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The European Research Council (ERC) has published a new white paper calling for coordinated action to address the persistent gap in research performance between Europe’s strongest research systems and a group of lower-performing countries known as “Widening Countries”.
Widening Countries represent roughly a quarter of the EU population and include the 13 EU member states that joined since 2004, as well as Greece and Portugal. Despite strong educational traditions and, in many cases, rapid economic growth, researchers based in these countries currently secure only around one-twentieth of ERC grants, with success rates typically ranging from 1 to 7 percent — well below the ERC average of approximately 11 percent.
According to the white paper, this imbalance stems from deeper structural barriers, including lower national investment in research and development, less supportive academic environments, limited access to international scientific networks, and weaker support systems for preparing competitive grant proposals.
At the same time, the report highlights signs of improvement. Over the past decade, more than 15 Widening Countries have introduced dedicated support schemes, including programmes that provide national funding for highly ranked ERC proposals not funded at European level.
The white paper stresses that closing the gap will require joint action from national governments, EU institutions and the scientific community, while fully preserving the ERC’s core principle of awarding funding solely on the basis of scientific excellence.
Read more on the ERA Portal Austria or access the full white paper on the ERC website.