european research council · 2017. 3. 10. · • european research council (13,09 bn) • future...

The European Research Council

Niki ATZOULATOU Head of Unit

Grant Management ERC Executive Agency

Principal Investigator

Centric event

Città della Scienza – 29 October 2013

Established by the European Commission

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Introduction

1. Purpose of PI centric events

2. A bit of history

3. ERC and ERCEA

4. The future: Horizon 2020

Legal aspects

Financial aspects

Coffee break

Scientific reporting

YAE – an initiative from ERC grantees

Open discussion

AGENDA


ERC organises a PI centric events at

Città della Scienza


PI Centric events : our purpose

Launched in 2010, the "PI Centric events" aim at:

Strengthening the dialogue and the continuous cooperation

between the ERC and the Principal Investigators (PIs);

Reiterating the importance of Excellent research in Europe;

Offering a direct "learning" and information exchange platform

by means of the following:

Provision of direct support and insight in ERC more from

ERC officers;

Opportunity for the PIs to express "uncensored" concerns;

Stimulation of the PIs' "networking" – possibility to learn

from each other.


History – where we come from and

where we are heading

2005

2007

2009

2013

2014

EC proposes to establish the ERC as part of its 7TH Framework

Programme for Research (FP7, 2007-2013) for the implementation of the

IDEAS Specific Programme; The Scientific Council of the ERC is

created and meets for the 1st time

Launch of FP7, ERC is allocated €7,5bn

1st ERC call is published and attracts 9000 applications

The administrative structure of the ERC, the Executive Agency, is set up

The ERC has become a success story, developing into a European

Research Agency with international recognition. 34.000 applications for

funding were received so far under the 5 different types of funding are

available (Starting grants, Consolidators grants, Advanced grants,

Synergy grants, Proof of Concept grants)

Launch of Horizon 2020: despite austerity times the ERC is to receive a

substantial increase in its budget!


Support for the individual scientist – no networks!

Global peer-review

No predetermined subjects (bottom-up)

Support of frontier research in all fields of science

and humanities

The ERC supports excellence in frontier research through

a bottom-up, individual-based, pan-European competition

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Scientific governance: independent Scientific Council

with 22 members; full authority over funding strategy

Support by the ERC Executive Agency (autonomous)

Excellence as the only criterion

Budget: € 7.5billion (2007-2013) - 1.1 billion €/year

What is ERC?

http://www.francisplumbing.com/images/excellence.jpg


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

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, financial and legal aspects of grant agreements

• Carries out communications activities and ensures information

dissemination to ERC stakeholders

ERC Scientific Council: • 22 prominent researchers proposed by an independent identification

committee

• Appointed by the Commission (4 years, renewable once)

• Establishes overall scientific strategy; annual work programmes

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

selection and accreditation of experts

• Controls quality of operations and management

• Ensures communication with the scientific community

ERC – the key actors


"THE ERCEA IS DEDICATED TO SELECTING AND FUNDING

THE EXCELLENT IDEAS THAT HAVE NOT HAPPENED YET

AND THE SCIENTISTS THAT ARE DREAMING THEM UP"

Department C – Grant management:

- On the basis of the funding decision taken by the ERC President - after

evaluation of a call through peer-review - Department C provides support for

the financial and contractual framework for the research to happen.

- The Department is a service provider making sure that PIs have the legal

security and financial means to carry out the research in optimal conditions,

keeping the administrative burden as low as possible.

- The Grant Implementation Unit is your contact point for the project during its

lifetime and in constant effort to support and serve the PI in carrying out

excellent research: the financial follow-up, the assessment of financial

reports and the processing of payments, the legal follow-up of the project:

amendments and advice on the rights and obligations laid down in the ERC

grant agreements.

ERC Executive Agency – our Mission


• More than 3.400 funded proposals;

• “Excellence attracts excellence”: 50% of PIs in 50 institutions, but

more than 500 different host institutions in 29 countries host the other

50% of the projects;

• Highly competitive: average success rate 12%;

• EU value added: pan-European competition among researchers for the

first time ever;

• Strengthening peer-review-based evaluation systems;

• Strong structuring effects: reshaping the European landscape of

basic/frontier research;

• Making Europe more attractive in the global competition for scientific

talent. │ 9

After 6 years of existence…

A success story


Jean-Marie

Lehn

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Stanislav Smirnov AdG 2008

Simon Donaldson AdG 2009

Elon Lindenstrauss AdG 2010

Other Prizes awarded to ERC grantees

EMBO GOLD MEDAL 2011 – Simon BOULTON - AdG 2010

FEBS|EMBO WOMEN IN SCIENCE 2011 - Carol ROBINSON - AdG 2010

EMBO GOLD MEDAL 2010 – Jason W CHIN - StG 2007

THE SHAW PRIZE IN MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES 2011 - Christodoulou Demetrios - AdG 2009

CRAFOORD PRIZE 2011 and EUROPEAN LATSIS PRIZE 2010 – Ilkka Hanski - AdG 2008

L'ORÉAL-UNESCO AWARD FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE 2011 - Anne L'Huillier - AdG 2008

WOLF PRIZE 2010 – Anton ZEILINGER, David BAULCOMBE-AdG 2008, Alain ASPECT–AdG 2010

MILLENIUM AWARD 2010 – Michael GRATZEL - AdG 2009

2012 Prizes awarded

to ERC grantees

EMBO GOLD MEDAL 2012 Jiri FRIML - StG 2011

BALZAN PRIZE 2012 David BAULCOMBE - AdG 2008

EUROPEAN LATSIS PRIZE 2012

Uffe HAAGERUP - AdG 2009

KELVIN PRIZE 2012 Colin McINNES - AdG 2008

LEIBNIZ PRIZE 2012 Michael BRECHT - AdG 2008

& Joerg WRACHTRUP - AdG 2010

James

Heckman

Theodor

Hansch Christoforos

Pissarides Andre

Geim

2013 Wolf Prize awarded to Peter Zoller - SyG 2012

2013 Holberg Prize awarded to Bruno Latour - AdG 2010

2013 Crafoord Prize awarded to Lars Klareskog - AdG 2009

Ada

Yonath

Konstantin

Novoselov

Nobel 2010

Serge

Haroche

Nobel 2012

ERC Grantees feature prominently among

laureates of prestigious Prizes and Awards


Top Institutions hosting ERC grantees

ERC Starting & Advanced grant calls 2007 – 2013

(*) Based on first legal signatories of the grant agreement - data as of 09/09/2013


(*) Based on first legal signatories of the grant agreement - data as of 09/09/2013

ERC grants - Distribution by country of HI



Main Italian Host Institutions ERC projects


(*) Based on current host institutions - data as of 09/09/2013


H2020:

the future

1. Excellent Science (indicative allocation of funds: 31,7% of €77 Bn)

• European Research Council (13,09 bn)

• Future and Emerging Technologies

• Marie Curie actions

• Research infrastructures

2. Competitive Industries (23%)

• Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

underpinning innovation

• Access to risk finance

• Innovation in SMEs

3. Better Society – societal challenges (41%)

4. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (2%)

5. Non-nuclear actions of the JRC (3%)


• Importance of ERC confirmed as a body funding frontier

research through competition at European level;

• No predetermined subjects (bottom-up); all fields of science;

• Support for the individual scientist or for groups of PIs;

• Open to researchers from anywhere in the world willing to do

research in Europe (EU and AC);

• Selection based on Excellence only, after international peer-

review.

ERC: Continuity


Strengthening the Scientific Governance of the European Research

Council

• Strengthening the links between the Scientific Council and the Executive Agency

• Merging positions of President of ERC and Secretary General

• Full-time President based in Brussels

• 3 Vice-Chairs elected from amongst the Scientific Council members

• Strengthening the role of Scientists in the Steering Committee of the ERCEA

• Strengthening the relation of the Scientific Council and the ERCEA

Strengthening the links between ERC and other parts of H2020 which

aim at reinforcing the European Science base

“Bringing ERC with Marie Curie, FET and Research Infrastructures together in

a single programme will enable them to operate with greater coherence and in

a rationalised, simplified and more focused way”

ERC

improvements


• Broader acceptance of usual accounting and management

practices of the beneficiaries (should lead to reduction of

administrative costs for beneficiaries of around 30%);

• Time-recording abolished for researchers working exclusively

in an ERC project;

• Audit certificates: only one to be provided at the end of the

project and only if EU contribution is >325.000€;

• Acceleration of all processes, notably faster feedback to

beneficiaries on evaluation results;

• Electronic submission of documents.

Simplification


ERC continues…

european research council · 2017. 3. 10. · • european research council (13,09 bn) • future...

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