ERC Consolidator Grants: it takes some time, but then you really have something to show for it

One of the laureates is Timothy Noël, Professor of Flow Chemistry at the University of Amsterdam and winner of the KNCV Gold Medal 2021. He receives 2 million euros to develop photochemical flow reactors, which can be used to produce functional molecules in a sustainable manner. Such a grant is not, however, simply handed to you. Noël describes in a blog post on his website how he was rejected six times before finally achieving his goal on the seventh attempt. With his blog, he hopes to give young academics insight into the process and offer encouragement for their own ‘ERC mission’. An interview with Noël on the occasion of the Gold Medal can be read here.

Other chemists at Flemish and Dutch universities can also count themselves fortunate to have received a Consolidator Grant, among them Rob Ameloot, BOF Associate Professor at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at KU Leuven. Ameloot aims to develop new sensors for detecting volatile organic compounds. A brief interview with Ameloot can be found on the KU Leuven website, in which he also addresses the considerable efforts required for his project application.

A full list of all grants awarded can be found on the ERC website.