European Research Council recognizes scientists working in Portugal

2014 turned out to be the best year ever for Portugal in the European Research Council Calls , with 15 researchers securing overall funding of 26 million euros. 6 Starting Grants (initial level) and 9 Consolidator Grants (intermediate level) were awarded.

Henrique Veiga Fernandes, Bruno Silva Santos and João Barata, all from the Institute of Molecular Medicine, Cristina Silva Pereira from the Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology, Luís Moita, from the Gulbenkian Institute of Science, Vítor Cardoso, from the Higher Technical Institute of the University of Lisbon, Margarida Calafate Ribeiro and Helena Machado, both from the Center for Social Studies, and Isabel Ferreira, from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the New University of Lisbon, are the winners of the Consolidator Grants, awarded to top researchers with between 7 and 12 years' experience after their PhD. Each researcher will receive between 1.5 and 2.3 million euros over a period of five years.

Megan Carey, from the Champalimaud Foundation, Ana Carvalho and Nuno Alves, both from the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Raquel Oliveira, from the Gulbenkian Institute of Science and Ana Cecília Roque and Luís Pereira, from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the New University of Lisbon, will receive funding of around 1.5 million euros each for their Starting Grants.

Researchers in Portugal have been applying for highly competitive funding from the European Research Council since 2007, securing 49 grants: 2 in 2007; 1 in 2008; 4 in 2009, 7 in 2010; 2 in 2011; 9 in 2012 and 2013 and 15 in 2014.

Funding from the European Research Council recognizes the international excellence of projects. The results achieved by researchers show the growing quality, maturity and competitiveness of research teams and institutions in Portugal.