- 1 - 15 january 2007 the “ideas” programme-frontier research theodore papazoglou, phd strategic...

- 1 -15 January 2007

The “Ideas” Programme-frontier researchThe “Ideas” Programme-frontier research

Theodore Papazoglou, PhDStrategic matters

and relations with the ERC Scientific Council

FP7 launching ConferencePoznań, 15th January 2007

- 2 -15 January 2007

First Specific

ProgrammesMaastricht

Treaty

Amsterdam Treaty

ECSCTreaty

ECSC Research

JRCCreation

Treaties fusion

Single Act

1951 55 57 67 84 87 90 91 93 94 97 98 99 03 06 … 13

FP1

FP6FP5

FP4

EuropeanEuropeanResearchResearchArea (ERA)Area (ERA)

FP2FP3

EuratomTreaty

FP7

ERCERC

Research in the European Research in the European Integration ProcessIntegration Process

- 3 -15 January 2007

Boost European excellence in frontier research By investing in the best researchers and ideas

Through competition at European level

On the basis of excellence as the sole criterion

Raising incentives towards quality and aspirations of individual researchers

Providing benchmarks and leverage towards broader (structural) improvements in European research

Strategic AimStrategic Aim

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Traditional terminology (“basic” / “applied” research;

“science” vs “technology”) is no longer appropriate:

Research at the frontiers is characterised by an absence of disciplinary boundaries

New discoveries are often triggered by real world problems (and vice-versa)

Progress in understanding phenomena and techniques for investigation go hand in hand

Why “Frontier Research”?Why “Frontier Research”?

- 5 -15 January 2007

Europe’s most respected researchers – reflecting the full scope of European research, 22 members appointed by the Commission after an independent identification procedure

Establishes overall strategy Establishes work programme

(incl. calls for proposals, evaluation criteria); Defines peer review methodology, control quality

of scientific operations Ensures communication with the scientific

community

The Scientific CouncilThe Scientific Council

- 6 -15 January 2007

Execute annual work programme (established by the Scientific Council)

Implement calls for proposals and provide information and support to applicants

Organise peer review evaluation

Establish and manage grant agreements

Administer scientific and financial aspects and follow-up of grant agreements

The AgencyThe Agency

- 7 -15 January 2007

Provide financing through the EU framework programmes

Guarantees autonomy of the ERC

Assures the integrity and accountability of the ERC

Adopts annual work programmes as established by the Scientific Council

The European UnionThe European Union(represented by the Commission)(represented by the Commission)

- 8 -15 January 2007

Scientific Council

Commission (Directorate S): the “interim” structure responsible for the implementation and management of ERC operations in the period until the ERC Executive Agency is established.

Unit S.1Strategic mattersand relations with the Scientific Council

•Provides secretariat of the ERC Scientific Council

•Prepares ERC strategy and work programme under guidance of the ScC

•Communicates and reports on ERC activities and achievements

Unit S.2Management of the “Ideas” Programme

•Manages ERC operations related to proposal submission and evaluation

•Establishes peer review evaluation panels under guidance of the ScC

•Provides scientific support to grant preparation and follow-up

Unit S.3Logistical support for the ERC

•Prepares legislation for the establishment of the ERC Executive Agency (ERC EA)

•Develops ERC EA internal operational processes

•Manages ERC resources, incl, staff recruitment, logistics

ERC Board

Unit S.4Administration and finance

•Manages financial circuits and budgetary operations

•Prepares and administers ERC grant agreements

•Ensures accountability to Court of Auditors

ERC Management ERC Management StructureStructure

Secretary General

- 9 -15 January 2007

The ERC BoardThe ERC Board

• Prof. Fotis KafatosERC President and Chair of the ScC

• Prof. Helga Nowotny, Dr Daniel EsteveERC Vice-Presidents and Vice-Chairs of ERC ScC

• Prof. Ernst-Ludwig WinnackerERC Secretary-General

• Jack MettheyDirector of ERC DIS(Directorate S)

- 10 -15 January 2007

The first home for the ERCThe first home for the ERC

Madou Plaza – Tour Madou

Brussels

2 dedicated floors (5th/6th)

140 work places

5 meeting rooms

1 auditorium (192 seats)

- 11 -15 January 2007

Support for individual teams Host organisation to be located in the European Union (or AS)

All fields of science and scholarship are eligible investigator-driven, bottom-up

Excellence is the only criterion Principal investigator/team + research project

Investment in research talent

Flexible grants, under the control of the Principal Investigator

Activities and Activities and PrinciplesPrinciples

- 12 -15 January 2007

ERC BudgetERC BudgetEvolutionEvolution

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2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

- 13 -15 January 2007

ERC covers all fields of science and scholarship

For operational reasons the ScC agreed on 3 main scientific domains:

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Life Sciences

Social Sciences and Humanities

The first Call indicative budget for ERC Starting Grants has been pre-allocated to these areas as follows: 45% - 40% - 15% (and 20% reserve)

Budget AllocationBudget Allocation

- 14 -15 January 2007

Team leader + team members (if needed)

The Team Leader (“Principal Investigator”) has the

power to assemble his/her research group (team);

freedom to choose the research topic.

Who can apply ?Who can apply ? Individual TeamsIndividual Teams

- 15 -15 January 2007

Ideas (ERC specific programme) encourages participation of researchers from European and non-European countries

Level of participation varies with regard to roles and funding Roles:

Principal Investigator• Can be of any nationality• But: PI’s host organisation needs to be established in EU Member States

or Associated Countries, or be a international European Interest Organisations (such as CERN, EMBL, etc.) or the JRC

Team Members• Can be of any nationality and established in almost any country• International Cooperation Partner Countries (ICPC) • Industrialised Countries, e.g. Australia, Canada, Japan, USA

Who can apply?Who can apply? European and International TeamsEuropean and International Teams

- 16 -15 January 2007

ERC Starting Independent ERC Starting Independent

Researcher GrantResearcher Grant

The only programme funded in 2007

Ca. 200 new investigators/year in any field; funded ca. 1.5 M€ up to 5 yrs

Sole selection criterion: Excellence of person & proposal

Eligibility: (a) 2-8 years since PhD (at submission deadline)

(b) Newly established in research or educational position (or offer of position), within EU or associated States

(c) No nationality criterion: The 3 Rs: Recruit, Repatriate, Retain TOP TALENT (ca 1200 positions in 7 years)

- 17 -15 January 2007

ERC Advanced Investigator ERC Advanced Investigator Grant (ERC Advanced Grant)Grant (ERC Advanced Grant)

Start up expected in 2nd year

Annual budget minus ERC Starting Grants

From ca. 250 M to > 1 billion €/year (ca. 3M€ / proposal) → ca. 200 grants committed / each year

Sole selection criterion: Excellence of proposal & track record

Eligibility: investigators at all career stages; no age limit; 3 Rs

- 18 -15 January 2007

Total (FP7 Ideas budget): € ≈7.5 bn ≈ 15 % of FP7 budget

≈1/3 Starting Grants, ≈ 2/3 Advanced Grants

Less than 5% for operational ERC management

1st Call StG only, Jan 2007, € 300 Mio. (45% - 40% - 15%)

2nd Call AdG only, August 2007, € 550 Mio.

3rd call onwards: StG + AdG ≈ € 1.0 bn per year

- 19 -15 January 2007

Two-step application procedure (risk of oversubscription)

1st stage – Outline Proposal: max 8 Pages (3+4+1) 2nd stage – Full Proposal: max 16 Pages (4+10+2)

Proposal Componentsa) CV + self-evaluation of the PI’s research achievements +

funding IDb) Brief Description of scientific and technical aspects of the

projectc) Description of the scientific environment and resources

Electronic Submission only (via EPSS) Pre-registration (via EPSS) – indication of number /area of

proposals



- 20 -15 January 2007

Eligibility PI

2-8 years since completion of PhD: Special circumstances will be taken into account, such as maternity/paternity leave, military/civil service (+3 years max.)

PI and contributing investigators (team members)

Any nationality

One ERC Grant per investigator only may be active at any one time

Hosting institution

Located in a EU member state or associated country

Intra-European grant portability allowed



- 21 -15 January 2007

1. Potential of applicant

2. Quality of project

3. Research Environment

• Referees and panels evaluate and score under Heading 1 and Heading 2 numerically which will result in the ranking of the projects

• Heading 3 will be considered as "pass/fail" and commented but not scored in stage 2



- 22 -15 January 2007

1. Principal Investigator: Potential to become a world class research leader a. Quality of research output Has the Principal Investigator published in high quality peer reviewed

journals or the equivalent? To what extent are these publications ground-breaking and

demonstrative of independent creative thinking and capacity to go significantly beyond the state of the art?

b. Intellectual capacity and creativity To what extent does the Principal Investigator's record of research,

collaborations, project conception, supervision of students and publications demonstrate that he/she is able to confront major research challenges in the field, and to initiate new productive lines of thinking?



- 23 -15 January 2007

2. Quality of the research proposal

a. Ground-breaking nature of the researchb. Potential impactc. Methodology Stage 1: Is the outlined scientific approach (including the activities

to be undertaken by the individual team members) feasible? Stage 2: Is the proposed research methodology (including when

pertinent the use of instrumentation, other type of infrastructures etc.) comprehensive and appropriate for to the project? Will it enable the goals of the project convincingly to be achieved within the timescales and resources proposed and the level of risk associated with a challenging research project?



- 24 -15 January 2007

3. Research Environment (stage 2)a. Transition to independence Will the proposed project enable the Principal Investigator to make or

consolidate the transition to independence?

b. Host institution Is it in a position to provide an appropriate intellectual environment

and infrastructural support and to assist in achieving the ambitions for the project and the Principal Investigator?

c. Participation of other legal entities If it is proposed that other legal entities participate in the project, in

addition to the applicant legal entity, is their participation fully justified by the scientific added value they bring to the project?



- 25 -15 January 2007

Stage 1• Submission and reception of proposal• Allocation to relevant Panel(s)• Assignment of best-matched Panel members by Panel

Chair(s)• Stage 1 panel meeting (evaluation of Headings 1 & 2)• Outcome: Proposal rejected or retained for Stage 2



- 26 -15 January 2007

Stage 2• Submission of complete and updated proposal

• Panels may be assisted by:

– Referees (remote Evaluation using “Rivet”)

– Interviews with applicants

• Stage 2 Panel meeting (evaluation of Headings 1, 2 & 3)

• Outcome: Consolidated ranking list of retained proposals



- 27 -15 January 2007

Approx. 20 high level panels (~10 members+chair), based on: Coherence across all broad research domains and fields

A forward-looking approach

Encouragement to interdisciplinarity

Funding allocations independent of the panel structure

Flexibility and inclusiveness

Multidisciplinary projects appraised by all appropriate panels

ScC members monitoring quality of the process



- 28 -15 January 2007

1. PHYSICAL SCIENCES, ENGINEERING SCIENCES, UNIVERSE AND EARTH SCIENCES (8 panels)

2. BIOLOGICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES (7 panels)

3. SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES (5 panels)

- Each panel consists of one Panel Chair and approximately 10 panel members

- Panel Chair oversees evaluation process for the proposals assigned to his/her panel in collaboration with the ERC staff

- The Panel Chair gives high level stamp of credibility and visibility to the whole evaluation process



- 29 -15 January 2007

Deadlines:

1st stage submission deadline (StG): 25 April 2007

2nd stage submission deadline (StG):17 Sept 2007

(only those who passed 1st stage evaluation to be invited)

1st publication of AdG: Aug-Sept 2007

(deadline ca. end of 2007)

http://erc.europa.eu

Further InformationFurther Information

- 1 - 15 january 2007 the “ideas” programme-frontier research theodore papazoglou, phd strategic...

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