US Congress and European Research Council insist on open access to research results

The European Research Council on the Brink

Basic research in Europe is about to receive a shot in the arm with the creation of a European Research Council (ERC). This new agency will sustain fundamental investigation into all aspects of scientific knowledge and should drive up standards of scientific research across the continent.

The European Research Council—A European Renaissance

S cience looks set for a fundamentalist revival within the European Union. Its leading proponents are taking advantage of unprecedented political upheaval—as ten new Member States accede to the Union—to press their case for funding of basic research that is driven solely and independently by investigators themselves in the pursuit of excellence. The broad thrust of their appeal calls for the se...

Why open access to research and scholarship?

The Internet has changed how we conduct and share research, primarily by increasing the global reach of scholarly communication. With scholarly journals, this possibility of expanding the circulation of knowledge has led to an " open access " movement that is making an increasing number of published, peer-reviewed articles free to read on-line. Authors, editors, publishers, and librarians are e...

The European Research Council Takes Flight

In 2007, the European Research Council (ERC) was launched amid much fanfare with the goal of spearheading Europe's aspirations to become the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based society in the world. Here, we examine the results of the first two ERC calls for research grants and discuss the latest developments and the challenges that face this unique research council.

Council on Undergraduate Research