Excellent science in the UK is at risk if it votes for Brexit

As the European Research Council reaches its landmark 5000th grant award, the UK should reflect on how a 'no' vote would impact on its scientific strengths

The European Research Council (the ERC) today announces the award of its 5000th grant to Dr Iva Tolic, a researcher in Croatia based at the RuAer BoAkoviA Institute in Zagreb. Tomorrow there will be a celebration of this significant milestone in the European Parliament, with the participation of Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas and the ERC's President Jean Pierre Bourguignon. It is a symbol of the success of the ERC that the European Parliament takes this landmark so seriously. And it is as a symbol of the excellence of European scientists that Iva Tolic is being celebrated.

The ERC has, in its relatively short existence, rapidly gained a reputation for funding innovative cutting-edge science, what they refer to as 'frontier science'. Its funds are much sought after; awardees receive much kudos from their awards. However the distribution from grants is uneven across the EU, with the newer accession states struggling to compete with the western countries, not least because of their less well-funded and less well-established scientific infrastructures. So it is particularly pleasing to see a Croatian scientist being celebrated. Tolic represents a typical European scientist, having worked in a number of European labs (in Denmark and Italy, as well as Croatia) as well as at Harvard during her career. Such mobility is viewed as beneficial in terms of research experience, although occasionally it can cause problems for those who, for personal reasons, are unwilling or unable to move around. She has won numerous awards including being chosen by the top biology journal Cell as one of their '40 under 40' for 2014. In other words, a star.