ERC Advanced Grant and Synergy Grant David Krsa

ERC – Advanced Grant and Synergy Grant David Krása ERC Executive Agency Unit B. 3 Scientific Affairs American Geophysical Union 3 December 2012

ERC Advanced Grant Established by the European Commission • Encourages and supports innovative research projects by leading researchers at an advanced stage in their career • Complements the Starting Grant and Consolidator Grant schemes by targeting researchers who have already established themselves as independent leaders • attract & reward established top researchers – up to € 3. 5 Million for 5 years (€ 2. 5 Million + € 1 Million if PI comes from outside EU, or if major equipment/access to facilities is needed) │ 2

ERC Advanced Grant (Ad. G) Established by the European Commission • Researcher's profile è Active researchers (any age, nationality, and current place of work) è Track-record of significant research achievements (last 10 years, extension in case of career breaks possible, up to 14. 5 years) è Exceptional leaders in terms of the originality and significance of their research contribution è Freedom to choose team members (national or trans -national character, according to scientific added value) │ 3

Evaluation Criteria Established by the European Commission Excellence as sole criterion, to apply to: 1. Principal Investigator è è 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 2. Quality of the research project è è è 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 │ 4

ERC Advanced Grant - Proposal structure Established by the European Commission PART A – online forms PART B 1 – submitted as. pdf A 1 A 2 A 3 • Extended Synopsis 5 pages • CV (including ‘funding ID’) 2 pages • Track Record 2 pages Proposal and PI info Host Institution info Budget Annexes – submitted as. pdf PART B 2 – submitted as. pdf • Statement of support of HI • If applicable: explanatory information on ethical issues • Scientific Proposal 15 pages

Proposal evaluation Established by the European Commission Submission of full proposals Individual assessment of full proposals by panel members & remote referees Eligibility check 2 nd Panel meeting Step 1 (remote) evaluation on the basis of part B, section 1 of proposal* by panel members 1 st Panel meeting Proposals passing to step 2 Proposals selected for funding

ERC Synergy Established by the European Commission • For small groups of 2 to 4 excellent Principal Investigators (PIs) with complementary skills, knowledge and resources. • Unique configuration of PIs to jointly identify and tackle exciting research problems that will result in breakthrough ideas. ERC Call Budget Name ERC Synergy € 150 M Grant (8. 5% of total ERC-2013 -Sy. G 2013 budget) Grant Size Max. € 15 M for up to six years Submission Deadline 10 Jan 2011

ERC Synergy - strong commitment required Established by the European Commission • PIs must be strongly committed to the project and engage in a genuine collaboration. • PIs may apply from any country, institution worldwide. • But: PIs expected to devote at least 30% of their working time on the project and 50% in an EU Member State or Associated Country. • PIs expected to spend significant periods of ‘core time’ together, but groups not required to be physically located in the same place throughout the project.

ERC Synergy - based on core ERC principles Established by the European Commission • Excellence is the sole criterion of evaluation. • PIs with excellent track records of independent creative thinking, regardless of their career stage. • ‘Bottom-up’ - research priorities and the configuration of the group determined by the individual investigators. • Projects expected to cover more than one discipline or research field, but not obligatory.

ERC Synergy - first call took place in 2012 Established by the European Commission • Attractive, long-term funding - maximum grant of EUR 15 M for a period of up to six years. • A total of over 700 submissions in 2012, with only 10 to 15 Synergy Grants expected - competition is very intense with only exceptional proposals funded. • Total funding of call is € 150 Million (approximately 8. 5% of the 2013 ERC call budget).

ERC Synergy - Evaluation/2 Established by the European Commission STEP 1 (5 panels) STEP 2 (new panel) Remote evaluation of full proposals by panel members and external referees* Step 2 a: Panel members meet and examine retained proposals and their reports Step 1 Panel meeting Select proposals for interview Proposals retained for Step 2 b: Panel meeting and interviews Select proposals up to available budget *In the event of heavy oversubscription at step 1, panels may identify the less competitive applications by assessing the proposals on the basis of the extended synopsis and the Principal Investigators' track records and CVs.

Researchers career development and complementary funding schemes Established by the European Commission ERC Advanced ERC Sy. G– Synergy ERC St. G – Consolidators ERC St. G - Starters Full Professor Marie Curie Erasmus Post-docs Post Graduates Students Junior Professor/ Junior Researcher Associated Professor Senior Professor

ERC Grant schemes: St. G and Ad. G Success rates 2007 - 2012 Established by the European Commission

Timetable of 2013 ERC calls Single deadlines for all Calls Established by the European Commission ERC calls Starting Grant ERC-2013 -St. G Advanced Grant Call Publication Submission Deadline 10 July 2012 17 Oct. 2012 10 July 2012 22 Nov. 2012 10 October 2012 10 Jan. 2013 7 November 2012 21 Feb. 2013 ERC-2013 -Ad. G Synergy Grant ERC-2013 -Sy. G Consolidator Grant ERC-2013 -Co. G

Budget proposal under H 2020 (2014 -2020) Established by the European Commission H 2020 budget € 88 billion ERC budget € 15 billion FP 7 budget € 50. 5 billion ERC budget € 7. 5 billion JRC nonnuclear (3 %) Co-operation (65 %) Capacities (8 %) People (9 %) Ideas (15 %)

Future calls under Horizon 2020 Established by the European Commission • Expect the first calls under the Horizon 2020 programme early in 2014 • Most likely, those first calls will be the Starting Grant and Consolidator Grant call • Precise planning once the European Parliament/Council adopt the overall Horizon 2020 programme

Summary Established by the European Commission • ERC supports independent excellent researchers • Making a difference – over 3000 funded to date • If you think that you could be a possible candidate – get as much information as you can • Calls for 2014 through to 2020

European Research Council Information/Questions: Established by the European Commission Our website: http: //erc. europa. eu E-mail: claudia. jesus-rydin@ec. europa. eu david. krasa@ec. europa. eu

Questions? Established by the European Commission

Established by the European Commission Backup Slides │ 21

European Research Council ERC Grant schemes Overall Submissions (2007 – 2011) Established by the European Commission 9165 2503 2873 Starting grants 4080 2167 1584 2009 Advanced grants 2284

Submitted proposals from researchers with non-European nationality ERC Starting & Advanced Grant calls 2007 -2011 Established by the European Commission │ 23

European Research Council Restrictions on Submissions Established by the European Commission A PI may hold only 1 ERC grant at any one time A PI may only submit 1 proposal per calendar year A PI who holds an ERC grant can only submit a proposal for ERC synergy if their grant expires before November 15 th 2013 A PI who was/is a panel member in 2010 or 2012 may not apply in 2012 for the same type of grant A PI who submitted a proposal to a 2011 ERC call can only apply in 2012 for the same type of grant if their proposal was above the quality threshold at the end of step 1.

European Research Council ERC Grant schemes: St. G and Ad. G ERC grant distribution to countries Ad. G 2008 -10, St. G 2007 -10 Established by the European Commission │ 25

European Research Council ERC Grant schemes 2012: St. G and Ad. G Established by the European Commission 3 main scientific domains LS: Life Sciences PE: Physical Sciences and Engineering SH: Social Sciences and Humanities Previously (2007 -2011) 4 th domain: Funded cross-panel or cross domain proposals.

ERC Panel structure Established by the European Commission Life Sciences LS 1 Molecular & Structural Biology & Biochemistry LS 2 Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics & Systems Biology LS 3 Cellular and Developmental Biology LS 4 Physiology, Pathophysiology & Endocrinology LS 5 Neurosciences & neural disorders LS 6 Immunity & infection LS 7 Diagnostic tools, therapies & public health LS 8 Evolutionary, population & environmental biology LS 9 Applied life sciences & biotechnology Social Sciences and Humanities SH 1 Individuals, institutions & markets SH 2 Institutions, values, beliefs and behaviour SH 3 Environment & society SH 4 The Human Mind and its complexity SH 5 Cultures & cultural production SH 6 The study of the human past Physical Sciences & Engineering PE 1 Mathematical foundations PE 2 Fundamental constituents of matter PE 3 Condensed matter physics PE 4 Physical & Analytical Chemical sciences PE 5 Materials & Synthesis PE 6 Computer science & informatics PE 7 Systems & communication engineering PE 8 Products & process engineering PE 9 Universe sciences PE 10 Earth system science │ 27

European Research Council Feedback to applicants: new in 2012 Established by the European Commission Step 1 A of sufficient quality to pass to step 2 B of high quality but not sufficient to pass to step 2 C is not of sufficient quality to pass to step 2 (resubmission limitations may apply) B and C receive individual reports, panel comments and panel ranking Step 2 A meets excellence criterion, will be funded if sufficient funds available B meets some but not all elements of excellence criterion, will not be funded A and B receive individual reports, panel comments and panel ranking

ERC Grant agreements European Research Council Established by the European Commission Simple and flexible, no negotiations – take it or leave it Are portable Additional funding for St. G or Ad. G for researchers moving to Europe or Associated Countries or for purchase of major equipment Cover 100% total eligible costs plus 20% indirect costs

Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development FP 7 (2007 -13) European Research Council Established by the European Commission Main instrument of the EU for funding research Cooperation – Collaborative Research Ideas – Frontier Research People – Marie Curie Actions Capacities – Research Capacity Total FP 7 Budget: € 50. 4 billion

ERC Structure Established by the European Commission ERC Scientific Council 22 members ERC President Prof. H. Nowotny ERC Vice President Prof. K. Heldin ERC Vice President Prof. P. Exner ERC Board ERC President, ERC Vice Presidents, Sec. Gen, Director ERCEA STEERING COMMITTEE 5 members + 1 observer Secretary General Prof. Dingwel ERC Executive Agency Staff: 389 by 2013 Director ad interim: Pablo Amor European Commission DG Research and Innovation │ 31

The ERC Scientific Council Members (re-newed 1 February 2011) Established by the European Commission • • • • • • Prof. Claudio BORDIGNON (IT – Medicine) Prof. Nicholas CANNY, (IE – History) Prof. Sierd A. P. L. CLOETINGH (NL – Earth Sciences) Prof. Mathias DEWATRIPONT (BE – Economics) Prof. Tomasz DIETL (PL – Physics) Prof. Daniel DOLEV (IL – Computer Sciences) Prof. Carlos M. DUARTE (ES – Biology) Prof. Daniel ESTEVE (FR – Physics) Prof. Pavel EXNER (CZ – Applied Mathematics & Mathematical Physics) Prof. Hans-Joachim FREUND (DE- Physics & Physical Chemistry) Prof. Carl-Henrik HELDIN (SE – Molecular Cell Biology), ERC Vice President Prof. Timothy HUNT (UK - Biology) Prof. Norbert KROO (HU – Physics) Prof. Maria Teresa LAGO (PT – Astrophysics) Prof. Henrietta L. MOORE (UK – Social Anthropology) Prof. Helga NOWOTNY (AT – Social Studies of Science), ERC President Prof. Christiane NÜSSLEIN-VOLHARD (DE – Genetics) Prof. Alain PEYRAUBE (FR – Linguistics) Dr. Jens ROSTRUP-NIELSEN (DK – Chemistry) Prof. Mart SAARMA (EE – Biology) Prof. Anna TRAMONTANO (IT- Biochemistry) Prof. Isabelle VERNOS (ES – Molecular Biology)

European Research Council ERC Proof of Concept: for ERC Grantees ERC call name Budget Proof of Concept € 10 M ERC-2012 -Po. C (1% total 2012 budget) Established by the European Commission Size of Grants Publication of call Submission Deadline(s) Max. € 150, 000 for 12 mths 02 Feb. 2012 03 May 2012 From ‘blue sky research’ to 03 Oct. 2012 Bridging the Innovation gap commercialisation Fundamental research often generates opportunities for commercial application ERC-funded excellent ideas should not miss these opportunities! Innovation

ERC Synergy - pilot for 2012 European Research Council Established by the European Commission • Attractive, long-term funding - maximum grant of EUR 15 M for a period of up to six years. • Only 10 to 15 Synergy Grants in 2012 - competition likely to be intense with only exceptional proposals funded. • First call 25 October 2011 with deadline 25 January 2012. • Total funding of first call is EUR 150 M (approximately 10% of the 2012 ERC call budget).

European Research Council ERC Synergy - Evaluation/1 Established by the European Commission • Single submission of a proposal followed by a two step peer review evaluation • Evaluated by è Step 1: 5 panels è Step 2: 1 new panel • The composition of the panels is not predefined: the 5 panels will be formed in a dynamic way after all proposals have been received. • Proposals will be assessed by panel members and independent external experts.