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The ERC and the


        IEF


        C IN BR  FNRS in figures







        ER  THE RESULTS OF THE ERC SINCE ITS CREATION                              By Scientific field  1 2
            11,654
                                        By instrument
                                                                    Starting
            ERC projects granted                                    4,955          5000
            in EU member                   3,078                    Grant                                                          Measuring the impact
            countries and in            Advanced                                   4000
                                           Grant
            countries associated                                                   3000
            with the framework             2,266                      96           2000
                                                                      Synergy
            programmes since          Consolidator                    Grant        1000
            2007                           Grant                                                                                     he qualitative assessment that the
                                                                                     0                                               ERC has conducted on a sample of  Contributing to              Contributing to the
                                                                                         PE     LS     SH                       Tprojects launched under the 7th   the training of a                world of tomorrow
                                                            1,230                                                                framework programme (2007-2013) and
                                                            Proof of Concept                                                     the results of which were published in   new generation of         ERC projects have resulted in more than
                                                                                                                                 September 2020 , concluded that:  researchers                      800 applications for patents and are at
                                                                                                                                             1
                                                                                                                                                                                                    the origin of 100 new companies.
                                                                                                                                 -  almost one-fifth of the projects ended   Overall, more than 75,000 researchers
            IN THE WALLONIA-BRUSSELS FEDERATION                                                                                  in a scientific breakthrough,    and professionals, most of them doctoral   For example, in the Wallonia-Brussels
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Federation, Christophe Caucheteur
                                                                                                                                                                  students or post-doctorate graduates,
            113                         Par instrument                66           By Scientific field  1 2                      -  three-fifths ended in a major   have been funded thanks to the ERC.  (UMONS), FNRS Senior Research
                                                                                                                                 scientific advance,
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Associate, is one of the co-founders
                                                 19                   Starting                                                                                    In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the   of the UMONS spin-off, B-sens, a
            ERC projects obtained          Advanced                   Grant                                                      -  one-fifth of the projects did not   113 ERC projects (for 101 grantees) have   company whose expertise resides in the
                                                                                                                                 have the success hoped initially or
            by 101 researchers                Grant                                 50                                           have not really led to a significant   also enabled their promoters to expand   development of optical fibre sensors for
            from the WBF.                                                           40                                           scientific contribution.         their teams.                      the prevention of “industrial” risks (see
                                                                                    30                                           Although it is not one of the ERC’s   The Europe of                page 18).
                                              24                                    20                                           selection criteria, it’s a fact that almost   publications
                                                                                                                                 half of the projects have already had
                                       Consolidator                                 10                                           an impact on the economy, society and
                                            Grant               4                                                                the development of policies and the   150,000 articles have been published in
                                                                Proof of Concept     0   PE     LS     SH                        ERC forecasts that this is the case for   scientific journals following discoveries
                                                                                                                                 approximately two-thirds of medium-  made possible by ERC funding, including
                                                                                                                                 term and long-term projects.     more than 6,100 articles in the most
                                                                                                                                                                  quoted scientific publications. In 2014,
            AT THE FNRS                                                                                                          The results also indicate that there is a   Europe overtook the United States for   Almost half of the
                                                                                                                                 positive correlation between the overall   the first time in this regard; clearly the   projects have already
            84                        Advanced Grant               51              By Scientific field  1 2                      score of the project and the degree of   recipients of ERC grants have contributed   had an impact on the
                                        By instrument
                                                                                                                                 interdisciplinarity involved, and that the
                                                                                                                                                                  towards this achievement.
                                                                                                                                 most interdisciplinary projects have led to
                                                                                                                                                                                                       economy, on society
                                                12
            ERC projects obtained by
         - FNRS.NEWS 121 - FEBRUARY 2021  or are still FNRS trustees.  Consolidator   3 Proof of Concept   25 5 0  PE  LS  SH    that more than 90% of the projects met   16 agencies in 12 non-European countries   policies and the ERC can    - FNRS.NEWS 121 - FEBRUARY 2021
                                                                                                                                 significant advances and breakthroughs.
                                                                                    35
                                                                                                                                                                  International strategy
                                                                                                                                                                                                       and the development of
                                                                   Starting
            researchers who have been
                                                                                    30
                                                                                                                                 Qualitative evaluation has also concluded
                                                                   Grant
                                                                                                                                                                                                       see that this is the case
                                                                                    20
                                                                                                                                                                  have signed international agreements
                                                                                                                                 the criterion for “high risk, high gain”.
                                                                                                                                                                  with the Commission in order to enable
                                                                                    15
                                                                                                                                                                                                       for around two-thirds of
                                                                                                                                 The results suggest that the funding of
                                               18
                                                                                                                                                                  their researchers to conduct short
                                                                                                                                 projects that meet this criterion and that
                                                                                    10
            47
                                                                                                                                                                                                       medium-term and long-
                                                                                                                                                                  visits in the context of ERC projects and
                                                                                                                                 have an important scientific impact have
                                            Grant
                                                                                                                                                                                                       term projects.”
                                                                                                                                                                  180 researchers – most of whom are
                                                                                                                                 contributed to very successful projects
            ERC projects obtained by
                                                                                                                                                                  European – have relocated in Europe
                                                                                                                                 and the development of innovative ideas
            researchers during their FNRS
                                                                                                                                                                  thanks to a grant from the ERC.
                                                                                                                                 in emerging fields.
            1.  PE = Physical Sciences and Engineering; LS = Life Sciences; SH = Social Sciences and Humanities.
      10    mandate.                                                                                                             1.   European Research Council, “Qualitative Evaluation of completed Projects funded by the European Research Council 2019”, September 2020.  11
            2. As Synergy Grants and Proofs of Concept are not classified by scientific field, they do not appear here.
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