Multi-million euro boost for young researchers: 16 ERC Starting Grants for Max-Planck

In a European comparison, the Max Planck Society ranks second

September 06, 2024

On September 5, 2024, young researchers from Max Planck Institutes secured 16 of the 98 ERC Starting Grants awarded to Germany. These prestigious grants, each averaging €1.5 million, will enable recipients to support their research groups for five years. Additionally, the funding aims to empower them to launch independent projects and lead their own teams, fostering innovative research ideas.

In Europe, the Max Planck Society ranks second, just behind France's CNRS, which received 25 grants. The Helmholtz Association follows in third place with 13 grants.

Germany led Europe with 98 grants in total, followed by the Netherlands with 51. Of the 3,474 proposals submitted across Europe, 494 were approved, with a total funding of €780 million. Notably, 44% of this year’s Starting Grants went to female researchers, up from 43% in 2023 and 39% in 2022. The ERC Starting Grants are part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program.

This year's ERC Starting Grant recipients are:

Chemistry, Physics & Technology

Max Gronke - Resolving the Multiscale, Multiphase Universe
MPI for Astrophysics

Chunyo Guo - Force-free microstructures host intrinsic dynamics of orbital phases in AV3Sb5 Kagome metals
Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter

Jad Halmeh - Quantum simulation of far-from-equilibrium gauge theories
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics

Mario Krenn - Artificial Scientific Discovery of advanced Quantum Hardware with high-performance Simulators
MPI for the Science of Light

John Molloy - Illuminating Routes to 3D Organoboron Molecules
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces

Melanie Müller - Ultrafast atomic-scale imaging and control of nonequilibrium phenomena in quantum materials
Fritz Haber Institute

Vera Schäfer - Search for physics beyond the standard model with highly charged ions
Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics

Libor Šmejkal - Magnetic counterparts of unconventional superconductors for spin-conserved and nondissipative electronics
MPI for the Physics of Complex Systems

Paul Strohmeier - Kinesthetic Displays: Creating Embodied Experiences of Movement Using Vibrotactile Feedback
MPI for Informatics

Li Wan - Fully Electrically Controlled Ultra-fast Chiral Light Handedness Switching in Organic Light-Emitting Devices
MPI of Microstructure Physics