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Education, Research and the Global Knowledge Society: Can Greece Compete?

Education, Research and the Global Knowledge Society: Can Greece Compete?. 3rd Hellenic Observatory PhD Symposium, LSE London, June 2007. Prof. Fotis C. Kafatos President, ERC. The ERC: Competion for Excellence at a Pan-European Level.

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Education, Research and the Global Knowledge Society: Can Greece Compete?

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  1. Education, Research and the Global Knowledge Society: Can Greece Compete? 3rd Hellenic Observatory PhD Symposium, LSE London, June 2007 Prof. Fotis C. KafatosPresident, ERC 1

  2. The ERC: Competion for Excellence at a Pan-European Level • A major European initiative to support frontiers research • A logical development of the European Research Area • Securely anchored in EU legislation • but at the same time….. • A revolutionary development 2

  3. Does Europe Need Frontiers Research? • Yes, an essential part of our civilization • Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Freud • Einstein, Watson & Crick, Jacob & Monod… and? • What will be our future competitive advantage? • Ageing and shrinking population? • High Labour and Social Security costs? • Expensive production and services? • Limited natural resources? • Capital accumulation and management? 3

  4. Europe Can Only Compete Through Knowledge • Leadership in Science, the Endless frontier • Central Role in the Knowledge Triangle:Education / Research / Innovation • Investment in excellent research • is an imperative, not an option 4

  5. To Become More Competitive, Europe Must • Generate, Attract and Retain Top Talent • Integrate and Internationalize our Efforts • Encourage and Trust the Young • Create Attractive Career Path • Competitive Champions League, set standards • by merit only (as in football) 5

  6. Birth and Structure of the ERC • Proposals of the Commission to establish ERC through Framework Programme 7 • Political Context: P. Busquin & ERA; J. M. Gago & Lisbon • A. Mitsos & Added Value Argument: • Competition for Excellence at European Level • Adoption FP7 (18/12/06) & Specific Programme “Ideas” (19/12/06); EC decision establishing ERC (02/02/07); 7.51b€ for 2007-2013 • ERC consists of an independent Scientific Council supported by a Dedicated Implementation Structure / Executive Agency • EC acts as guarantor of ScC autonomy and integrity • and ensures proper functioning of the ERC • Commissioner Potočnik nominated ScC (18/07/06) by arms-length independent procedure (Patten Identification Committee) 6

  7. ERC Scientific Council:Aim, Responsibilities and Actions • Collaborates with EC towards an autonomous, integrated world-class Research Funding Agency • Defined ERC Strategy & Annual Work Programme • Decided Calls for Proposals • Established Evaluation Rules & Procedures • Selected Evaluation Panels • Intensive 1 yr work before establishment 7

  8. The ERC Strategy, 1 • Address essentials, obvious gaps in Europe • Opportunities and independence for young scientists • Individual frontier research programs • Significant funding to make a difference • Trust the dynamic of science • Interdisciplinarity is encouraged • Excellence attracts excellence • The effects of critical mass • From individual to institutional excellence 8

  9. The ERC Strategy, 2 • Keep it simple • All fields of science and scholarship are eligible • Excellence is the sole criterion • Research results are the only deliverable • Referees & Evaluation Panels selected by excellence • Flat 20% contribution to overheads • Keep it flexible • Evaluation panels judge investment levels • Researchers can rebudget • Grants are portable 9

  10. See http://erc.europa.eu 10

  11. ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant(ERC Starting Grant) • Ca. 300 M€; 200 grants, average 1.5M€ for 5 years • i.e. 200 new investigators per call, ca. 1400 in 7 years • Sole selection criterion: Excellence of person & proposal • Eligibility:- ≤ 9 years since Doctorate + 3 years for service • - Recently established or offered a position • - To work within EU or Associated States • - No nationality criterion • 3 Rs:Recruit, Repatriate, Retain TOP TALENT 11

  12. ERC Advanced Investigator Grant(ERC Advanced Grant) • Annual budget minus ERC Starting Grants • From ca. 600 M€ to over 1 billion € / year • ca. 200/500 grants awarded each year • Sole selection criterion: Excellence of proposal & track record • Eligibility:(a) investigators at all career stages • (b) located or moving to Europe • (c) no age limit or nationality criterion • Recruit, Repatriate, Retain 12

  13. Calls for applications • Starting Grants • First call: December 2006 • Submission deadline: 25 April 2007 • Advanced Grants • First call: early 2008 • Starting and Advanced Grants • One call per year, from 2008 13

  14. Starting Grants:Foster Early Independence of Young Investigators • Principal Investigators (PI’s): • Outstanding young scientists • European and non-European • Working or moving to Europe • Host institutions: • Universities • Research Organizations (including companies, if they allow independent research) • Based in a European Member State or Associated Country 14

  15. ERC Starting Grants: Guarantees of Scientific Independence Principal Investigators must be able to: • choose their co-workers • decide on the evolving directions of their work • re-allocate resources as necessary • publish their scientific results without restrictions and independently (with, as co-authors, only those who contribute to the work significantly) 15

  16. ERC Grants:Salary Issues Host institutions have to maximize available administrative and legal options to provide for a competitive salary for nationals and non-nationals • Host institution engages the PI, pays salary • Part (or all) of PI’s salary can be charged the ERC Grant (joint funding?) • Additional personnel costs related to research can be covered by the ERC Grant 16

  17. ERC Grants:Portability ERC Grants are portable: • “Money follows the researcher” • The PI is entitled to transfer the grant to another institution after a minimum 2 years at the sponsoring institution • Proper justification and ERC approval required 17

  18. ERC Starting Grants: Scientific Domains • Social Sciences and Humanities (SH) • Mathematics, physical sciences, information and communication, engineering, universe and earth sciences (PE) • Life Sciences (LS) • Budget allocation • SH 15% • PE 45% • LS 40% 18

  19. Starting Grants First Call: Proposals received by domain 19

  20. Starting Grants First Call: % Geographic Distribution: European and Overseas Clusters 20

  21. Starting Grants First Call: “Gain-loss” figures 21

  22. Can Greece Compete? • Rich human resources • A few good universities of high level research institutions • But • Structural limitations • Universities: • “One type fits all” • Inflexible legal and political framework • Under-funded • Dispersed faculties • Locked into an unreformed system • Research: • Under-funded (<0.6% of national income and declining) • Lack of a national programme for bottom-up research 22

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