the european research council erc, 10 years funding ... · 5/9/2017 · erc governance the...
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The European Research CouncilERC, 10 years funding excellence in research
Dr Nadia El MjiyadLS Evaluation Panel Co-coordinator
European Research Council Executive Agency
9 May 2017University of Liege, Belgium
© Art & Build Architect / Montois Partners / credits: S. Brison
The ERC in a Nutshell
The ERC in a Nutshell
Set up in 2007 by the EU, the ERC funds ambitious projects in frontierresearch. It aims at:
Supporting excellent frontier research throughout Europe in allscientific domains: Life Sciences (LS), Physical Sciences andEngineering (PE), and Social Sciences and Humanities (SH)Retaining and attracting the best scientific talent to Europe, byoffering very substantial grants for up to 5 years
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Development of ERC
Development of ERC
ERC Governance
The European Commission• Provides 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
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The ERC Scientific Council• 22 prominent researchers proposed by an independent identification
committee• President appointed following recommendation of an independent
search committee• Appointed by the Commission (4 years, renewable once)• Establishes overall scientific strategy; annual work programmes;
peer review methodology; selection and accreditation of experts• Controls quality of operations and management• Ensures communication with the scientific community
The ERC Executive Agency• Executes annual work programme as
established by the Scientific Council• Implements calls for proposals and provides
information and support to applicants• Organises peer review evaluation• Establishes and manages grant
agreements• Administers scientific and financial
aspects and follow-up of grant agreements• Carries out communications activities and
ensures information dissemination to ERC stakeholders
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BOURGUIGNON Jean-Pierre
BOCK Klaus
KONDOROSI Eva
BOVOLENTAPaola
BUCKINGHAMMargaret
CLARKChristopher
CRONEEveline
STOKHOF Martin
DONALDAthene
JAJSZCZYKAndrzej
JUNGWIRTHTomas
KRAMERMichael
MEHLHORNKurt
ROMANOWICZBarbara
STENSETHNils
SUPERTI-FURGAGiulio
TAVERNARAKISNektarios
THORNTONJanet
VERNOS Isabelle
VEUGELERSReinhilde
WIEVIORKAMichel
ZWIRNERFabio
President
VicePresident
VicePresident
VicePresident
The ERC Scientific Council
Three core funding schemes:Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants and Advanced Grants
For top researchers of any nationality and age who wish to carryout their frontier research in EU Member States or associatedcountries1 project, 1 Principal Investigator, 1 Host Institution, 1 selectioncriterion: excellence of the PI and the project.No priorities, no quotas
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The ERC in a Nutshell
ERC Budget Within Horizon 2020 The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation
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= 13 billion €
Complementary Funding Schemes
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Post-docs
Senior Professors
Students
Post Graduates
Junior Professors / Junior Researchers /Associated Professors
Full Professors
Erasmus Programme
Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions - Research
Fellowship Programme
ERC Advanced Grant
ERC Starting Grant
ERC Consolidator Grant
Funding for Researchers of any Age and Career StageERC Funding Schemes 2017
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Starting Grants
2-7 years after PhD(≥ 50% commitment)
Up to € 2.0 Mio For 5 years
Advanced Grants
Track-record ofsignificant researchachievements in the
last 10 years(≥ 30% commitment)
Up to € 3.5 Mio For 5 years
Proof-of-Concept Bridges gap between research and earliest
stage of marketable innovation Up to €150,000 for ERC grant holders
Consolidator Grants
7-12 years after PhD(≥ 40% commitment)
Up to € 2.75 Mio For 5 years
• No constraints on eligible costs as long as they are for the execution of the project
• High flexibility: aims of the project can be modified through amendments to the grant agreement
• The PI should spend 50% in the EU or Associated Country
• The PI should dedicate 50% (StG), 40% (CoG) and 30% (AdG) of his/her time to the project.
• Grants have a light reporting along the project life-time: financial report every 18 months, scientific report at mid-term and end of the project
• Grants have 25-40% pre-financing
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Features of ERC grants
ELIGIBILITY
Objectives and Principles of ERC Funding
• Scientific excellence as sole selection criterion• Applications in any field of research and scholarship, totally curiosity driven• Funding for independent researchers of any age and career stage • Funding for researchers of any nationality• Host Institutions must provide appropriate conditions• Open Access to published output and research data• Equal Opportunities between men and women in the project's implementation• Compliance with ethical principles and relevant legislation• Culture of research integrity in the evaluation and granting processFor more information, see the ERC Work Programme 2017
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Objectives and Principles of ERC Funding:Applications in any Field of Research and totally curiosity-driven
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• Peer-review evaluations
• 25 panels covering the three domains of research
• In each panel, 10-15 high profile researchers from all over the world
Evaluation Process, success rate ~11%
Panel members evaluate remotely the Extended Synopsis of the proposal and the CV (Part B1)
Panel Meeting
Step 1Panel Members
evaluate remotely thefull scientific proposal (Part B1 and Part B2)
Step 2Additionally, each
proposal is evaluated by at least 2 Remote
Reviewers
Proposals rejected (score B and C)
Proposals retained (score A)
Proposals recommended for funding (score A)
Proposals not recommended for funding (score B)
Panel Meeting withInterviews for StG and CoG applicants
Research Project• Ground breaking nature • Potential impact• Scientific Approach
Principal Investigator• Intellectual capacity• Creativity• Commitment
Excellence is the sole evaluation criterion
Established by the European Commission
What are the PM looking for?
Fund Frontier research projects:Does the project go substantially beyond the state of the art?Is it timely? (Why wasn't it done in the past? Is it feasible now?)What's the risk? Is it justified by a substantial potential gain? Is there a plan for managing the risk?Why is the proposed project important?
Fund the future leaders in the field:Why am I the best/only person to carry it out?Am I internationally competitive as a researcher at my career stage and in my discipline?Am I able to work independently, and to manage a 5-year project with a substantial budget?
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Established by the European Commission
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ERC Starting and Consolidator GrantsThe applicant’s profile
• Potential for research independence• Able to develop ground-breaking idea, think out of the box• Evidence of scientific maturity and creativity• At least one (StG) /several (CoG) publications without participation of PhD supervisor
Promising track-record of early achievements• Significant publications including without the PhD supervisor, contribution to the field. Up to 5 publications for StG, up to 10 for CoG• Invited presentations in conferences• Funding, patents, awards, prizes
Established by the European Commission
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ERC Advanced GrantsThe applicant’s profile
Track-record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years
Exceptional leaders and mentors10 publications as senior author in major scientific journals
5 granted patents
10 invited presentations at international conferences
3 international conferences where Principal Investigator was an organiser
International prizes/awards
10 Reasons to Celebrate
1. Supporting Research Talent
7,000 "research champions" andtheir teams supported50,000 team members, mostly PhDsand postdocs, working on ERCprojects
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2. Advancing the Frontiers of Knowledge
73% of a sample of completed ERC projects resultedin scientific breakthroughs or major advancesERC grantees won prestigious awards:6 Nobel Prizes, 4 Fields Medals, 5 Wolf Prizes…
100,000 publications resulting from ERC projects7% of these publications rank in the top 1% mostcited worldwide. Also thanks to this, in 2014Europe surpassed the US for the first time in thistop 1%.
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3. Enhancing Visibility of European Research Results
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The ERC tackles the brain-drain by makingEurope a more attractive place for brightmindsAround 17% of the ERC team members arefrom non-EU countries9 countries (including US, China, Korea,Brazil) have signed specific agreements withthe EU that allow ERC grantees to cooperatewith young scientists from around the world
4. Attracting Scientific Talent
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5. Promoting Innovation
There is no innovation without frontier research!Almost 600 Proof of Concept Grants awardedERC projects have led to 800 patent applicationsand setting up 75 new ventures (2007-2013)
The ERC funds projects related tomajor health challenges, energyefficiency, demographic changes, etc.ERC-funded research contributes toeconomic growth and benefits thesociety at large
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6. Addressing Societal Challenges
The ERC has set the benchmark ofcompetitive funding of basic researchNew scientific councils and fundingschemes launched in EU MemberStates17 countries have introducedinitiatives to finance their bestunfunded applicants
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7. Inspiring Reforms in Europe
Research integrityOpen accessGender balanceWidening European participation
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8. Engaging with the Scientific Community
2/3 of ERC grants go to early career researchersERC grants have a strong, positive effect ongrantees' careersThey contribute to the consolidation of researchteamsKey role in training and developing a newgeneration of top scientists
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9. Boosting Research Careers
Events around the world
Wide media coverage
> 500.000 visitors of the ERC websiteper year
10.000 articles in the media every year
10. Raising an International Visibility
The Secrets of the ERC Success
The secrets of a success
The Scientific Council: 22 renowned scientists as decision makersThe evaluators: high-level scientists from all over the worldStrict bottom-up approach: no thematic priorities, all disciplines eligibleScientific and financial independence of the granteesThe size of the grants: €1.5 million for Starting Grants, €2 million forConsolidator Grants, €2.5 million for Advanced GrantsThe simplicity of the schemes and of the proceduresA very efficient management by the executive agency (ERCEA)
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Examples of projects
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Earth-like Exoplanets Discovered
Method: A network of telescopes todetect exoplanets orbiting dwarf stars.
Result: Pilot project discovered a systemof 7 potentially inhabitable exoplanets
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Prof Michaël GILLON, Université de Liège (Belgium)SPECULOOS (searching for habitable planets amenable for biosignatures detection around the nearest ultra-cool stars), ERC Starting Grant 2013
"Without the EU funding it would not have been possible toarrive at this discovery. I'm grateful that the EuropeanResearch Council invested in our idea and believed in ourintuition back in 2013."
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‘Mini Human Brains’ to Study Neurological Diseases
Method: Researchers used human stem cells to growpea-sized structures that resemble the developinghuman brain
Use: These tissues provide a tool for modellingneurodevelopmental disorders such as microcephaly
Jürgen KNOBLICH, Institute of Molecular BiotechnologyGmbH (IMBA) (Austria) & Andrew JACKSON, University ofEdinburgh (UK) were part of the team
NeuroSyStem (A Systems Level Approach to Proliferation and Differentiation Control in Neural Stem Cell Lineages), ERC Advanced Grant 2009HumGenSize (Cellular pathways determining growth and human brain size), ERC Starting grant 2011
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Hidden Medieval Cities Uncovered in Cambodia
Method: A laser radar mounted on a helicopter to scan the jungle in the Angkor region
Result: Discovery of unknown human activity dating back to prehistory
Prof Damian EVANS, École françaised’Extrême-Orient (France)CALI (Cambodian Archaeological Lidar Initiative), ERC Starting Grant 2014
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Thank you!