FP7 IDEAS Programme The ERC funding schemes

1. FP7 IDEAS ProgrammeThe ERC funding schemes Gianpietro van de Goor, PhDDeputy Head of Unit “Strategic matters and relations with the ERC Scientific Council” ERC-DIS / European Commission Kalkara/Malta, 11 September 2008

2. ERC, “Ideas” and FP7Main issues • An “integrated structure” with a specific vocation • Independent scientific governance (Scientific Council) • Dedicated Implementation Structure (Executive Agency) • 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

3. ERC 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

4. ERC Grant schemes Frontier research - A different understanding of basic research • A new understanding of fundamental, forward-looking researchavoiding distinctions • between “basic” and “applied” research • between “science” and “technology” • relying on “traditional” disciplines • The term “Frontier research” reflects • going beyond these categories • critical importance of fundamental research in S&T • risk-taking nature of research at and beyond the frontiers of knowledge (adventurous/pioneering, novel/original, ambitious/innovative, high-risk/high-impact) • fluidity of disciplinary boundaries

5. ERC Grant schemes3R and 2 schemes Aim:Retain – Repatriate – Recruit • Favour “brain gain” and “reverse brain drain” • improve career opportunities and independence - especiallyfor 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 (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

6. EU Member States Associated States ERC Grant schemesWho can apply? – General requirements • Principal Investigator Nationality, age or current placeof work not relevant • Host organisation To be located in MS or AS • Frontier Research Project All fields of science, engineeringand scholarship are eligible(investigator-driven, bottom-up) • Individual research team PI has freedom to choose National or trans-national character,if scientific added value proven

7. ERC Grant schemesOperational Principles • Application in response to calls for proposals • Principal Investigators applies in conjunction and on behalf of a research-performing host institution • EPSS • Staged Evaluation Procedure • to manage large number of expected applications(almost 9167 proposals received in response to 1st Call for ERC Starting Grant proposals) • Panel-based international peer review process • Scientific Council selects panels and peer reviewers • Panels assess and select proposals

8. ERC Grant schemes Calls and Budget 2006 – 2011 (prospective schedule) │ 8

9. ERC Grant schemesAll fields, budget pre-allocation in 3 + 1 areas • ERC covers all fields of science, engineering and scholarship • For operational reasons the ScC agreed on 3 main research domains + 1 horizontal domain: • Physical Sciences & Engineering – 10 Panels • Life Sciences (incl. medical) – 9 Panels • Humanities & Social Sciences – 6 Panels • Interdisciplinary Research (cross-panel / cross-domain) – Panel Chairs • The call budget will be pre-allocated to these areas as follows: • 39% - 34% - 14% - 13%

10. ERC Grant SchemesEvaluation: Scientific Excellence is the sole criterion Evaluation of Excellence at three levels: • Quality of Principal Investigator • Quality of Research Project • Research Environment Referees and panels evaluate and score criteria under Heading 1 and Heading 2 numerically which will result in the ranking of the projects: • 1-4 per criterion • Threshold ≥ 2 per criterion Criteria under Heading 3 will be considered as "pass/fail" and commented but not scored

11. ERC Grant SchemesPeer Review Evaluation Panels • 25(20) Panels covering all fields of science, technology and scholarship • 3 sets of Panels: 1 StG Panels, 2 AdG Panels • Each Panel consists of the Panel Chairand 10-15 Panel Members • Panel Chair oversees evaluation process for the proposals assigned to his/her panel in collaboration with the ERC staff • The Panel Chair gives high level credibility stamp and visibility to the whole evaluation process

12. ERC Grant AgreementConcept • Agreement between ERC and Principal Investigator’s (PI’s) hosting organisation (beneficiary) • Rights/obligations on scientific, financial, ethical conduct and monitoring, eligible costs, IPR, modifications, grant portability • Supplementary Agreement between PI and its hosting organisation • Rights/obligations: administration, project execution, IPR • Single grant holder approach • PI and members from same organisation • But: multi-partner/multi-national teams are possible