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!