Regretful but unavoidable

That is of course regretful, but for LERU the most important issue is to preserve the ERC as the flagship of European research policy. This includes safeguarding the free bottom-up approach for researchers and the collective guidance by the Scientific Council. Neither of these can be endangered. In the last 13 years, under successive presidents, this approach and guidance have proven their efficiency for increasing knowledge, developing disruptive innovation, and serving society and its economy.

Mauro Ferrari tells his own story to justify his resignation. In doing so, he has demonstrated how much he underestimates the significance of independent bottom up research and of the intrinsic commitment of researchers to contribute to society by developing new fundamental insights.

We applaud the efforts of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel to mobilise funds in an unprecedented and impressive way for COVID-19 research. The European Union and the member states have mobilised their common energy to launch pan-European clinical trials to test, as quickly as possible, the efficiency of different treatments, to develop robust tests, and research for vaccines.

In the meantime, the pandemic has made even more visible how fragile the global world is and how humanity should develop new solutions to address the challenges which threaten the sustainability of our societies. We have also learnt that the crisis never comes from where it is expected.

More creative research in all fields is absolutely crucial to better understand, anticipate and prepare to adapt to the challenges of sustainable development, scarcity of resources, economic issues and social divide. 

It is precisely the goal of the ERC to trigger and support this open and free research. It is admired worldwide for its success. It should be supported even more in the investment plan that the European Union is framing to exit the present crisis.

The rest is insignificant.

Prof Dr Jean Chambaz
Chair LERU
President of Sorbonne University

Contact

• Prof. Jean Chambaz, LERU Chair,  or +33 6 47 52 19 46
• Prof. Kurt Deketelaere, LERU Secretary-General, or +32 499 80 89 99