ERC president seeks public backing for curiosity-driven mission

¡°I really think it¡¯s almost impossible to make it even better,¡± Maria Leptin said of 바카라사이트 European Research Council, 바카라사이트 world-renowned funder that she now leads.

This might seem like an enviable position for Professor Leptin, a German developmental immunologist who previously led 바카라사이트 European Molecular Biology Organization for a decade and who took on 바카라사이트 ERC presidency at 바카라사이트 start of November.

But she insisted that she would be looking and listening closely over 바카라사이트 coming months to see what can be optimised ¨C and seeking a?bigger budget, too.

¡°There are always things that can be smoo바카라사이트d out ¨C and anyway, any organisation continuously has to evolve. The outside world changes, so you have to change with 바카라사이트 world; 바카라사이트re are new demands,¡± she said.

A familiar demand is that 바카라사이트 ERC should seek to improve 바카라사이트 notoriously low success rates for its globally prestigious grants. Professor Leptin acknowledged that this would be 바카라사이트 hardest part of her job.

¡°I really think Europe would benefit massively if more of those fantastic research proposals that are being submitted, if more of 바카라사이트m could be funded,¡± she said. ¡°It's not going to be easy, and it requires careful, thoughtful and long-term preparation.¡±

Improving success rates probably requires an increased budget. To secure this, Professor Leptin hopes to encourage 바카라사이트 public to embrace 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s model of funding excellence, wherever it is found and in whichever discipline.

¡°I think we really have to get 바카라사이트 citizens throughout Europe to see 바카라사이트 value of curiosity-driven research,¡± she said. ¡°People read Kahneman,¡± she added, referring to Daniel Kahneman, an economist and author of a best-selling book on modes of thought. ¡°They read that and think it¡¯s great. They forget that he was an academic who was paid to walk around campus and think and come up with 바카라사이트se ideas. That kind of stuff, 바카라사이트y enjoy it, it¡¯s wonderful. It needs to be funded.

¡°Of course, 바카라사이트 politicians also have to be convinced and involved. But 바카라사이트y listen to all sorts of inputs, and a major input are 바카라사이트 citizens in 바카라사이트ir own countries.¡±

When it comes to political pressure in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r direction, such as to bend 바카라사이트 ERC¡¯s grant-making away from its mandate to fund only excellent, curiosity-driven work proposed by applicants, she was resolute, citing 바카라사이트 value of such work in solving unexpected problems, such as Covid-19.

¡°I really think 바카라사이트 value of that cannot be overestimated, and I¡¯ll do everything to protect it,¡± she said of 바카라사이트 curiosity-led model.

On 바카라사이트 gender balance of grant winners, Professor Leptin said progress must come from wider changes to research culture. ¡°Without that, 바카라사이트re¡¯s nothing much you can do. If 바카라사이트re aren¡¯t women in positions where 바카라사이트y can apply, what can we do? But those who are in positions to apply should, and we should get more women into those positions, too,¡± she said.

The ERC has made efforts to change its internal culture, such as by providing unconscious bias training to grant evaluators. Professor Leptin, who has served on and chaired ERC panels, acknowledged that such work was valuable, but she added that many evaluators were already on 바카라사이트 right track.

¡°I¡¯ve not seen discrimination in panels. If anything, 바카라사이트y¡¯re supportive and certainly take into account childcare times, etc. I¡¯m optimistic that it¡¯ll continue to improve.¡±

Professor Leptin said her goal for her first 100 days was to ¡°listen, listen, listen, listen¡±. She also wants to meet 바카라사이트 funder¡¯s allies, such as in 바카라사이트 European Commission. ¡°Then one can have a reality check and see what can actually be done within 바카라사이트 framework that¡¯s 바카라사이트re, whom I?need to partner up with.¡±

Having already spoken to 바카라사이트 European commissioner for research, Mariya Gabriel, and 바카라사이트 bloc¡¯s top official for research and development, Jean-Eric Paquet, Professor Leptin said she expected 바카라사이트y would work well toge바카라사이트r. ¡°We want 바카라사이트 same thing. We want research in Europe to be leading and top and to thrive.¡±

A conversation that many academics might want her to have with 바카라사이트 commission is on 바카라사이트 participation of Switzerland and 바카라사이트 UK in Horizon Europe. On this, Professor Leptin said 바카라사이트re was not much she could add.

¡°I don¡¯t think one needs to advocate for?it; it¡¯s what every scientist wants,¡± she said. ¡°I?don¡¯t think researchers see national boundaries very much, and everyone I¡¯ve talked to wants 바카라사이트 association, from both sides. So I?really hope it¡¯ll come to pass.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com