Professor Urtė Neniškytė, a researcher at the Institute of Biosciences of the Life Sciences Center of Vilnius University (VU LSC) and the EMBL Partnership Institute, has been appointed as a European Research Council (ERC) Ambassador in Lithuania. She has joined the international network Ambassadors for the ERC, an initiative launched by the ERC and the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG).
The ERC Ambassadors initiative aims to strengthen ties between ERC grant holders and national scientific and policy communities, raise awareness of ERC funding opportunities, and highlight the importance of fundamental, curiosity-driven research for Europe’s future. In their respective countries, ambassadors act as representatives and voices of the scientific community, advocating for sustained investment in top-level research.
Last year, Prof. Neniškytė was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant. In Lithuania, she will encourage researchers to apply for ERC funding, share her experience in preparing applications for international grants, and engage in discussions with decision-makers and the broader public about the value of fundamental research.
The ambassadorial term lasts one year, with the possibility of renewal. The initiative seeks to strengthen ERC culture across Europe and empower national communities to participate more actively in the most competitive research funding programmes.