Born to be in Brussels

摘要

Whatever happens over the next few months in budget negotiations for the European Unions Seventh Framework Programme for research, there now seems to be widespread political acceptance that the European Research Council (ERC) should be established as a funding body for the continent's researchers in the sciences and humanities. The most visible step so far in the creation of the ERC occurred last week when the 22 members of its scientific board were named (see www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2005/prl807en.cfm). The European Commissions selection committee for the board did a good job, combining strong scientific credibility with a reasonable geographical balance. The commission now needs to build on this success in its creation of a well-crafted agency.