This pillar has an indicative budget of € 24 598 million; however, this figure is yet to be ratified by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union and so remains subject to change.
The Excellent Science Pillar aims to raise the level of excellence in the Union’s science base and to consolidate the European Research Area in order to make the Union’s research and innovation system more competitive globally. It will support the best ideas, develop talent within Europe, provide researchers with access to priority research infrastructure, and make Europe an attractive location for the world's best researchers.
The Excellent Science pillar consists of four specific objectives:
- The European Research Council (ERC) will support the most talented and creative individual researchers and their teams, by providing them with the funding to carry out frontier research of the highest quality.
- Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) will foster scientific collaboration across disciplines on radically new, high-risk ideas and accelerate development of the most promising emerging areas of science and technology.
- Marie Curie Actions will provide researchers with excellent training and career development opportunities, as well as providing cross-border, cross-sector knowledge exchange opportunities.
- Research Infrastructure will develop the European research infrastructure for 2020 and beyond, ensuring researchers have access to world-class research infrastructures (including e-infrastructures).