Around 38 per cent of the grant winners are women.

Four UU scientists received the grant. Lennart de Groot, from Geosciences, aims to develop an innovative nano-magnetic technique, while Riccardo Levato, from Veterinary Medicine and UMC Utrecht, is developing a lab version of the human pancreas. Meanwhile, Borja Martinovic, from Social Sciences, is investigating the relationships between ethnic minorities in Western Europe, and Robert de Vries, from the Faculty of Science, is investigating the interactions between influenza A viruses, the pathogen that causes bird flu, and receptors.

The ERC also awards starting grants (maximum 1.5 million euros) and advanced grants (2.5 million). These amounts are higher than the comparable Veni, Vidi and Vici grants from the talent programme of the Dutch research funder NWO.

Consolidator Grants 2025