The European Research Council (ERC) has released a statement approving the third round of its 2015 Proof of Concept grant competition. A total of 135 grantees have been awarded €150,000 each from the funding scheme.

EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Carlos Moedas said: “There can be no sustainable environment for European innovation without scientific excellence. Proof of Concept grants help researchers bridge the divide between academia and the market. They support the frontier science that leads to innovation with real-life applications, creating new opportunities for European jobs and products.”

Some of these new products and applications include the harnessing of bionic silkworms for the manufacture of ‘super-hard fibres’, new treatments for chronic wounds, and the reverse-engineering of mediaeval building processes, which is intended to aid the restoration of Europe’s fascinating architectural heritage.

Selected grantees represent 15 EU member states: United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Sweden and Poland; as well as representatives from Israel and Switzerland.

Launched in 2011, the Proof of Concept fund has benefitted over 400 researchers that had previously been awarded an ERC grant in order to get their ideas to market.

Led by the Scientific Council, an independent governing body, and part of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, began funding excellent scientific research in 2007.

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