Number of Marie Curie researchers reaches 50,000

The number of researchers funded by the European Commission’s Marie Curie programme since its foundation in 1996 has passed the 50,000 mark. A conference in Brussels in next week will celebrate this milestone and take stock of the programme, which promotes mobility by funding scientists to carry out their research anywhere in the EU, and assess its contribution to promoting innovation in Europe.

Twenty six researchers will represent their fellow Marie Curie researchers, and will discuss with MEPs, policy makers, stakeholders and fellow scientists some of research carried out in cancer, cardiology, climate change, renewable energy and other areas under the programme and consider how the programme should evolve in the years to come and contribute to the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy.

The Marie Curie programme is currently funded as part of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme. By encouraging researchers across a wide range of disciplines, in industry and academia, to move between EU Member States, the Marie Curie programme aims to encourage the development of highly-skilled, creative and entrepreneurial researchers.