The election followed the resignation of the first ERC President, Prof. Fotis C. Kafatos, announced in January, after three years of intensive and highly respected leadership of the ERC. Prof. Kafatos remains member of the Scientific Council and has been proposed, and unanimously voted, as ERC Honorary President.

Prof. Helga Nowotny is Professor emeritus of Social Studies of Science, ETH Zurich, and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Vienna University. At the moment of the appointment, she commented "I thank my colleagues from the ERC Scientific Council for their trust and I will pursue with vigour and endurance our common endeavour to make frontier
research the dynamic element in confronting the challenges ahead".

Geoghegan-Quinn: Nowotny is a fantastic role model for young women

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Mrs Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, commented on the appointment: 'My congratulations and best wishes to Prof. Helga Nowotny and to the ERC. I am confident that Prof Nowotny will lead with ambition this truly pioneering European project. She is a fantastic role model for young women considering a science career. We need more like her."

Jack Metthey, Director of the ERC Executive Agency, said "The unanimous election of Prof. Nowotny is the obvious recognition of Helga's tireless work and commitment, whilst a vice-chair, in making the ERC a success. My colleagues and I at the Executive Agency look forward with enthusiasm to continuing working with her in her new role."

About the ERC

The European Research Council (ERC) is the newest, pioneering component of the EU's Seventh Research Framework Programme (the "Ideas" specific programme). It has a total budget of € 7.5 billion (2007-2013). Set up in 2007, the ERC aims to stimulate scientific excellence in Europe by supporting and encouraging the best creative scientists, scholars and engineers of any nationality in any field of research, to work in European host institutions. The ERC has supported up to now more than 900 research projects, led either by top senior scientists ("ERC Advanced Grants") or by younger, emerging research leaders ("ERC Starting Grants").

Source: EC Press Release.