ERC-Plus: jackpot science or missed chance to fix academia?

My reflections on ERC-Plus, Europe’s newest ultra-competitive research grant and what it tells us about the academic culture we’re building. The European Research Council (ERC) has long been a gold standard for scientific excellence — funding bold high-risk / high-gain ideas and ambitious scientists across career stages. So when news broke of ERC-Plus, a new €7 million mega-grant scheme “for projects that go beyond,” I was curious. Then I did the math. And like many colleagues, I started asking questions. This post gathers my reflections — part appreciation, part concern — on what ERC-Plus might mean for the research ecosystem in Europe. First, credit where it’s due But then the numbers hit… A 0.5% success rate is not a badge of honor “Open to all career stages” — but really? ERC used to lead on culture. What happened? Final thoughts: more money, wrong model