The European Commission has appointed Mauro Ferrari, an expert in the field of nanotechnology in medicine, will be the new president of the European Research Council (ERC). He will replace the current president, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, on 1 January 2020. The president chairs the ERC’s “Scientific Council” which sets the scientific priorities of the organisation, which in turn guides how it allocates its research funding. Specifically, the ERC’s Scientific Council has 22 members, including the president, which sets the Council’s overall direction, whilst day-to-day business of handling grant applications and other matters is matters is handled by the ERC’s Executive Agency, run by the Commission. Mauro Ferrari will lead the ERC throughout the period of the transition from the Horizon 2020 research programme, to its successor, Horizon Europe (which will run from 2021-2027). In this time, the ERC’s budget will increase from EUR 13.1 billion in Horizon 2020 to a proposed EUR 16.6 billion. The term of the ERC President will run for at least four years, until 31 December 2023, and can be renewed once for an additional two years, until the end of 2025.
