Round 2 of the ERC Proof of concept 2024: 134 winners; Israel 1^st country in winners/inhabitants

The ERC announces the names of the 134 winners of the second wave of ERC Proof of Concept 2024 on 23/01/2025. Germany, Italy and the Netherlands host the largest number of grants (15 each), followed by Spain and the UK (14 each), Israel (12), Belgium (11), and then France (10).

The 134 additional grants in this round bring the total number of grants awarded under the 2024 work programme to 245, for a total amount of €36.75 M (11 additional winners were added since the first wave).

Including the two 2024 waves and based on the population of each country, Israel comes out on top, with 2 winners for every 1 million inhabitants. It is followed by Denmark (1.8) and the Netherlands (1.6 winners).

Worth €150k each, the grants "will help researchers bridge the gap between discoveries from their cutting-edge research and the practical application of their results, including the early stages of commercialisation".

The ERC POC is only open to researchers who have received an ERC grant. They use it to explore the innovative potential of the discoveries they have made as part of their ongoing or…