Skip to main content
Department of Geography
Nepal Fieldtrip Cropped

‘World-class’ research showcased during Europe-wide summit

24 June 2025
Share page:
A man pointing to some scientific equipment, as he speaks with two women

The global impact of our research has been highlighted during a visit by the European Research Council Scientific Council.

About the European Research Council Scientific Council

The European Research Council (ERC) is the premier European funding organisation for frontier research. UK-based researchers continue have access to ERC funding post-Brexit because the UK is associated with the Horizon Europe programme. There are 2,231 ERC grants based in the UK, worth more than 4 billion Euros. 

The ERC’s Scientific Council comprises eminent scientists and scholars, including Professor Harriet Bulkeley from our Department of Geography.

About the visit

The ERC Scientific Council meets every two months, but this was the first time it has met in the UK since the ERC was established by the European Union in 2007.

As well as formal business of the Council, delegates were introduced to ERC-funded research at Durham, toured laboratories and facilities, and experienced our city and region.

A roundtable discussion involving university vice-chancellors, ERC leaders, and other higher education and research executives was joined online by Lord Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation.

As the UK’s stellar performance in last week’s Advanced Grant announcement showed, ERC funding, through our association to Horizon Europe, is vitally important to more and more of the ambitious research that’s happening the length and breadth of Britain. It is brilliant that the ERC Scientific Council has seen some of that world-class work, first-hand, in Durham. I look forward to continuing to work with the Council closely to maximise the opportunities that Horizon presents, for us all.
Lord Vallance
Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation

ERC-funded Durham research showcased during the visit spanned quantum physics, classics, archaeology, climate change, psychology, and more. One focus was the Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life, a new research centre that will explore how humans interact with algorithmic technology.

The UK is a star performer in science and now we can note that, after a hiatus, the country is right back in the lead in the ERC grant competitions. The UK remains a very attractive place for top researchers from near and afar. For this plenary meeting of the ERC Scientific Council, we are hosted at Durham University, where we have met inspiring researchers and seen cutting-edge science.
Professor Maria Leptin
President, European Research Council

Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O’Brien, who chaired the round table, reflected that ERC funding plays a critical role in allowing Durham and other UK universities to advance scientific discovery and collaborate across borders.

Find out more

A man and woman in a science lab, speaking while looking at a screen

European Research Council President Professor Maria Leptin (right) visits a quantum physics laboratory, with Professor Simon Cornish (left).

A woman speaks with a microphone, with backs of heads of the audience in the foreground, in tiered lecture hall seating

Professor Claire O'Malley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global), welcomes members of the European Research Council Scientific Council. 

A man speaks with a microphone, with backs of heads of the audience in the foreground

Professor Colin Bain, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), addresses members of the European Research Council Scientific Council. 

A man and two women smile at the camera, with scientific equipment in the foreground

From left: Professor Karen O'Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Professor Simon Cornish, and Professor Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council, visit Prof Cornish's quantum physics laboratory.