Gerd Gigerenzer becomes Vice President of the European Research Council (ERC)

Press release of the University of Potsdam, 02.10.2023

The Director of the Harding Center for Risk Competence at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Honorary Professor at the University of Potsdam, Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer, has been elected as the new Vice President for Social Sciences of the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) and will take office on January 1, 2024. As one of three ERC Vice Presidents, Prof. Gigerenzer will play a key role in the design and implementation of research funding strategies and programs in Europe.

The director of the Harding Center for Risk Competence at the University of Potsdam, Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer, says: “Research is the lifeblood of our society, and the ERC funds it with more than two billion euros per year. I will advocate for the ERC’s independence within the European Commission and public awareness of the relevance of basic research – and also address the challenges of generative AI for the grant review system.” The President of the University of Potsdam, Prof. Oliver Günther, Ph.D. added: “We congratulate our colleague Gerd Gigerenzer on this high honor and recognition of his lifetime achievements. The University of Potsdam is pleased to have given the Harding Center a new home in 2020 and looks forward to further collaboration with Prof. Gigerenzer and his team.”

The European Research Council is a European Union organization dedicated to promoting cutting-edge research and scientific excellence in Europe. The ERC funds groundbreaking and original research projects in all scientific fields, helping to strengthen scientific excellence in Europe and foster an innovative research ecosystem.

Photo: Arne Sattler