Of the 421 young researchers who received awards, only 22 chose Italia

The latest call for applications for early-career researchers funded by the European Research Council (ERC) brings with it both a new development and a confirmation. The new development is that the “Choose Europe”, launched by the EU in the spring of 2025 to attract researchers fleeing the US following Donald Trump’s funding cuts, is beginning to bear fruit. Of the 421 scientists awarded a Starting Grant, who will share the €705 million on offer, 21 come from across the Atlantic (20 from the United States and one from Canada). This confirms that Italia remains a net exporter of human capital and that the brain drain continues. Whilst we rank second in terms of the nationality of the winners (with 50 names on the list), we are only sixth among the destination countries, with 22 Italian universities, organisations or companies selected as hosts.

In total, a record number of 4,807 applications were received for the ERC Starting Grants, representing a 22 per cent increase on the 3,928 received in the previous round. Of these, only 8.8 per cent were successful. There was also an increase in proposals from researchers based outside Europe: in particular, 169 came from the United States, compared with 116 in the previous round.

The country with the most start-ups is Germany (89 grants), ahead of the United Kingdom (47), France (38), Switzerland (36) and the Netherlands (33). As mentioned, Italia is only sixth, with 22 grants, tied with Sweden. Yet the winners include 84 Germans, 50 Italians, 30 French and 24 Spaniards, making a total of 53 nationalities represented.

The issue of representativeness is one that is particularly close to the heart of ERC President Maria Leptin: “Among these researchers, who will be carrying out their work across Europe, more than 50 nationalities are represented.” The Starting Grants, she adds, “will offer them the independence and support they need in the early stages of their careers to push the boundaries of science. It is the best possible investment to further strengthen our research base and the future of Europe.”

Our country has been chosen by 22 researchers as the location for their research. At the top of the rankings, with two grants each, is a diverse trio comprising a research organisation (the CNR), a state university (Pisa) and a private university (Bocconi in Milan).