RESEARCH GRANTS & CONTRACTS OFFICE

Horizon 2020 – European Research Council & Marie Sklodowska-Curie

Juan Vidal

SUMMARY

Overview of Horizon 2020 European Research Council Marie Sklodowska-Curie Where to find more information on Horizon

2020

OVERVIEW OF HORIZON 2020

WHAT IS HORIZON 2020

The European Union’s funding instrument for research and innovation from 2014-2020

Budget of €70.2 billion From research to innovation – from basic

research to bringing ideas to the market Focus on societal challenges EU society is facing

(e.g. health, clean energy, food security, integrated transport)

HORIZON 2020 STRUCTURE

Excellent ScienceEuropean Research

Council (ERC)

Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Research Infrastructures

Industrial Leadership

Leadership in Enabling and

Industrial Technologies (LEIT) -

ICT, KETs, Space

Access to Risk Finance

Innovation in SMEs

Societal Challenges

Health and Wellbeing

Food security

Transport

Energy

Climate action

Societies

Security

Widening Participation; Science with and for Society

EXCELLENT SCIENCE

Total budget €21.6 billion Overall objective: “to strengthen the

excellence of European research” Mostly operates on a “bottom-up” basis Four funding programmes

European Research Council Future Emerging Technology

Funds collaborative frontier research Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Infrastructures

Funding mechanism for Europe-wide infrastructures to support research

INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP

Main programme under this pillar funds collaborative top-down research Leadership in Enabling and Industrial

Technologies (LEIT) Risk Financing Innovation to SME’s

Focused on applied research and innovation activities

SOCIETAL CHALLENGESChallenge Objectives

Health Improve lifelong health and wellbeing

Food security Secure sufficient supplies of safe and high quality food and other bio-based products

Energy Transition to a reliable, sustainable and competitive energy system

Transport

Resource-efficient, environmentally friendly, safe, seamless, and performing transport system for the benefit of all citizens, the economy and society.

Climate and resources

Resource efficient and climate change resilient economy and a sustainable supply of raw materials

Societies Foster inclusive, innovative and secure European societies

EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

ERC FUNDING SCHEMES 1

Starting Grants Consolidator Grants Advanced Grants Synergy Grants Proof of Concept Grants

ERC FUNDING SCHEMES 2

Starting Grant

ConsolidatorGrant

Advanced Grant

Deadline 2014 25 March 20 May 21 October

Budget 2014 (No. grants awarded)

€485 million (370)

€713 million (400)

€450 million (200)

Deadline 2015 3 February 12 March 2 June

Budget 2015(No. grants awarded)

€411 million (315)

€603 million(340)

€640 million(285)

Summary of Main Grant Schemes

ERC FUNDING SCHEMES 3

Three research domains Indicative split between the domains

Physical Science & Engineering 44% Life Sciences 39% Social Sciences & Humanities 17%

Open to any nationality Funding for best “frontier research” –

research excellence the only criteria Lead by a single PI, supported by a research

team

ERC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 1

Starting GrantSpecific eligibility criteria: Principal Investigator shall have been

awarded his/her first PhD ≥ 2 and ≤ 7 years prior to the publication date of the call for

proposals of the ERC Starting Grant (for 2014 the publication date is 11th December 2013)

ERC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 2

Consolidator GrantSpecific eligibility criteria: Principal Investigator shall have been

awarded his/her first PhD > 7 and ≤ 12 years prior to the publication date of the call for

proposals of the ERC Consolidator Grant (for 2014 the publication date is 11th December 2013)

ERC BUDGETS 1

Eligible costs: Principal Investigator’s salary costs Cost of senior “researchers” at the College or

at other institutions Post-doctoral researchers and other research

staff (such as technicians) PhD student stipends Direct costs such as equipment,

consumables, travel and subsistence, payments to participants, field work costs, and open access publication charges

ERC BUDGETS 2

Will fund 100% of direct costs + 25% indirect costs, except for sub-contracts (typically audit fees) which are only funded at 100% of direct costs i.e.

PI 50,000

PDRA 250,000

Equipment 700,000

Sub-contract (Audit Fees)

5,000

Sub-total 1,005,000

Indirect 250,000

TOTAL ERC Contribution 1,255,000

HOW TO PREPARE AN ERC BID 1

Proposals are submitted via the Research and Innovation Participants Portal

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/

Same portal is used to identify opportunities, and manage awarded grants

The bid consists of two main sections – Part A and the Part B.

The Part A will consist of a title page with summary, contact information for the PI and the College, and a summary budget

HOW TO PREPARE AN ERC BID 2

Part B split into multiple sections Cover page

Includes 2000 word summary & if cross-disciplinary, 1000 word justification of the cross-disciplinary nature

Part B1 consists of: Extended synopsis: 5 pages – show how

proposed research is ground breaking CV: 2 pages Funding ID: - list of on-going grants & grant

applications Achievement track record: 2 pages

HOW TO PREPARE AN ERC BID 3

Part B2 Detailed scientific proposal: 15 pages

State of the art objectives Methodology Resources required (including breakdown &

justification of costs) Template for starting grant available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/call_ptef/pt/h2020-call-pt-erc-stg_en.pdf

Template for consolidator grants is not available yet

EVALUATION

Two-stage evaluation Stage 1 evaluate the extended synopsis and

CV Stage 2 evaluate the full proposal Evaluate both research & PI

Ground breaking nature research Scientific approach Intellectual capacity and creativity Commitment to spending at least 50% on the

project and at least 50% in EU Member state or Associated Country

MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE

SCHEMES UNDER MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE

Research and Staff Exchange (RISE) Individual Fellowships (IF) Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Co-funding of regional, national and

international programmes (COFUND)

Deadlines• RISE 24th April• ITN 9th April• IF will be published 12th March for 11th

September deadline

SUMMARY OF RISE

Funds two-way exchanges of staff between academic and non-academic institutions

Promotes knowledge exchange, networking and workshops

Total budget of €70 million Flat rate funding

Top funding for personnel €2,000/person month Institution gets €1,000/person month for

research, training and network costs, and €700/person month for management & indirect costs

30 page proposal – no details available yet on format of proposal

INNOVATIVE TRAINING NETWORKS

Three types of ITN: European Training Networks (ETN) European Industrial Networks (EIN) European Joint Doctorates (EJD)

Total budget for this call €405.18 million, with €25.5 million allocated to EIN and €30 million allocated to EJD

All ITN require the mobility of the Early Career Researchers

Projects run for 48 months, and Early Career Researchers are recruited for between 3 and 36 months

ETN

ETN: Minimum of 3 beneficiaries in at least 3 different

EU Member States or Associated Countries Typically 6 – 10 participants, must involve non-

academic participants May apply for maximum of 540 researcher

months per network Researchers will typically be enrolled on a PhD

EIN

EIN: Minimum of 2 participants, 1 academic and 1

non-academic, located in different EU Member States or Associated Countries

Maximum of 540 researcher months for Networks with more than two participants, otherwise maximum 180 researcher months

Researchers must spend 50% of their time at the non-academic participant, plus up to 30% at other beneficiaries

Must be enrolled for a PhD

EJD

EJD: Minimum of 3 academic participants from 3

different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Above this minimum may include participants from any sector

May apply for maximum of 540 researcher months per network

As a minimum researchers must be enrolled for a Joint Doctorate

The network must provide Joint/Double or Multiple Doctoral Degrees

BUDGET UNDER ITN

Flat rate budget

Monthly living allowance

Monthly Mobility Allowance

Monthly FamilyAllowance

€3,110* €600 €500

* Adjusted by country coefficient, so will get €3,741.33/month in UK

Research, Training and Network Costs

Management and Indirect costs

€1,800 €1,200

FORMAT OF ITN 1

Part A General information about the proposal Data on participating organisations Budget (in terms of requested researcher

months) Ethics table Information on partner organisations

FORMAT OF ITN 2

Part B List of Participants 1. Summary 2. Excellence 3. Impact 4. Implementation Gantt chart 5. Capabilities of the participating organisations 6. Ethical aspects Letters of commitment

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/doc/call/h2020/h2020-msca-itn-2014/1590152-itn_2014_-_guide_for_applicants_1.2_en.pdf

EVALUATION OF ITN

WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION 1

UKRO web-site: http://www.ukro.ac.uk/Pages/UKRO.aspx

UKRO subscriber services (regular e-mails on which EU funding call have been published and UKRO training sessions for ERC/Marie Sklodowska-Curie events)

RGCO web-site: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/rgco/otherservices/events.shtml

Funding Opportunities section of the Research & Innovation Participants Portal: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/index.html

WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION 2

London Higher Workshop & 1:1 Surgeries at Senate House

£499 per institution (with a max of 3 people attending)