LMU again among the most successful competitors: ERC grants

The results for the fifth year of the European Research Council's funding programs show that LMU was again among the most successful competitors. Ten LMU researchers were awarded prestigious ERC grants, each worth around 2 million euros. Six of them received Advanced Investigator Grants and Starting Grants went to four others. The total amount of ERC funding acquired by applicants from LMU last year was approximately 19.5 million euros.

LMU thus remains the most successful of the German participants in this highly competitive field, in terms of the numbers of both Starting Grants and Advanced Grants won, and has consolidated its position among the top ten research institutions in Europe. Since the first round of the support schemes in 2007, 33 proposals submitted by LMU researchers have been selected for funding by the ERC.

ERC Grants are designed to enable outstanding researchers to undertake innovative and daring projects which, if successful, promise to yield ground-breaking insights. Already established researchers can apply for Advanced Investigator Grants worth up to 3.5 million euros. Starting Grants, valued at up to 2 million euros, are intended for top researchers with 2 to 7 years of postdoctoral experience. In 2012, the fifth year of its existence, the ERC provided a total of some 680 million euros to fund 302 Advanced Grants to applicants throughout Europe, while a sum of 800 million euros was made available for 536 Starting Grants. göd

The following LMU researchers received funding from the ERC in the context of its fifth call for applications:

Advanced Grants:
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Beck (Emeritus), Faculty of Social Sciences
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bein, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
Prof. Dr. Christian Haass, Faculty of Medicine
Prof. Dr. Karl-Peter Hopfner, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
Prof. Dr. Berthold Koletzko, Faculty of Medicine
Prof. Dr. Dieter Lüst, Faculty of Physics

Starting Grants:
Prof. Dr. Mario Halic, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
Prof. Dr. Martin Kerschensteiner, Faculty of Medicine
Dr. Yan Lavallée, Faculty of Geosciences (now at Liverpool University)
Prof. Dr. Lode Pollet, Faculty of Physics