The Netherlands is actually raking in too much European research funding

Countries in Central and Eastern Europe are becoming increasingly successful at applying for a European research grant. Yet the gap with the Netherlands and the rest of the EU remains large. “We are losing an enormous amount of talent.”

European scientists can turn to the ERC research council for a research grant. The competition is fierce, but the Netherlands performs well: over the past twenty years it has received nearly 10 per cent (around 3 billion euros) of the funds distributed.

Nearly 18 per cent of applications from the Netherlands are approved. That is the highest percentage within the EU. With a successful application, an individual scientist can receive 1.5 to 2.5 million euros in research funding.

But not all countries are equally successful. Countries in Central and Eastern Europe in particular secure relatively few grants. This creates a vicious circle: successful countries continue to build up experience and keep bringing in funding, while others struggle to break through.

A pity, says Polish scientist Leszek Kaczmarek, chair of the ERC working group that promotes broader European participation: “We are losing an enormous amount of talent because of this”, he says in a telephone explanation. “That means missed discoveries, insights and technologies that all of Europe could have benefited from.”

Large differences

The rear group consists of fifteen EU countries. Together they represent about a quarter of the EU population. These countries are now performing slightly better, the ERC reports in a new report, but they still lag behind the rest.

In countries such as Greece, the Czech Republic and Poland, the situation has improved. In recent years, the success rate in these three countries has been between 8 and 10 per cent. In 2007-2011, it was 3 per cent or less, according to ERC figures going back to 2007.

Nevertheless, the fifteen lagging EU countries still obtain relatively few grants. In the past five years, the Netherlands received twice as many as all these countries combined. “It is positive that success rates are increasing, but the number of applications remains low”, says Kaczmarek. “Many researchers in these countries do not even start, because they think they have no chance anyway.”

Research climate

According to the ERC report, the low success rate is mainly due to the research climate: these countries simply offer fewer opportunities for scientists. They receive little support with grant applications and have fewer international contacts that could help them move forward.

The change must therefore mainly come from the countries themselves, the ERC states. According to Kaczmarek, the ERC’s greatest strength lies in its soft power: “The ERC can encourage countries to improve their academic culture and offer more opportunities to top scientific talent.” That, he says, will achieve more than measures and programmes alone.

But they could use some help. In 2016, the research council already set up an exchange programme, allowing a scientist from, for example, Poland or Hungary to spend a few months working with a research team in countries such as France, Germany or the Netherlands.

In addition, in 2021 the ERC launched a mentoring programme, in which successful scientists provide advice and training when preparing an application. In 2025, the ERC also invested 1.5 million euros in strengthening national contact points, so that researchers can receive guidance and advice in their own country.

‘Postcode bias’

Kaczmarek also warns that there may be bias based on ‘postcode’: where you come from affects your chances of obtaining a grant. Reviewers may take this into account unconsciously, so it is important that they are made aware of this risk.

Kaczmarek compares it to gender inequality in research. “For years, women were far less successful in applying for research grants”, he explains. “Only when the scientific community acknowledged this did improvement follow. People realised that unconscious bias played a role in grant applications.”

“That is not only unethical, but also a great waste”, he says. “We wasted talent by not giving women the opportunity to reach their full potential. The same now applies to researchers from these fifteen countries.”

Happy islands

The ERC hopes that, eventually, more and more so-called ‘happy islands’ will emerge in the lagging countries, where the success of a few researchers inspires others to try their luck. These islands should above all be supported, says Kaczmarek: “Talent must be nurtured.”