Claudia Jesus-Rydin Research Programme Officer

Starting Grant Unit

Dublin, 09 September 2009

The European Research Council ERC STARTING GRANT INFORMATION SESSION - Ireland

│ 2

What is the ERCWhat is the ERC

The first European funding body set up to support investigator-driven frontier research.

Supporting and encouraging the very best, truly creative scientists, scholars and engineers to be adventurous

and take risks in their research.

Encouraged to go beyond established frontiers of knowledge and the boundaries of disciplines.

ERC, “Ideas” and FP7ERC, “Ideas” and FP7Main issues

An “integrated structure” with a specific vocation Independent scientific governance

Scientific Council with 22 members

Dedicated Implementation StructureExecutive Agency with 389 employees by 2013

Part of the “family” of FP7 and complementary to other FP7 supports to research

Bottom-up vs targeted research

Individual teams vs consortia

FP7 “Ideas” programme provides funding Budget (2007-2013) : € 7.51 bn (around 15% of FP7 budget)

Average budget: € ~1 bn per year

ERC Grant schemesERC Grant schemesStrategic principles

All fields of science and scholarship are eligible Investigator-driven, bottom-up

Excellence is the only valid criterion Individual team + research project

Investment in research talent Attractive, flexible grants, up to five years? Under control of the lead researcher (Principal Investigator)

Independent individual teams in Europe Nationality and Age of researchers is not relevant Host organisation to be located in EU or AS

ERC Grant schemesERC Grant schemes3R and 2 schemes

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 - comparability/benchmark for researchers and research systems

Activities: Two complementary funding schemes ERC Starting Grant (StG): attract & retain the next generation of

independent research leaders - up to € 2.0 Mio for 5 years

ERC Advanced Grant (AdG): attract & reward established independent research leaders - up to € 3.5 Mio for 5 years

ERC Grant schemesERC Grant schemesWho can apply? – General requirements

1. Principal InvestigatorNationality, age or current placeof work not relevant

2. Host organisationTo be located in MS or AS

2. Frontier Research ProjectAll fields of science, engineeringand scholarship are eligible(investigator-driven, bottom-up)

4. Individual research teamPI has freedom to chooseNational or trans-national character,if scientific added value proven

European Research Council

│ 7

Individual Research Teams

headed by a single “Principal Investigator” (team leader)

if necessary, including additional team members

The “Principal Investigator” has the freedom to choose the research topic and the power to assemble their research team according to the needs of the project

Teams can be of national or trans-national character

Who can apply to ERC grants?Who can apply to ERC grants?

European Research Council

│ 8

RequirementsRequirements

Principal Investigator (PI)

any nationality

one ERC Grant managed by a PI at any time

re-submission rules may apply

Hosting institution

located in an EU Member State or Associated Country

intra-European grant portability

European Research Council

│ 9

Profile of StG Profile of StG

Any nationality or age

Any current place of workbut: working or moving to work in Europe

2-10 years of experience after PhD

Potential for independence and evidence of maturityone publication without PhD supervisor

Track-record of early research achievements appropriate to their research field and career stage

Starters vs Consolidators

European Research Council

│ 10

Host institutionHost institution

Applicant legal entity: institution that engages and hosts the PI

for the duration of the project

Any type of legal entity: universities, research centres, business

research units … as long as it is in EU or AC

Commitment of HI: to ensure that the PI may

- apply for funding independently

- manage research and funding for the project

- publish independently as senior author

- have access to reasonable space and facilities

European Research Council

│ 11

Profile of StG applicantProfile of StG applicantEuropean Research Council

at least one publication without participation of PhD supervisor

promising track-record of early achievements

- significant publications

- invited presentations in conferences

- funding, patents, awards, prizes

specific stage of research career at time of application

- starters

- consolidators

European Research Council

│ 12

First PhD awarded 2-10 years before call publication date (30 July 2009)- starters (PhD award: 2-6 years)

- consolidators (PhD award: 7-10 years)

- responsability of applicant to justify change in stage (exceptionally)- final decision by the panel

extension may be requested:- up to 14.5 years

- maternity (up 18 months/child) / paternity leave (up 12 months/child),

long-term illness, military service, statutory reasons (clinical

qualification)

- applies to starter / consolidator stage also

- must be supported by official documents

StG applicant: PhD requirementStG applicant: PhD requirement

European Research Council

│ 13

Size of a StGSize of a StG

Eligible costs:Support the project (personnel, equipment, consumables, travel, publi., admin.)

Non-eligible (taxes, provisions, debts, related to another project)

No double-funding

Possible requested amount : max € 1,500,000 for 5 years

+ € 500,000 if new research activity in EU by moving

from TC

Assessment:

Requested budget reviewed by panel > total amount granted

Freedom of budget breakdown

European Research Council

│ 14

Eligibility & Re-submissionsEligibility & Re-submissions

Ineligibility

- submission after the deadline

- incomplete proposals including annexes

- no commitment letter from HI

- research activity or HI outside EU or AC

- PhD award date

- missing supporting official documents

Re-application

- only one active ERC grant at any time

- only one application per PI within a calendar year

- if 2009 ► 2010: only if > threshold step 2

- if 2010 ► 2011: only if > threshold step 1

European Research Council

ERC Grant schemesERC Grant schemesProposal content and submission (preliminary)

ERC Grant proposal

PART A – online forms

A1 Proposal and PI infoA2 Host institution infoA3 Budget

PART B1 – submitted as .pdf

Section 1 Track Record of PI Scientific Leadership Potential 2 p.CV (including “funding ID”) 2 p.Early achievements track record 2 p.Extended synopsis 5 p.

PART B2 – submitted as .pdf

Section 2 Scientific proposal 15 p.

Section 3 Research Environment 2 p.

Annexes – submitted as .pdf- Statement of support by host- If applicable: explanatory information on ethical issues- StG only: PhD certificate (incl.

documents proving eligibility career breaks)

European Research Council

ERC Grant schemesERC Grant schemesProposal evaluation

Step 2

Evaluation- Indiv. assessments- Interdisciplinary flag- Interviews (StG only)- PANEL MEETINGS- Ranking

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Step 1

Evaluation- Indiv. Assessments- PANEL MEETINGS- Ranking

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Submission

+ Annexes

Eligibility Check

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Proposal - B Proposal – B1+B2Proposal – B1

Consolidation(only reserve list)

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Proposal – B1+B2

ESR & IARs

Evaluation-PANEL MEETINGS-Ranking

European Research Council

│ 17

The principal investigator will need to devote, in the case of a Starting Grant at least 50% of her/his working time to the ERC-funded project.

Recommendation: Recommendation: Honest Funding ID, clear motivations Honest Funding ID, clear motivations

andandLet panel make the decision Let panel make the decision

StG PI’s dedication & availabilityStG PI’s dedication & availability

European Research Council

│ 18

Submission deadlines for 2010 callsSubmission deadlines for 2010 calls

Date of publication StG 2010: July 30, 2009

Call closure deadline for submission :

Physical sciences & engineering ….. October 28, 2009

Life Sciences ….. November 18, 2009

Social sciences & humanities ….. December 9, 2009

Call budget : 530 M

Date of publication AdG 2010: October 29, 2009

Call budget : 590 M

European Research Council

Source: StG-09: 2503, 17.12.2008

StG 2009Submitted proposals

by country of host institution

(2503)

29

227

42434

9043

80

7

2626

95

134

3049

34

42

2

284

1

6195261

47

9

86

256

228

1

347

European Research Council

ERA

4

56

1

5

ERC Starting Grant ERC Starting Grant 20092009Submissions from researchers with a residence outside of ERA

31

1

1

1

1

1

European Research Council

Armenia

2

Argentinia

2

Australia

7

Bangladesh

1

Canada

3

Cuba

1

Chile

1

Brasil

7

Algeria

1

Belarus 1

Egypt

1 India

14

Japan 6Lebano 1

Korea

3

Sri Lanka

2

Mexico

2

Malaysia

2

New Zealand

2

Peru

1

Russia

30

Singapore

1

Taiwan 2Iran 1

USA

31

Ukraine 8

Uruguay 1

Viet Nam

1

South Africa

2

ERC Starting Grant ERC Starting Grant 20092009 Submissions from nationals of third countries

China

14

Source: StG-09: 2503 submitted proposals

Moldova2Kazakhistan 1

European Research Council

│ 22

StG IRISH participation evaluationStG IRISH participation evaluation

Panel members

LS 1

PE 1

SH 0

Total: 2

European Research Council

│ 23

PROPOSAL_ Host Inst. PROPOSAL_ Host Inst. IrelandIreland LSLS PEPE SHSH Sub-total Sub-total 

Grand Grand TotalTotal

Main ListMain List 1 1 1   3

IneligibleIneligible       4 4

Satisfactory Step 1Satisfactory Step 1       15 15

Unsatisfactory Step 1Unsatisfactory Step 1       7 7

Grand TotalGrand Total 1 1 1 26 29

StG 2009 IRISH resultsStG 2009 IRISH results

European Research Council

│ 24

StG 2009 – General ResultsStG 2009 – General Results

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Social Sciences & Humanities

927 (37%)

1112 (44.4%)

464 (18.6%)

69 (31.5%)

93 (42.5%)

41 (18.7%)

Submitted proposals Main list final

∑ = 219 8,7% of submitted

16 (7.3%)Interdisciplinary Domain

∑ =2503

European Research Council

│ 25

Submitted proposals Main list proposals

Nationality F M Total Nationality F M Total

Irish 4 15 19 Irish 0 2 2

Success% 10.5

Submitted proposals Main list proposals

Host Inst. F M Total Host Inst. F M Total

Ireland 10 19 29 Ireland 0 3 3

Success% 10.3

StG 2009 – Ireland ResultsStG 2009 – Ireland Results

Ireland success rate > General success rate 10.3% 8.7%

European Research Council

│ 26

Thank you !

Claudia.JESUS-RYDIN@ec.europa.eu