It is with great sadness that Science Europe learned of the passing of the ERC Executive Agency's Theodore Papazoglou earlier this week. Many of the colleagues at Science Europe met or worked with Theodore at different points during his many years at the ERC.

Science Europe expresses its deepest sympathies to Theodore's colleagues at the ERCEA and to his family. He will be remembered for his contributions to the ERC and for his gracious personality.

Amid the many European Commission programmes to foster research and innovation, the European Research Council (ERC) stands out as the programme based on scientific excellence and following a bottom-up approach. Science Europe fully endorses these principles as a part of a variety of different approaches to research and innovation investments.

At a time when the expectations on research are very high and the safeguarding of public trust in Science is cardinal, we deeply regret that internal issues within the ERC have been played out so publicly. This may be damaging to the ERC as an institution.

Science Europe has always been a strong supporter of the ERC and we will continue to be so in the future. We look forward to collaborating with the next ERC President.