The European Research Council

List of tables and figures
 
Abbreviations
 
Acknowledgements
 
Preface
 
1. 'The future of scientific research in Europe'
 
2. 'A radical proposal'
 
2.1 '"Not-yet-born" sector actors'
 
2.2 'Maybe it is time for a European Research Council in some form?'
 
2.3 'Everybody is talking about something different'
 
3. 'European Value Added'
 
3.1 'Clear ownership'
 
3.2 'Lack of sufficient competition'
 
3.3 'Credible to the scientific world'
 
4. 'The most promising opportunities'
 
4.1 'What the ERC will need'
 
4.2 'Internal policies'
 
5. 'State of crisis'
 
5.1 'Deep Commission'
 
5.2 'We are not there yet'
 
5.3 'Flawed recommendation'
 
6. 'A rather conventional system'
 
6.1 'A broader palette'
 
6.2 'To promote interdisciplinarity and breadth of viewpoints'
 
6.3 'Preventive and dissuasive actions'
 
7. 'Wide-ranging effects'
 
7.1 'Justifying to stakeholders'
 
7.2 'i-conomy'
 
7.3 'Symbolic value'
 
8. Summary and personal postscript
 
Annex 1: List of archival collections used
 
Annex 2: List of interviews

Thomas König is a Senior Researcher at the Vienna Institute for Advanced Studies

"This is so far the most thoroughly researched investigation on how the ERC came into existence and of the first seven years of its institutional life. The analysis of the different layers of what the author calls the ERC aura and its inevitable routinization - the EU formalized structures, the personalities involved, initial and current policy ambitions and the accomplishments of the ERC for science in Europe - opens a wide conceptual space to re-think the relationship between science and policy." - Helga Nowotny, Former President of the European Research Council
 
"In just ten years since its creation, the European Research Council has made a profound mark on Europe's scientific landscape. And through a combination of mimicry, adaptation and innovation, it has risen with remarkable speed into the premier league of research funders worldwide. Drawing on his unique access to the ERC's inner workings, as a former adviser to its president, Thomas Konig has produced a definitive account of its first decade, packed with revealing insights into the political and budgetary battles that were fought along the way. Thoughtful, engaging, and rich in both data and anecdotes, it's a book that will be of interest to scientists, policymakers, funders, and anyone seeking to understand the future of global research." - James Wilsdon, Professor of Research Policy, University of Sheffield
 
"In this first comprehensive history, Thomas König -- former scientific adviser to ERC president Helga Nowotny -- offers a multifaceted perspective. ... A story of big scientific personalities and struggles for autonomy and accountability in the charged space between policy and science." - Nature
 
"König's keen eyes take in everything from inspirational words about discovery printed on "cheap looking woven fabric" on a wall in its Brussels headquarters to key players' optimism, arrogance, high ideals and wounded pride." - Times Higher Education