My last day working as a Scientific Officer for the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA)

On 21 October 2024, I started working as a Scientific Officer for the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) in Brussels, Belgium. My last working day on this interim contract is the 18th of April 2025, but tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, the European Commission is closed due to the Easter holidays; therefore, I returned my laptop and badge already today.

What a nice experience it was being part of ERCEA! I am deeply grateful for this experience. I worked as a Scientific Officer in the B4 unit – Physical Sciences and Engineering (PE) on various tasks, mainly regarding the Synergy Grant. I will surely miss also reading, analyzing, and writing project follow-up (PFU) reports for PE6 – Computer Science and Informatics, mainly regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects. It was so much fun reading about ideas that were, are, and will be implemented in the near future. Not only are the ideas in the field of AI amazing, but also the ideas that require a synergy of different fields; for me, these are even more so. It was great to see what kind of synergies can be made when great minds from different fields, countries, and backgrounds come together to advance science and improve life on this small planet. To get an idea about what projects were/are funded by the ERC, take a look here. If you are interested in applying for an ERC grant, take a look also here.

While at ERCEA, I also observed how my colleagues and the Scientific Council members make decisions on certain topics, how competitive the ERC grants are, and how winning an ERC grant requires more than a well-written proposal; it requires excellence, which requires vision, courage, and an unbiased mind ready to leap into the unknown with a trusty heart.

I gathered beautiful memories here in Brussels, a city that has a lot to offer. From all the places I worked before, ERCEA is my favorite. This could be seen by my colleagues who were happy to see me always smiling, in high spirits, and good mood.

Many of my ERCEA colleagues asked if I would like to return to work for ERCEA in the near future, but for now, I need to take some time off from work and travel across Europe for at least a few weeks. We will see what mystery gifts the universe has prepared for me after that.