the european research council - gov.si · established by the european commission ... the erc: some...
TRANSCRIPT
Established by the European Commission
Dr. David KrásaDomain Coordinator Physical Sciences & Engineering
ERC Scientific Management DepartmentStrengthening scientific excellence in H2020, Ljubljana, 7 February 2014
The European Research CouncilFunding opportunities under Horizon 2020
Established by the European Commission
The ERC is part of the "Excellent Science" Pillar o fHorizon 2020
What is the ERC?
Established by the European Commission
�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 th rough a bottom -up, individual-based, pan-European competition
│ 2
What is the ERC?
Legi
slat
ion
Str
ateg
y
�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 (past): € 7.5billion (2007-2013) - ~1.1 billion €/yearFuture: € 13billion (2014-2020) - ~1.9 billion €/year
Established by the European Commission
│ 4
• Boost European excellence in frontier research• High risk, high gain• Basic and applied science• Going beyond disciplinary boundaries
• Make Europe more attractive for global scientific talent• Favour “brain gain” and reverse “brain drain”• Improve career opportunities and independence• Increase competition/recognition/visibility
ERC Objectives
Established by the European Commission
ERC offers independence, recognition & visibility
• to work on a research topic of own choice , with a team of own choice
• to gain true financial autonomy for 5 years
• to negotiate with the host institution the best conditions of work
• to attract top team members (EU and non-EU) and collaborators
• to move with the grant to any place in Europe if necessary (portability of grants )
• to attract additional funding and gain recognition ; ERC is a quality label
│ 5
Creative freedom of the individual grantee
Established by the European Commission
│ 6ERC budget: FP7 H2020
ERC in numbers2007 – 2020 budget evolution
Established by the European Commission
� more than 4.000 funded proposals; over € 6.5 billion awarded� “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%
│ 7
After 6 years of existence…A success story
3,4%
10,2%
15,8%
12,1% 12,2%
9,2% 8,7%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
2007 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 CoG2013
Starting/Consolidator Grant
13,9%
16,1%
13,8% 13,4%14,1%
12,0%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Advanced Grant
Established by the European Commission
So far, two ERC grantees:
� Dr. Nedjeljka Žagar , UL, "MODES: Modal analysis of atmospheric balance, predictability and climate". Starting Grant 2011.
� Prof. Dragan Mihailovi ć, IJS, "TRAJECTORY: Coherent trajectories through symmetry breaking transitions". Advanced Grant 2012.
│ 8
The ERC and Slovenia
Established by the European Commission
│ 9
ERC core funding schemesResearch
• ERC grants aim to support Frontier Research• Multi- or interdisciplinary research, or research in
emerging fields strongly encouraged• The research proposed should have a high-
gain/high-risk profile
Established by the European Commission
Starting Grants
starters (2-7 years after PhD)
up to € 2.0 Mio for 5 years
Advanced Grants track-record of
significant researchachievements in the
last 10 yearsup to € 3.5 Mio
for 5 years
Proof-of-Concept bridging gap between research - earliest stage of
marketable innovation up to €150,000 for ERC grant holders
ERC Grant schemes in 2014
Consolidator Grants
consolidators (7-12 years after PhD)
up to € 2.75 Mio for 5 years
│ 10
Established by the European Commission
PI Profile:
� Any current place of work but working or moving to work in Europe (EU member state or FP7 Associated Country)
� Any nationality or age
� Over 2 and up to 7 years of experience after PhD for Starter , 7 to 12 years after PhD for Consolidator
� Potential for independence and evidence of maturity
� Good track-record of early research achievements, appropriate to their research field and career stage
ERC core funding schemesPrincipal investigator profile and commitment for S tG + CoG
│ 11
PI Commitment:
� Minimum 50% of PI working time on ERC project
� Minimum 50% of PI working time in a EU Member Sate or Associated Country
Established by the European Commission
PI Profile:
�Any current place of work but working or moving to work in Europe (EU member state, FP7 Associated Country)
�Any nationality or age
�Strong leadership profile (impact, recognition,…)
�Excellent track record in recent years (achievements during the last 10 years)
│ 12
ERC core funding schemesPrincipal investigator profile and commitment for A dG
Commitment:
� Minimum 30% of PI working time on ERC project
� Minimum 50% of PI working time in a EU Member Sate or Associated Country
Established by the European Commission
Starting Grant (StG):Up to 1.5 million € for a period of 5 years. Up to additional 0.5million € in case of eligible “start up” costs for PI moving from a third country and/or purchase of major equipment
Advanced Grant (StG): Up to 2.5 million € for a period of 5 years (pro rata for projects of shorter duration). Up to additional 1.0 million €
│ 13
ERC core funding schemesFunding
Consolidator Grant (StG):Up to 2.0 million € for a period of 5 years (pro rata for projects of shorter duration). Up to additional 0.75 million €
Established by the European Commission
│ 14│ 14
ERC Funding schemesGeneral requirements
• In conjunction with a Host Institution
� Based in EU or associated countries
� Overheads rate: 25%
• Individual PI with research team
� Researcher has freedom to choose national or trans-national team, if scientific added value proven
• ERC grants are portable
Established by the European Commission
ERC Proof of ConceptMain features
What for:Establish the innovation potential of an ERC-funded idea a: technical validation, market research, clarifying IPR strategy, investigating business opportunities
Eligibility:Holders of an ERC grant with an idea substantially drawn from an ERC-funded project
Size:Up to €150,000 over 12 months (Total budget for 2013: €10 million)
Outcome:A "package" to be presented to venture capitalists
│ 15
Established by the European Commission
│ 16
Excellence as sole criterion, to apply to:1. Quality of the research project
� Ground-breaking nature of the research: Important challenge?Substantially beyond the current state of art?
� Potential impact: Possibility of a major break-through?� Methodology: Feasibility, high-gain/high-risk balance
2. Principal Investigator� Intellectual capacity and creativity: Track-record, capacity to go
significantly beyond the state of the art. � Commitment: Willing to devote a significant part of PI's working time
(minimum of 50% for Starting and Consolidator Grant)
Evaluation Criteria
Established by the European Commission
│ 17
Peer Review Evaluation Panels
� 25 Panels covering all fields of science, technology and scholarship
� 3 sets of Panels : StG, CoG, AdG Panels
� Each Panel consists of the Panel Chairand 10-15 Panel Members
� Panel Members are appointed by the ERC Scientific Council
Established by the European Commission
│ 18
• PE1 - Mathematics• PE2 - Fundamental constituents of matter• PE3 - Condensed matter physics• PE4 - Physical and analytical chemical sciences• PE5 - Synthetic Chemistry and Materials• PE6 - Computer science and informatics• PE7 - Systems and communication engineering• PE8 - Products and process engineering• PE9 - Universe sciences• PE10 - Earth system science
Panel StructurePhysical Sciences and Engineering
Established by the European Commission
│ 19
• SH1 – Markets, individuals, and institutions: economics, finance and management
• SH2 - The social world, diversity and common ground: sociology, social anthropology, political science, law, communication, science and technology studies
• SH3 – Environment, space and population: sustainability science, demography, geography, regional studies and planning
• SH4 - The Human Mind and its complexity: cognitive science, psychology, linguistics, philosophy of mind, education
• SH5 - Cultures and cultural production: literature, philology, cultural studies, arts, philosophy
• SH6 - The study of the human past: archaeology and history
Panel StructureSocial Sciences and Humanities
Established by the European Commission
│ 20
• LS1 - Molecular and Structural Biology and Biochemis try• LS2 - Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology• LS3 - Cellular and Developmental Biology• LS4 - Physiology, Pathophysiology and Endocrinology• LS5 - Neurosciences and neural disorders• LS6 - Immunity and infection• LS7 - Diagnostic tools, therapies and public health• LS8 - Evolutionary, population and environmental bio logy• LS9 - Applied life sciences and non-medical biotechno logy
Panel StructureLife Sciences
Established by the European Commission
Researchers career development and complementary funding schemes
Post-docs
Senior
Professor
Students
Post
Graduates
Junior Professor/
Junior Researcher
Associated Professor
Full Professor
Erasmus+
Marie-Skłodowska-Curie
ERC Advanced Grant
ERC Starting Grant
ERC Consolidator Grant
│ 21
Established by the European Commission
│ 22
Developing a new generation of excellent scientists Even if you're not a PI, you can still participate in ERC funded research
│ 22
Established by the European Commission
│ 23
� Publication date of first calls : December 11, 2013
� Three ERC frontier research grants will be available under Work Programme 2014: Starting; Consolidator; and Advanced Grants
� Deadlines:
� Starting Grants: 25 March 2014
� Consolidator Grants: 20 May 2014
� Advanced Grants: 21 October 2014
� ERC Proof of Concept: 1 April and 1 October 2014
ERC in 2014Timeline
Established by the European Commission
│ 24
Call budget for 2014 calls
� Budget distribution among domains:
� Physical Sciences & Engineering: 44%
� Life Sciences: 39%
� Social Sciences & Humanities: 17%
� Within each domain, budget is broken down according to total funding requested per panel (equal chance in each panel)
StG CoG AdG PoC Total
Budget (million €) 485 713 450 15 1663
Approx. # of grants 370 400 200 100
Established by the European Commission
� Essential features maintained:� Same schemes, same principles, same selection procedures/criteria� Independent Scientific Council with full authority over funding strategy� Executive Agency with autonomous operation
� Increased budget (13 Bio € in current prizes for 201 4-2020): � More opportunities than ever for top research talents
� Ever increasing applicant numbers:� Re-application rules tightened� Make sure that you assess your chances realistically
ERC in Horizon 2020Changes and continuity
Established by the European Commission
│ 26
The ERC: Some take-home messages
�The ERC's strategy is made BY scientists FOR scientists
The ERC Scientific Council• 22 prominent researchers • Appointed by the Commission • Establishes overall scientific strategy• Controls quality of operations and management• Ensures communication with the scientific
community
Established by the European Commission
│ 27
The ERC: Some take-home messages
The ERC Executive Agency:� Is implementing lean procedures for proposal evaluation
and grant management
�To keep away from you administrative hassle
�To let you do what you do best:
Excellent Research!
Established by the European Commission
│ 28
The ERC: Some take-home messages
ERC Grants can make all the difference :
Long-term grants
Generous funding
Available for high-risk/high-gain projects
Established by the European Commission
� ERC National Contact Point: Dr. Andreja UMEK VENTURINI
� ERC Website http://erc.europa.eu
� ERC Helpdesk http://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/links
� Quarterly ERC e-newsletter and e-News Alerts
� Euraxess-Jobs http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/index
More information on ERC
Thank you for your attention
│ 29