Evolution in action. Slowly, and with pressure from the scientific community, the structure and mission of a European Research Council begins to develop

Abstract

Slowly, and with pressure from the scientific community, the structure and mission of a European Research Council begins to develop

Figure 1

John Sulston, of the Sanger Centre, UK, and last year's winner of a Nobel Prize: “No single European nation is able to answer this big federal American challenge.”

Figure 2

Nobel laureate Rolf Zinkernagel, Head of the Institute of Experimental Immunology at University Hospital in Zürich, Switzerland: “One of the most important goals of the ERC should be to spend European taxpayers' money wisely, with a long-term view.”

Figure 3

Peter Kind, Director of Directorate B of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research: “An ERC should not compete with or duplicate existing structures” and “should create added value to Europe.”