European Research Council Its mission and calls for

European Research Council Its mission and calls for proposals Dr Gabor Nagy ERC EA Head of Unit Advanced Grants June 2011

European Research Council What is the ERC? Strategy Legislation ERC is a new type of funding body in Europe to support excellence in frontier research, a bottom-up, individualteam, pan-European competition • • Scientific Council with 22 members Support by the ERC Executive Agency Significant budget (1. 2 billion €/year) Excellence as the only valid criterion • • Support for the individual scientist – no networks! International peer-review No predetermined subjects (bottom-up) Support of frontier research in all fields of science and humanities │2

European Research Council ERC Structure 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 The 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 The ERC 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

European Research Council ERC Scientific Council Members • • • • • • 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) Prof. Timothy HUNT (UK - Biology) Prof. Norbert KROO (HU – Physics) Prof. Maria Teresa LAGO (PT – Astrophysics) Prof. Henrietta L. MOORE (GB – 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 (FI – Biology) Prof. Anna TRAMONTANO (IT- Biochemistry) Prof. Isabelle VERNOS, (ES – Molecular Biology)

European Research Council FP 7 budget € 50. 5 billion ERC budget € 7. 5 billion; Increase by € 250 M/year JRC nonnuclear (3 %) Co-operation (65 %) Capacities (8 %) People (9 %) Ideas (15 %)

European Research Council ERC Grant Schemes Funding Strategy Aim: Retain – Repatriate – Recruit Favour “brain gain” and “reverse brain drain” improve career opportunities and independence - especially for young researchers increase competition, recognition and international visibility - for excellent individual scientists and scholars in Europe raise aspiration and achievement of basic research in Europe Activities: Two complementary funding schemes ERC Starting Grant (St. G) ERC Advanced Grant (Ad. G) │ 6│ 6

European Research Council ERC Granting schemes Starting Grants • • Attract/retain next-generation leaders Address funding gap early in independent career Establish independent research team & program up to € 2. 0 Mio for 5 years St. G 2010 Number of grantees Advanced Grants • • • Attract/retain current world-leaders Stimulate investigator-driven, breakthrough research up to € 3. 5 Mio for 5 years Ad. G 2010 Age of grantees

European Research Council ERC Panel Structure: 25 Panels 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

European Research Council Evaluation – Peer review • Panel Members appointed by the ERC; selected and recruited by ERC Scientific Council • Sc. C has high “recruiting power” • Recruited / attracted from all over the world: ~18% from outside the European Research Area • High level Panel Members add credibility / visibility / prestige to the programme è Several Panel Members with Nobel Prizes • All areas of human knowledge broken into 25 Panels with ~12 Panel Members, incl. a Panel Chair

European Research Council Submitted proposals

ERC Starting grant calls 2007 - 2011 Submitted proposals by domain European Research Council │ 11

European Research Council ERC Advanced grant calls 2008 - 2011 Submitted proposals by domain │ 12

European Research Council Selected proposals

European Research Council Success rates ERC Starting & Advanced grant calls 2007 – 2010

European Research Council ERC Starting grant 2007 – 2010 ERC Advanced grant 2008 - 2010 Origin of Grantees │ 15

ERC Starting & Advanced grant calls 2007 - 2010 Number of ERC grantees International exchange of researchers European Research Council

European Research Council The European Research Council Early impacts

European Research Council Early impacts: ERC is reinforcing excellence it attracts high calibre scientists Fields Medals 2010 ERC Grant holders feature prominently in the announcements of laureates of prestigious research prizes. tee ran 8 G 0 C ER d. G 20 A Cédric Villani Institut Henri Poincaré 0 01 G 2 Ad Stanislav Smirnov Geneva Uni. Ngô Bảo Châu Université Paris-Sud Elon Lindenstrauss Hebrew Univ. Wolf Prize 2010* David Baulcombe Cambridge Univ. (Agriculture) tee ran 8 G C ER d. G 200 A *4 European winners in “Science” categories” Axel Ullrich Max Planck (Medecine) Alain Aspect Inst. d’Optique, Palaiseau (Physics) 0 01 G 2 Ad Anton Zeillinger Vienna Univ. (Physics) tee an 8 r G 00 C 2 ER Ad. G │ 18

European Research Council The European Research Council How to apply

Evaluation and monitoring of ERC grants European Research Council Which advisory services did you use for preparing your proposal? Source: ERC CSA Project MERCI 2011

European Research Council Planned deadlines for 2012 calls • Tentative => check website for latest news • Date of publication St. G 2012: 19 July 2011 (tbc) • Call closure deadline for submission: • Physical Sciences & Engineering: • Life Sciences: • Social Sciences & Humanities: • Call budget: October 2011 (tbc) November 2011 (tbc) € 730 Mio • Date of publication Ad. G 2012: November 2011 (tbc) │ 21

European Research Council Further information • ERC website : http: //erc. europa. eu • ERC News Alert http: //erc. europa. eu/newsalert • ERC National Contact Points inform, raise awareness and provide advice on ERC funding opportunities, application, follow-up http: //erc. europa. eu/ncp • ERC helpdesk http: //ec. europa. eu/research/enquiries • Euraxess (EU portal for researchers) : http: //ec. europa. eu/euraxess

European Research Council Thank you!