ABSTRACT
Contrasting the rank-and-file among European researchers with members of the European Research Council's (ERC's) scientific elite provides insights into mechanisms through which the elite enacts, maintains and diffuses its social and cognitive power in a stratified system of science. Starting with a discussion on what influences scientific advance, mechanisms of social closure and elite-formation are outlined by narrowing data sets: Contrasting the eligible with the applying researchers, and submitted with approved proposals. Respective sampling decisions as part of the universal set of the ERC elite are documented step by step. First, a distinction between three groups of scientists is made by their respective role vis-a-vis the ERC: Grantees, panellists and a subset of dual role incumbents. Second, data on the distribution of these groups are given, both across countries and for 12 countries and six disciplines. Third, pooling about 100 scientists per discipline for subsequent analyses results in a subsample of 601 researchers who can be described in more detail.
