ERC President Jean-Pierre Bourguignon visits the Vienna BioCenter

ERC President Jean-Pierre Bourguignon was welcomed to Vienna BioCenter (VBC) for a tour of the four research institutes IMP, IMBA, GMI and MFPL. The visit posed an opportunity to thank the ERC for 44 grants which were awarded to grateful VBC scientists since 2007.

On 12 April, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, the President of the European Research Council ERC, was welcomed by the heads of the four research institutes of the Vienna BioCenter for a visit to the institutes. 

ERC President Jean-Pierre Burguignon and his assistant Sabine Simmross spent one and a half hours getting a broad overview of the research agendas and opportunities at IMP, IMBA, GMI and MFPL. 

During the presentation and tour, he expressed his appreciation of the high quality of research that is reflected by the 44 ERC Grants awarded to VBC scientists since the year 2007 – 16 of them to IMP scientists. Of the currently 16 faculty members of the IMP, no less than 11 have been awarded one or more ERC grants.

Jean-Pierre Bourguignon was particularly impressed by the fact that 60 percent of applications from the VBC have been successful in the past – a stark contrast to the average EU-wide rate of 11 percent.

Upon leaving, the ERC President expressed his desire to spend more time at the Vienna BioCenter and to bring a larger delegation to the site. The opportunity might come in October during Austria’s Presidency of the European Council.

In the picture from left to right: Jürgen Knoblich (IMBA), Jan-Michael Peters (IMP), Jean-Pierre Bourguignon (ERC President), Sabine Simmross (ERC) and Markus Kiess (GMI). 

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