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The Specific Programme “Ideas” : The European Research Council (ERC)

Monica DietlEuropean Commission, DG RTD

Directorate B/Unit B1 (W.P. Cannell)

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Why an ERC?

The ERC in the 7th Framework Programme

ERC: Structure and organisation

Progress in building the ERC

Outline

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• European added value through Europe- wide competition• Catalysing the creation of a more coherent European research system• Making Europe more competitive• Need of funding for Frontier research

Why an ERC?Why an ERC?

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Encouraging and supporting the finest talent: scientists are ambitious and competition for big rewards will always “raise the game”

Selecting the most promising research areas, by pushing groups to the edge of current possibilities

Giving European and international visibility to research leaders

European added value through Europe-wide competition

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Bottom-up competition promotes the re-configuration of research activities to meet the new opportunities and challenges, often across disciplinary boundaries

Individual countries need external benchmarks

National research systems learn from European competition

Catalysing the creation of a more efficient European research system

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High quality frontier research stimulates early-stage industrial investment

Europe’s universities and research organisations must stay at the forefront of knowledge

Discoveries lead to Intellectual Propperty and to start-ups

Knowledge acquisition is a major cultural benefit

Making Europe more competitive

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Research at the frontiers is an intrinsically risky venture

it is characterised by an absence of disciplinary boundaries

We need to avoid outmoded distinctions:

Between “basic” and “applied” research

Between “science” and “technology”

Between “traditional” disciplines

Need for Frontier research

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Cooperation - thematic research areas

Ideas - frontier research (ERC)

People - human resources

Capacities:

InfrastructuresSMEsRegions of knowledgeResearch potentialScience in society

The ERC in FP7The ERC in FP7

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What’s new in FP7 ?

• Substantial annual budget increase• Frontier research (~ EUR 1 billion per year)• Joint Technology Initiatives (JTI)• A Risk-Sharing Finance Facility (loan finance

EIB)• Regions Knowledge (regional RTD driven

clusters)• Logistical and administrative tasks transferred

to external structures• Duration of 7 years

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FP7 budget (Non-Nuclear)

J RC3.4%Capacities

8.5%

People9.4%

Ideas14.8%

Cooperation63.9%

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Support to individual teams !

Investigator-driven frontier research All areas of science and technology Simplified grant 100% reimbursement Independent scientific governance

(Scientific Council) Dedicated implementation structure

(Executive Agency)

Specific programme “Ideas”: Innovations compared with “standard” FP programmes

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Competitiveness Council of 28 November 2005 arrived at a consensus on ERC (including a review of implementing structure by 2010)

Competitiveness Council of 13 March 2006 global consensus on SP Ideas, no decision

Parliament amendments FP7 - 15th March 2006 (Buzek report); SP Ideas – 4 May 2006 (Niebler report)

FP7 budget following financial perspectives of the EU budget

FP7 negotiations: state of play

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Autonomous (independent of political

interest)

Efficient (low bureaucracy)

With necessary financial means (at

programme and project level)

But also….

Accountable (scientific, financial)

Appropriate European Structure

ERC Implementation requirements

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Scientific Council (SC)

Dedicated implementation structure (DIS) (may be Executive Agency)

Possibility of different structure after review (f.ex. Article 171 ) )

ERC ERC Structure and OrganisationStructure and Organisation

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High level scientists reflecting the full scope of European research, nominated by Commission decision

Role: Establish overall scientific strategy, preparation of work programmes (including calls for proposals, detailed criteria of excellence, …)

Define peer review methodology; ensure selection and accreditation of experts

Monitor quality of operations and evaluate programme implementation

Assure communication with the scientific community

ERC Scientific Council

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Founding members were announced on 18 July 2005 following an independent identification procedure

Working in advance of the FP7 decision in the development phase of the ERC (already 2 meetings)

22 Members

Chair: Fotis Kafatos

Vice Chairs:

Helga Nowotny

Daniel Estève

ERC Scientific Council

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ERC SC – 22 Founding Members

Dr. Claudio BORDIGNON (IT)

Prof. Manuel CASTELLS (ES)

Prof. Dr. Paul J. CRUTZEN (NL)

Prof. Mathias DEWATRIPONT (BE)

Dr. Daniel ESTEVE (FR)

Prof. Pavel EXNER (CZ)

Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim FREUND (DE)

Prof. Wendy HALL (UK)

Prof. Dr. Car l- Henrik HELDIN (SE)

Prof. Dr. Fotis C. KAFATOS (GR)

Prof. Dr. Michal KLEIBER (PL)

Prof. Norbert KROO (HU)

Prof. Maria Teresa V.T. LAGO (PT)

Dr. Oscar MARIN PARRA (ES)

Prof Robert MAY (UK)

Prof. Helga NOWOTNY (AT)

Prof. Christiane NÜSSLEIN-VOLHARD (DE)

Dr. Leena PELTONEN-PALOTIE (FI)

Prof. Alain PEYRAUBE (FR)

Dr. Jens R. ROSTRUP-NIELSEN (DK)

Prof. Salvatore SETTIS (IT)

Prof. Dr.med. Rolf M. ZINKERNAGEL (CH))

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Execute work programme as established by the Scientific Council

Implement calls for proposals (information and support to applicants; proposal reception/eligibility check; etc.)

Organise peer review evaluation

Establish grant agreements, transfer funds

Administer scientific and financial aspects and follow-up of grant agreements

ERC Dedicated Implementation Structure (DIS)

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Guarantor of the autonomy and integrity of the ERC

Ensure that implementation follows principles of autonomy

Adopt work programme as established by the Scientific Council

“Double lock” by the Programme Committee

Provide annual report on ERC operations to Council and European Parliament

The European Commission’s duties

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Individual team Frontier research grant Peer review process (SC) Work programme (SC) Preparation of the DIS Follow-up of political process: Timetable

Progress in building the ERCProgress in building the ERC

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The Principal Investigator (the ‘team leader’) has

power to assemble his/her research group

freedom to choose the research topic.

Individual teams should consist of a grouping of researchers which meets the needs of the project, without “artificial” administrative constraints; thus members may be drawn from one or several legal entities, from either within or across national boundaries, including third countries

Individual team

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An investment in research and research leaders

Support for investigator-driven research projects implemented by individual teams

Attractive (budget size, duration and conditions, including 100% reimbursement)

Administratively simple Flexible in application

Frontier Research Grant:Key principles

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Work programme:ERC Launch Strategy

The Scientific Council has made good progress in its first meetings regarding the ERC launch strategy Two streams of activity are foreseen:1. ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant

scheme (ERC Starting Grant)Call for proposals to be published in early

20072. ERC Advanced Investigator Researcher Grant

scheme (ERC Advanced Grant)Call for proposals at a later stage

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first call at start of FP7

designed to support researchers at the stage of starting their first independent research team

continued throughout the life of the framework programme

Starting independent researcher grant

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Designed to support excellent investigator-initiated research projects by established investigators

Brought on-stream from year 2 Complements the SIRG scheme by

targeting researchers who are already independent research leaders

Advanced Investigator Researcher Grant

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Peer review process

Peer Review EvaluationApprox. 15 high level panels (~10 members)Multidisciplinary projects encouraged (appraised

by all appropriate panels)Possibly have ScC member as observer on each

panel Evaluation Criteria

Excellence of projectPotential of people (research excellence,

achievements, publications)

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ERC Starting Grant and ERC Advanced Grant

- Operating on a bottom-up basis- Not duplicating other FP7 activities- Two-step procedure- 100 k€ - 400 k€ for up to 5 years

Funding Streams principles:

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Ongoing actions to build the ERC : Preparation of the DIS

Under the guidance of the ScC: Definition of scientific strategy (in particular for ERC

launch and first calls)Development of the systems and processes for the

DIS (call/evaluation methods, grant agreement…) Building awareness of ERC and its early strategy

And in parallel:Continuation/completion of political negotiation

(FP7, “ideas” programme)Development of the legal and operational basis for

the AgencyBuilding the “operational capability” of the DIS

(recruitment of personnel, infrastructure….)

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Implementation Roadmap

Preparatory work defined by eventual “functional components” of ERC, under the direction of a “Core Group”:

Strategy and Planning Communications and external interfaces Evaluation Grants and Finance Resources

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Initial structurefor ERC development

Scientific Council

B1 unit SC and ERC Development

DG Research(Core Group)

Otherresponsibledepartments

ERC political negotiation

• Strategy

• Communication

• Evaluation system and ERC processes

• Grants, Finance

• Resources

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Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF2006):Munich, 15-19 July 2006, Discussion forum on the European Research Council with the participation of Prof Kafatos

FP7 launch event for information multipliersBrussels, 7-9 February 2007, conference aimed at intermediaries and at stakeholders of European research policy

ERC launch conferenceBerlin, 26-28 February 2007, organised with the German EU presidency as high-level conference

European Research Event with Public ExhibitionBrussels, 7-18 March, Political High-Level Event with Presentations and Exhibition on European Research Success Stories

European EventsEuropean Eventswith ERC participationwith ERC participation

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FP7 Timetable

6 April 2005 Commission’s proposal

21 September 2005 Specific programmes’ proposal

Nov 2005 FP7 partial agreement at Council

23 December 2005 Rules for the participation

June 2006? FP7 plenary vote at EP

July 2006? Council and EP common position

July 2006? Council – political agreement SPs September 2006? EP starts 2nd reading Oct 2006 ? Commission – adoption of WPs Nov 2006 ? Council Decision Dec 2006? Adoption of FP7 Dec 2006? First calls for proposals December ? Fev 8-9, 2007 March 7-18, 2007

Launch Conference Multipliers Symposium on Science Public exhibition on EU research

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Further information

Basic research website:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/future/basic_research/

A new ERC dedicated website !

http://erc.europa.eu