Abrupt change to European funder's rules leaves researchers shut out: Flood of proposals to European Research Council—perhaps unleashed by AI—means unsuccessful applicants must wait longer to reapply.

The article focuses on recent changes to the European Research Council’s (ERC) grant application rules, implemented to address a surge in proposals that has overwhelmed review panels. The ERC has extended the waiting period for unsuccessful applicants by one year, applying these restrictions retrospectively, which affects early- and midcareer researchers as well as established scientists and collaborative projects. Researchers express concern that the new rules may hinder innovative, high-risk research and result in wasted effort, as proposals cannot simply be resubmitted after a longer delay. The ERC also noted a possible link between the increase in applications and the use of artificial intelligence-generated proposals, though this remains unconfirmed. Additionally, the changes impact the ERC’s Plus Grant program, which aims to attract top global talent to Europe. [Extracted from the article]