ERC Synergy grant boosts global scientific collaboration

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the results of its latest Synergy Grant competition, awarding €684 million to 66 international research teams

These collaborations, involving 239 scientists, will tackle some of the world’s most complex scientific challenges across disciplines ranging from genetics and physics to social science and environmental studies.

The Synergy Grants, part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, are designed to bring together the top researchers from different fields. By combining expertise, ideas and resources, the funded teams aim to push the boundaries of scientific discovery and deliver transformative insights.

Global science without borders

An unprecedented level of international participation has marked this year’s Synergy Grant. Twenty-eight of the 66 winning teams include at least one researcher based outside Europe, with participants from the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa and Singapore. The strong global representation highlights Europe’s growing role as a hub for international scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange.

The international nature of these teams shows a bigger trend in frontier research: complex problems increasingly require expertise that transcends national and disciplinary boundaries. Through this global collaboration, European researchers gain access to world-class facilities and talent, while partners from around the world deepen their engagement with Europe’s thriving research landscape.

The selected projects cover a wide range of topics. One team will explore how variations in the genetic code of microscopic organisms could inspire innovative treatments for inherited diseases. Another will investigate the first microseconds after the Big Bang to understand the origins of the Universe.

Other research groups will focus on more human-centred issues, such as modelling crowd behaviour by combining insights from the physical and social sciences, or studying how mountain communities in East Africa adapt to the twin pressures of environmental change and social transformation. These projects demonstrate how scientific collaboration can address both fundamental and applied research questions that have a global impact on societies.

Competition and strong European participation

The ERC received 712 proposals in this Synergy Grant call, with only around 10% selected for funding, which shows the programme’s competitiveness and the high calibre of applications. Each successful project will receive on average €10.3 million, enabling teams to pursue ambitious, long-term goals.

Institutions will host the winning projects in 26 countries across Europe and beyond. Germany leads with 28 projects, followed closely by the United Kingdom and France, with 24 and 21 projects, respectively. The United States also features prominently, hosting 21 participating researchers.

Smaller research communities are also making their mark. Six funded projects involve principal investigators based in countries that have so far hosted relatively few ERC grants, including the Czech Republic, Portugal, Cyprus, Estonia and Hungary. Women make up around a quarter of the scientists involved in the funded teams.

European research

Established in 2007, the ERC is the EU’s premier funding body for frontier research, supporting scientists at all career stages through Starting, Consolidator, Advanced and Synergy Grants. With a total budget exceeding €16 billion under Horizon Europe, the ERC continues to strengthen Europe’s position as a global leader in scientific innovation.

The latest round of Synergy Grants creates one clear message: the future of science lies in collaboration. By bringing together top minds from across continents, the ERC is helping to unlock discoveries that no single researcher or institution could achieve alone.