The European Research Council / Thomas König.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

König, Thomas, 1959 April 14- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

European Research Council.

Research--European Union countries.

Research.

Research--Political aspects--Europe.

Research--Political aspects.

Europe.

European Union countries.

Physical Description:

xii, 192 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity Press, 2017.

Summary:

Founded in 2007 to fund basic research, the European Research Council (ERC) has become the most revered instrument in European science policy and one of the world s most important focal points for the funding of scientific research. Its grants are much sought-after by researchers and scholars and it is widely considered to have had a major impact on research communities and institutions across Europe. How did this remarkable organization, the creation of which was widely regarded as a miracle , come into being, what has it achieved and how is it likely to adapt in the face of current and future challenges? This book is the first comprehensive history of the creation and development of the ERC. Drawing on first-hand knowledge, Thomas Konig gives a detailed account of how a group of strong-minded European scientists succeeded in creating the ERC by pushing for a single goal: more money for scientific research with fewer strings attached. But he also shows how this campaign would have failed had it not been taken up by skilful officials of the European Commission, who recognized the ERC as a way to gain more influence in shaping European science policy. Once established, the ERC developed a carefully crafted self-image that emphasized its reliance on peer review and its differences from all other EU research programmes.

Contents:

1 The future of scientific research in Europe 10

2 A radical proposal 24

2.1 'Not-yet-horn' sector actors 25

2.2 Maybe it is time for a European Research Council in some form? 30

2.3 Everybody is talking about something different 36

3 European value added 42

3.1 Clear ownership 43

3.2 Lack of sufficient competition 47

3.3 Credible to the scientific world 53

4 The most promising opportunities 60

4.1 What the ERC will need 62

4.2 Internal policies 71

5 State of crisis 81

5.1 Deep Commission 83

5.2 We are not there yet 87

5.3 Flawed recommendation 91

6 A rather conventional system 100

6.1 A broader palette 101

6.2 To promote interdisciplinarity and breadth of viewpoints 105

6.3 Preventive and dissuasive actions 110

7 Wide-ranging effects 118

7.1 Justifying to stakeholders 119

7.2 i-conomy 123

7.3 Symbolic value 127

8 Summary 133

9 Postscript 140.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: König, Thomas, 1959- European Research Council.

ISBN:

9780745691244

0745691242

OCLC:

951465202