FP7 IDEAS Programme The ERC funding schemes: Starting Grant

1. FP7 IDEAS ProgrammeThe ERC funding schemes: Starting Grant 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 Starting Grant(ERC Starting Investigator Researcher Grant) • Principal Investigator – (2 to 9) 3 to 8 years after PhD • Support researchers at the start of their independent research career and establishing or consolidating their own independent research team (or research programme) • Provide a structure for transition from working under a supervisor to an independent research leader • ~ up to 2,000.000 Euros per grant (for 5 years, pro rata reduction for shorter periods) • ~ ⅓ of ERC annual budget per year, annual calls • ~ 300 Starting Grants per year, ~1500 Starting Grants over 7 years of FP7 (2007-2013) Read the Guide for Applicants !

3. ERC Starting Grant Next Call 2008/2009 - Preliminary information • Indicative budget: ~ € 300 Mio. • Call launch end of July 2008 with 3 call deadlines • Physical Sciences on 29th October 2008 • Social Sciences on 19th November 2008 • Life Sciences on 10th December 2008 • 3 main researchdomains + interdisciplinary research domain, with separate indicative budgets • PE: Physical Sciences & Engineering (39%) • LS: Life Sciences (incl. medical) (34%) • SH: Humanities & Social Sciences (14%) • Interdisciplinary (13%)

4. ERC Starting GrantProfile of the PI • Any nationality or age • Any current place of work – but: working or moving to work in Europe(EU member state, FP7 Associated Country) • 3-8 years of experience after PhD - certain types of career breaks are accepted up to a maximum of 2 yearsread the Guide for Applicants! • Potential for research independence and evidence of maturity • at least one important publication without participation of PhD supervisor • Track-record of early research achievements appropriate to their research field and career stage  Starters vs Consolidators • First StG call (300 grants, 21 host countries, 32 nationalities, 170 host institutes) • Average Age: 35 years (spans from 24, 28 to 44y) • Average experience: 6-7 years • Average grant size: • Gender: 26% women (as low as 12% in LS2 up to 71% in SH4)

5. ERC Starting GrantEarly research achievements track-record • Publications, as main authorindicating those without the presence as co-author of their PhD supervisor) in major international peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary scientific journals and/or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals of their respective research fields, also indicating the number of citations (excluding self-citations) they have attracted. • Granted patent(s) (if applicable). • Invited presentations topeer-reviewed, internationally established conferences and/or international advanced schools (if applicable) • InternationalPrizes/Awards/Academy memberships(if applicable)

6. ERC Starting GrantsProposal content and submission (preliminary) ERC Starting Grant proposal PART A – online forms A1 Proposal and PI info “A1T” “Track Record” A2 Host institution info A3 Budget PART B1 – submitted as .pdf Section 1Track Record of PI Scientific Leadership Potential 2 p. CV (including “funding ID”) 2 p. Early achievements track record 2 p. Extended synopsis 5 p. Annexes – submitted as .pdf Statement of support by host PhD certificate (incl. supporting documents to extend the eligibility window) PART B2 – submitted as .pdf Section 2Scientific proposal 15 p. Section 3Research Environment 2 p.

7. Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 ERC Starting GrantsProposal evaluation Submission Step 2 Step 1 Proposal - B Proposal – B1 Proposal – B1+B2 Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 + Annexes • Evaluation • - Indiv. assessments • Interdisciplinary flag • Interviews • - PANEL MEETINGS • - Ranking Evaluation - Indiv. Assessments - PANEL MEETINGS - Ranking Eligibility Check

8. ERC Starting Grant „Similar type of funding“ • Same/similar conceptual aim of the grant scheme • Establishing or consolidating a research team • Establishing or consolidating scientific independence • Similar scale of funding: €100-400’000 per year for up to 5 years, i.e. up to € 2 Mio) • Same research project (similar/same objectives or approaches applied) e.g. Marie-Curie Excellence Grants European Young Investigators Awards (EURYI, € 0,75-1,25 Mio. for 5 years) NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme “Vidi” (up to € 600’000 for 5 years) DFG Emmy Noether Programme (funding of Independent Junior Research Group, for up to 5-6 years) SNSF Professorship Programme (establishment of independent team, for up to 4-6 years, in average: € 1 Mio.)

9. ERC Starting GrantMultiple Applications/Resubmissions General • Only one ERC grant managed by a Principal Investigator (or Co-Investigator) can be active at any time • No Principal Investigator (or co-Investigator) may be associated with more than one application to the ERC during the same year Starting Grant • No Principal Investigator who has submitted an eligible proposal to a Starting Grant call may apply to the next Starting Grant call, unless his/her proposal was evaluated above the quality threshold during the 2nd step but not funded due to insufficient available budget • StG Principal Investigators can compete during the last 2 years of their grant for an AdG Read the Guide for Applicants!