The commission appoints members of this Scientific Council, the ERC’s governing body, further to a recommendation from the Identification Committee.

The committee is now contacting the representative organisations of the European research community with the request to nominate excellent candidates. The committee also welcomes nominations from other research institutions representing European research.

'The most eminent scientists and scholars'

Mariya Gabriel, commissioner for research, innovation, culture, education and youth, said: "A key factor to the success of the European Research Council is the independence of its ERC Scientific Council, made up of some of the most eminent scientists and scholars who represent the entire European research community.

"To ensure continuity, I invite European research institutions to nominate excellent candidates to the governing body of the ERC. We hope to draw on a pool of outstanding female and male researchers from across the whole of Europe."

Members of the Scientific Council are appointed for a four-year term of office, renewable once. The candidates proposed further to the current call for nominations will be evaluated by the Identification Committee to contribute to the pool from which it will recommend candidates for membership of the ERC Scientific Council.

Almost a quarter of the members of the Scientific Council must be replaced as their mandates will come to an end in the coming twelve months.