The European Research Council (ERC) has today awarded 136 Proof of Concept grants to researchers from 23 countries. The laureates had previously received an ERC research grant and can now use the funding to explore the commercial or societal potential of their work.

Frozen organs

TU/e professor Ilja Voets, affiliated with the Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry and the ICMS, specializes in ice formation. She plans to use the grant to develop “antifreeze” compounds for the safe freezing of (donor) organs. Voets previously explained her research (in Dutch) to Universiteit van Nederland.

Voets is not the only recipient using the funding for medical applications. For example, a researcher at Erasmus UMC is exploring how to reduce resistance to chemotherapy in cancer treatment.

Success rate

This was the second Proof of Concept grant round of 2025. Last year, a total of 879 proposals were submitted, of which 300 were awarded funding (34 percent). While the number of applications has increased, the success rate has barely declined. This is due to the higher budget: the ERC made 45 million euros available, almost 10 million euros more than in 2024.

Germany leads the list with 51 grants, followed by Spain (42), Italy (33), and the United Kingdom (31). The Netherlands secured 25 grants: 12 in the first round and another 13 in the second.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor