An independent Identification Committee is consulting the research community in Europe on potential candidates for membership of the ERC Scientific Council. Contributions to this consultation should be sent by the 30 March 2012.

An independent Identification Committee is consulting to the research community in Europe on potential candidates for membership of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC). In particular, the Identification Committee is consulting the main representative organisations of the European research community. It also welcomes contributions from other representative organisations.

The European Commission on the recommendation of an independent Identification Committee appoints the Scientific Council members. The consultation contributes to the upcoming renewal of the Scientific Council, at the end of the term of office of a number of serving members. Contributions should be sent by mail and the deadline for responses is 30 March 2012.

According to the ERC, the consultation exercise will help to assure the operation of the ERC to the end of the 7th EU Framework Programme and its continuation under 'Horizon 2020', the Framework Programme for 2014 to 2020 which was presented in November. The ERC is a central pillar of European frontier research. In its short five-year history to date, it has counted on the reputation of its Scientific Council for its considerable success.