{"id":15074,"date":"2025-07-16T13:27:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T11:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trialoog.taltech.ee\/?p=15074"},"modified":"2025-07-16T13:27:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T11:27:24","slug":"small-country-big-science-estonia-impresses-erc-president-maria-leptin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trialoog.taltech.ee\/en\/small-country-big-science-estonia-impresses-erc-president-maria-leptin\/","title":{"rendered":"Small country, big science: Estonia impresses ERC president Maria Leptin"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The President of the European Research Council, Professor Maria Leptin, visited Estonia to explore the country&#8217;s research landscape and discuss the growing success of Estonian scientists in securing prestigious ERC grants. In conversation with Trialoog\u2019s editor Silver Tambur, she reflected on Estonia\u2019s achievements, the role of scientific freedom, and her personal leadership journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15086,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[251],"tags":[618,254,677],"class_list":["post-15074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-estonia","tag-european-union","tag-grants"],"acf":{"postbuilder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","type":"text","text":"<strong>As President of the European Research Council, you help shape the way Europe supports its brightest minds. How would you describe Estonia\u2019s role in this landscape? Is it a case of \u201csmall country, big science\u201d?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWell, \u201csmall country\u201d is undeniablethat\u2019s a matter of scale. But \u201csmall country, packs a punch\u201d? Absolutely. What Estonia has achieved in terms of ERC grants is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nI\u2019ve heard a lot of self-criticism here \u2013 people telling me that Estonia isn\u2019t good at science or at competing for ERC grants. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s true at all. In fact, the number of grants has increased significantly. We're only halfway through the current framework programme and Estonia has already secured as many ERC grants as it did in the previous full cycle. That\u2019s a very positive sign \u2013 one of determination and institutional support.\r\n\r\nThere\u2019s clearly talent here, and that talent should be encouraged. Some people I\u2019ve met were hesitant \u2013 saying, \u201cI\u2019m not good enough, I\u2019m not that kind of person.\u201d But you <em>are<\/em> good enough. With persistence and backing, success follows.\r\n\r\n<strong>What brings you to Estonia now? Is your visit mainly to get acquainted with local science?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s certainly a pleasure to discover local science \u2013 and I only wish I had more time to explore the beautiful tourist sites! This is my first time in Estonia. But as ERC President, I feel it\u2019s vital to know the local research communities and for them to be able to engage with us. I also want to meet with government officials to convey what matters for research in Europe and, ideally, to encourage their continued support.\r\n\r\n<strong>You\u2019ve mentioned funding. What more could a small country like Estonia do to make further strides in advanced research?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nI think the key lies in the community of experienced researchers \u2013 those who understand what is important in planning and writing convincing grant applications. They can play a greater role in identifying and supporting promising individuals. Writing a grant is an art that can be learned. There are no tricks, but it does require commitment and excellence. Even top researchers at leading institutions spend three to four months preparing their proposals. Not because they\u2019re inexperienced \u2013 but because they know what it takes. And you can\u2019t give up. One of our grantees succeeded after four attempts. She told me she actually enjoyed writing grants because it allowed her to dream big \u2013 to design her ideal project.\r\n\r\nThere\u2019s also a collaborative side. I heard recently in Lithuania about a researcher who applied for an ERC grant and had to reach out globally for expertise she lacked. When she told colleagues she was applying for an ERC grant, they were eager to be involved. That kind of ambition should be valued more \u2013 it fosters creativity and international collaboration.\r\n\r\n<strong>Has any particular breakthrough from Estonia caught your attention?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThere are so many inspiring ones \u2013 it\u2019s hard to single out one specific project. I wouldn\u2019t want to do anyone an injustice. But I\u2019d like to shift focus slightly. While the ERC doesn\u2019t fund projects based on expected societal impact \u2013 we fund bright ideas \u2013 we know from our analyses that our work has substantial impact. ERC projects result in more patent applications and innovation grants than other schemes, even though we receive only about 17% of EU research funds. This shows that when you trust researchers to follow their curiosity, society benefits.\r\n\r\nI heard today about an ERC grantee at the Estonian University of Life Sciences working in ecology \u2013 exactly the kind of research the EU needs to tackle climate change and advance green technologies. These researchers are citizens themselves; they care deeply about societal challenges and will naturally contribute to addressing them \u2013 without pressure from above.","image":null,"align":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":15090},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","type":"text","text":"<strong>You\u2019ve worked across Europe \u2013 in Germany, Switzerland, France \u2013 and even in the United States. What does <em>European<\/em> science mean to you?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nHonestly, I don\u2019t think there is such a thing as \u201cEuropean science.\u201d There is just science. Our brains all work the same way, wherever we are. I\u2019ve collaborated with researchers from all over the world. The main differences lie in national funding mechanisms and career structures \u2013and these differences matter.\r\n\r\n<strong>Europe is often compared with the US, especially in science and innovation. In the US, the path from research to commercialisation seems clearer. Why is that?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s partly due to a greater appetite for risk and less fear of failure in the US \u2013 failure is seen as part of the process. But the US also benefits from a vast, unified market. In Europe, if you invent something in one country, you don\u2019t automatically gain access to the whole EU market. That\u2019s a political challenge.\r\n\r\nWe\u2019ve been talking about the European Research Area for 25 years and still don\u2019t have pension portability \u2013 I know this firsthand, as my husband has been affected by it. Career structures are often unclear, especially for young group leaders. If they don\u2019t know how to secure longer-term positions, or if a country doesn\u2019t support infrastructure or offer individual research grants, then it becomes an unattractive place to build a scientific career.\r\n\r\n<strong>How would you motivate young people to pursue science over, say, working in a start-up?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nI wouldn't necessarily discourage them from joining a start-up \u2013 those can be incredibly exciting. I\u2019d first ask what motivates them. If it\u2019s making money, then science may not be the best path. But if they love exploration \u2013 if they want to be paid to pursue their own ideas \u2013 then science offers a unique kind of freedom.\r\n\r\nMy own son, after university, went into banking. He earned a lot, but after a couple of years, he left for something more stimulating and joined a start-up.\r\n\r\nSo, to a young person, I\u2019d say: if you love discovering things and want autonomy in your work, science can be incredibly fulfilling. I\u2019ve never in my life said \u201cI work <em>for<\/em> someone.\u201d From university until now, I\u2019ve always worked <em>with<\/em> people, never <em>for<\/em> them. That\u2019s a remarkable kind of freedom.","image":null,"align":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":15088},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","type":"text","text":"<strong>You've mentioned freedom several times. How would you assess the state of academic freedom in Europe today?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs a German, I grew up with academic freedom enshrined in our constitution. I thought it was normal everywhere \u2013 only to discover it isn\u2019t. That shocked me. Freedom to explore is vital.\r\n\r\nI understand why politicians want quick results \u2013 especially during crises like COVID-19. But the breakthroughs they rely on come from long-term investments made years earlier in curiosity-driven science. Politicians today cannot know what discoveries will be needed tomorrow. You just have to look at history. Maxwell and Hertz didn\u2019t know they were laying the groundwork for the radio.\r\n\r\nSo yes, short-term goals are fine \u2013 but lasting success depends on giving scientists the freedom to fail, try again, and stumble upon the unexpected.\r\n\r\n<strong>Looking ahead 10 or 20 years, what kind of scientific culture do you hope today\u2019s students will help create?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nI think we already have a strong science culture in Europe, but it's not integrated enough. That\u2019s not just an EU-level issue; it\u2019s about the member states. We need more cohesion \u2013 not just in science but across politics as well. I\u2019d like to see less competition between countries and more collaboration. And again: freedom, freedom, freedom. Independence and collaboration must go hand in hand.\r\n\r\n<strong>Is there any breakthrough you personally hope to see?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe most exciting breakthroughs are the ones we can\u2019t predict. So I look forward to being surprised.\r\n\r\n<strong>Finally, what has been your most important personal lesson in leadership?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nTo listen. Truly listen. Not to assume others see the world the way you do \u2013 they don\u2019t, and that\u2019s a good thing. Diversity of thought and constructive criticism are essential. As a leader, open communication and understanding different perspectives are key.","image":null,"align":""}],"related_authors":[{"author":3913,"position":"Editor-in-chief"}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Small country, big science: Estonia impresses ERC president Maria Leptin - Trialoog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"ERC President Maria Leptin discussed Estonia&#039;s research success, ERC grants, and academic freedom with Trialoog\u2019s editor Silver Tambur.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trialoog.taltech.ee\/en\/small-country-big-science-estonia-impresses-erc-president-maria-leptin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Small country, big science: Estonia impresses ERC president Maria Leptin - 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