Prof. George Meyiri Bob-Milliar of the Department of History and Political Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has been named as one of the principal investigators in a major European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant, joining a global team of scientists selected to tackle some of the world’s most complex scientific challenges.

The ERC Synergy Grant, awarded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, supports collaborative research teams bringing together leading experts from different disciplines and countries.

This year, 66 international research teams comprising 239 researchers will share €684 million to pursue frontier science projects ranging from fundamental physics and biosciences to climate and social systems research.

Professor Bob-Milliar is the only Ghana-based researcher in the awarded cohort, positioning KNUST among a select group of global research institutions contributing to cutting-edge frontier science.

Speaking on the announcement, Prof. Bob-Milliar noted that the award reflects growing confidence in African scientific excellence and the increasing relevance of research contributions from institutions such as KNUST.

“This collaboration demonstrates that impactful scientific discovery is strengthened when diverse perspectives and knowledge systems come together. KNUST is fully part of that global conversation,” he said.

The European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, highlighted the significance of the increasing international participation, noting that 28 of the selected teams include researchers based outside Europe, including Ghana.

“Europe’s frontier research has never been so international,” she said. “This global collaboration strengthens scientific excellence and brings leading researchers from around the world closer to Europe.”

President of the ERC, Professor Maria Leptin, added: “Collaboration is at the heart of the ERC Synergy Grants. These teams are joining forces to address the most complex scientific problems – this year more internationally than ever.”

About the ERC

The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation. The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council. Since November 2021, Maria Leptin is the President of the ERC. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than €16 billion, as part of the Horizon Europe programme, under the responsibility of European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva.