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CU hosts impactful National Information Day on ERC grants

On Tuesday, 22 October, Charles University, the Prague Technology Centre, the Czech Academy of Sciences and the European Research Council (ERC) Expert Group for Supporting Applicants in ERC Calls, jointly hosted a National Information Day on ERC Grants.

Presentations at the Hall of Patriots, at the historic Carolinum, provided a detailed and valuable introduction as well as in-depth discussion of the application process. The focus, commitment and other qualities required to clinch support at the highest level were highlighted. The event saw a very high interest and high attendance; the day was organised according to several blocs including a panel discussion.

Discussed at turns, was the overall culture and approach of the scientific community and support structures in Czechia as well as, most importantly, the nature of ERC application itself. The event encouraged scientists with promising research ideas to apply, while understanding that the process is nothing if not involved. Robust applications, it was pointed out, need painstaking preparation with emphasis on a process that cannot be rushed and is integral to the project’s very development ie. in other words, not a formality. Forum magazine attended the event and will have a report in the coming days.

The event on Tuesday brought together scientific leaders from abroad as well as the domestic scene and other institutions who themselves have experience with ERC and funding. Erin Carson, an ERC Starting Grant (StG) recipient from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University (CU), was one of the members of a panel about applying and maximising potential in ERC calls. Carson, a computer scientist and mathematician, received a five-year grant to analyse numerical computations and develop new algorithms for computational systems.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

The European Research Council funds frontier research through ERC grants, which are intended to support cutting-edge research leading to breakthroughs that push the boundaries of knowledge in a given field or contribute new insights to a scientific area. The ERC promotes the development of an original generation of scientists and fosters the growth of new figures in European research.

Text: Forum magazine and CU Communications Department

Photos: Vladimír Šigut

Date: 22 October 2024