Home>Scientific excellence: four Sciences Po researchers awarded ERC grants
14 January 2026
Scientific excellence: four Sciences Po researchers awarded ERC grants
Researchers Diane Bolet (political scientist, CEE), Julia Cagé (economist, Department of Economics), Axelle Ferrière (economist, Department of Economics), and Mirna Safi (sociologist, CRIS) have been awarded European Research Council Grants. Conferred following a highly competitive selection process, ERC Grants distinguish projects that are exceptional by their excellence, originality, and contribution to the understanding of major contemporary challenges.
Since the establishment of the European Research Council in 2007, 30 projects led by researchers affiliated with Sciences Po have been selected.
Diane Bolet
Diane Bolet, Assistant Professor at the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE), has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for her project “Lost in the Green Transition: Local Collective Greenloss Identity, Anti-Climate Attitudes and Radical Right Support.” This grant will allow her to deepen her research on the repercussions of climate policies for fossil-fuel-dependent communities in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
A political scientist, Diane Bolet specialises in electoral behaviour, public opinion, and territorial and climate public policies.
Julia Cagé
Julia Cagé, Professor in the Department of Economics, has received an ERC Consolidator Grant for her project “Elections, Ecological Inference and Social Capital in Historical Perspective.” This grant will enable her to investigate the historical evolution of political cleavages and socio-economic inequalities in the United States and Europe, while proposing innovative solutions to long-standing problems of ecological inference.
A social scientist, Julia Cagé conducts research in political economy and economic history, with a particular focus on media economics, political participation, and voting behaviour. In 2021, she received an ERC Starting Grant for a project examining the behaviour of small donors in Western Europe and North America, as well as the lack of representativeness among candidates and elected officials.
Axelle Ferrière
Axelle Ferrière, CNRS research fellow and member of the Department of Economics, has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for her project “Rethinking the Efficiency-Redistribution Trade-Off: Taxes, Transfers, and Household Inequality.” This grant will allow her to shed new light on tax and transfer policies that reconcile redistribution and economic growth. The project will focus on income support for low-income households, wealth taxation, and consumption taxes.
A macroeconomist, Axelle Ferrière works primarily on the evaluation of fiscal and budgetary policies and their redistributive effects. In 2025, she received the CNRS Bronze Medal, which recognises the excellence and vitality of the research undertaken by early-career scholars.
Mirna Safi
Mirna Safi, Professor at the Centre for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS), has received an ERC Advanced Grant for her project “The Discrimination-Inequality Circle: Bridging Unequal Treatment and Unequal Outcomes across Countries, Regions and Workplaces.” This grant will enable her to advance knowledge of the mechanisms linking discrimination and inequality, their historical evolution across 35 countries, and the effectiveness of policies designed to address these persistent societal challenges.
A sociologist, Mirna Safi's research focuses on migration, labour-market inequalities, discrimination, and urban segregation. Former Director of CRIS (2019–2024), she contributes actively to international research on migration and social inequalities.
Luis Vassy, President of Sciences Po: “These ERC grants honour the scientific projects of four of our researchers, whose work is thus acknowledged for its significance. In each of their fields, these scholars develop innovative approaches to fostering a better understanding of major phenomena shaping our societies. They are a remarkable illustration of Sciences Po's scientific excellence and international standing.”