Commission appoints eminent scientist as member of the European Research Council’s governing body

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: 

I am pleased to welcome Professor Sylvie Lorente to the ERC Scientific Council. She will help complement the expertise of the other sitting members, the outstanding female and male researchers who govern Europe’s premier organisation for funding frontier research.

Prof. Maria Leptin, President of the ERC, said:

We look forward to having Prof. Lorente as our colleague in the Scientific Council. The members of the ERC’s independent governing body cover the full breadth of science and scholarship, representing the scientific community in Europe. Thanks go to the identification committee for its important work proposing new members to ensure continuity and quality.

The new member of the ERC Scientific Council is:

Prof. Sylvie Lorente, Ph.D, is Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the College of Engineering, and Chair Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, Villanova University, PA, USA, and Exceptional Class Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA), Toulouse, France.

Background

The European Research Council (ERC), set up by the European Union in 2007, awards grants through open competitions to projects headed by starting and established researchers, irrespective of their origins, who are working or moving to work in Europe. The sole criterion for selection is scientific excellence. The Scientific Council, the independent governing body of the ERC, defines the ERC's scientific funding strategy and methodologies. It is composed of 22 members, all eminent scientists and scholars, who represent the scientific community in Europe and are appointed by the European Commission following recommendations by an independent Identification Committee. The ERC President, since 2021 Prof. Maria Leptin, chairs the Scientific Council, ensures its leadership and represents the ERC.

More information

ERC press release

ERC funded projects

Press contact:

EC Spokesperson for Research, Science and Innovation