The European Research Council (ERC), the EU’s body for funding of scientific and technological research conducted within the European Union, has recently celebrated a new milestone in its activities: Dr. Inga Berre, Professor at the University of Bergen and Coordinator of EERA Joint Programme Geothermal, is the 10.000th researcher awarded an ERC grant. For the occasion, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President David Sassoli, and other European leaders gathered for an online ceremony expressing their support for frontier research and celebrating the work conducted by the ERC.  

With an ERC Consolidator Grant, Dr. Inga Berre will be able to further her cutting-edge research in geothermal energy. In particular, she will develop pioneering mathematical and numerical models for the development and production of high-temperature geothermal resources, contributing to the path towards clean and sustainable energy for future generations and advancing the EU Green Deal’s objectives.  

On the occasion of the online ceremony, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, who announced the 10.000th grantee, said “Today we celebrate all 10.000 ERC grantees. These bright minds from Europe and beyond are pushing the boundaries of our knowledge. The pandemic has reminded us that long-term investments in fundamental research have proven crucial in moments of crisis and, precisely because we cannot anticipate all the challenges we may face tomorrow, we must continue to invest in frontier research. We do so through the European Research Council, a widely recognised success story for Europe”. 

Learn more about Dr. Inga Berre’s research here.  

Learn more about ERC’s online ceremony here.