European Research Council (ERC): Funding Opportunities ERC is a new type of funding body in Europe to support excellence in frontier research, a bottom-up, individual-team, pan-European competition Claudia/Andreas – ERC Executive Agency in Brussels Giulio Di Toro – ERC Grantee, successful in first ERC Call in 2007 (studies Earthquakes) Sierd Cloething – ERC Scientific Council ---- Policy + former panel member Earth System Sciences Claudia JESUS-RYDIN & David KRASA ERC Executive Agency, Brussels

ERC Budget 2007-2013: € 7.51 billion ≈ $ 10 billion European Research Council ERC Budget 2007-2013: € 7.51 billion ≈ $ 10 billion The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 through FP8, are funding programmes created by the European Union in order to support and encourage research in Europe the ERC budget lies somewhere between the budgets of large funding organisations, notably the UK research councils and German Research Foundation (DFG) US National Science Foundation (NSF) (ca. € 4.4 billion p.a.) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (ca. € 17.3 billion p.a.). 2

Who can apply? What kind of project? Researcher any nationality, age or current place of work Host Institution based in Europe or associated countries Individual research team: Investigator driven, free to choose national or trans-national team What kind of project? All fields of science Excellence (PI + project) only criterion Frontier research: high risk/high gain IL

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 Grant Schemes in 2013: European Research Council € 1,8 billion StG: Starting Grants  up to €2M, 5 years CoG:Consolidators Grants up €2.75 M, 5years AdG: Advanced Grants  up to €3.5 M, 5 years SyG: ERC Synergy  up to €15M, 6 years ERC Starting Grants: up to €2.0 M for 5 years ERC Advanced Grants: up to €3.5 M for 5 years ERC Synergy Grants (from 2012): up to €15M for 6 years (ERC Proof of Concept Grants: up to €150K for 1 year) European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 ERC panel structure: 25 panels (except for Synergy) Life Sciences LS1 Molecular and Structural Biology and Biochemistry LS2 Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology LS3 Cellular and Developmental Biology LS4 Physiology, Pathophysiology and Endocrinology LS5 Neurosciences and neural disorders LS6 Immunity and infection LS7 Diagnostic tools, therapies and public health LS8 Evolutionary, population and environmental biology LS9 Applied life sciences and biotechnology Social Sciences and Humanities SH1 Individuals, institutions and markets SH2 Institutions, values, beliefs and behaviour SH3 Environment, space and population SH4 The Human Mind and its complexity SH5 Cultures and cultural production SH6 The study of the human past Physical Sciences & Engineering PE1 Mathematics PE2 Fundamental constituents of matter PE3 Condensed matter physics PE4 Physical and analytical chemical sciences PE5 Materials and synthesis PE6 Computer science and informatics PE7 Systems and communication engineering PE8 Products and processes engineering PE9 Universe sciences PE10 Earth system science European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 2012 ERC Starting Grants (1/4) Objective European Research Council “… to support researchers (Principal Investigators) at the stage at which they are starting their own independent research team or programme.” ERC Work Programme 2013 European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 2012 6

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 Starting Grant (2/4) profile Potential for research independence One publication without PhD supervisor significant publications invited presentations in conferences funding, patents, awards, prizes European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 7

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 3/28/2017 European Research Council ERC Starting Grant (3/4) Eligibility 2 years ≤ PhD date ≤ 7 years Extensions to this period are possible paternity leave, maternity leave, long-term illness, national military service European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 8

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, AGU 05.12.2011 ERC Starting Grants (4/4) Possible requested amount €1.5M for 5 years extra €0.5M "start-up" costs PI moving from outside EU+AC purchase of major equipment access to large facilities 100% total eligible direct costs (salaries, equipment, etc.) European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, AGU 05.12.2011 9

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 ERC Consolidators Grants (1/4) Objective “…to support researchers (Principal Investigators) at the stage at which they are consolidating their own independent research team or programme.” ERC Work Programme 2013 European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 10

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 ERC Consolidators Grant (2/4) profile research independence (very often already working with own group) Several publications without PhD supervisor Promising track-record of early achievements significant publications invited presentations in conferences funding, patents, awards, prizes European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 11

ERC Consolidators Grant (3/4) 3/28/2017 European Research Council ERC Consolidators Grant (3/4) Eligibility 7 years < PhD date ≤ 12 years 7 November 2000 to 7 November 2005 Extensions to this period are possible paternity leave, maternity leave, long-term illness, national military service 12

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 ERC Consolidators Grants (4/4) Possible requested amount €2M for 5 years extra €0.75M "start-up" costs PI moving from outside EU+AC purchase of major equipment access to large facilities 100% eligible direct costs (salaries, equipment, etc.) European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 13

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, AGU 05.12.2011 Consolidators & Starting Grant Overall eligibility criteria PI: up to 12 years after PhD (or equivalent degree) HI: in European MS or AC; support letter no submission to other ERC call in same Work Programme no StG 2012 evaluation below quality threshold at Step1 (RESUBMISSIONS rules) submission (well) before deadline complete submission (B1, B2, HI letter, PhD, supp docs) European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, AGU 05.12.2011 14

Consolidators & Starting Grant Submission European Research Council Consolidators & Starting Grant Submission "Guide for Applicants" - StG 2012 PART A – online forms (admistration only) A1 Proposal and PI info A2 Host institution info A3 Budget PART B1 – submitted as .pdf Section 1: PI and extended synopsis CV (including “funding ID”) 2 p. Early achievements track record 2 p. Extended synopsis 5 p. Annexes – submitted as .pdf Statement of support by HI If applicable: explanatory information on ethical issues StG & CoG only: PhD certificate PART B2 – submitted as .pdf Section 2: Scientific proposal 15 p. (incl. ethical review table) European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 15

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 Consolidators & Starting Grant peer review evaluation STEP 2 (PartB1 + PartB2) STEP 1 (Part B1 ONLY) Remote assessment by Panel members and external reviewers Remote assessment by Panel members Panel meeting Panel meeting + INTERVIEW Proposals funded Proposals rejected Proposals rejected Proposals retained Feedback to applicants European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 Consolidators & Starting Grant Interviews Take place at Step 2 meetings Panel evaluates interview + written proposal Interviews between 20-30 minutes NOTE: Invited applicants are reimbursed European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 Starting Grant 2009 to 2012 General results 2009 ∑ = 2503 2010 ∑ = 2873 2011 ∑ = 4080 2012 ∑= 4654 2009 success rate = ~8% 2010 success rate = ~15% 2011 success rate = ~12.2% 2012 success rate = ~11.5% European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012

European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012 ERC STARS: Giulio di Toro European Research Council StG 2007 Acronym: USEMS Title of the project: Uncovering the Secrets of an Earthquake: Multidisciplinary Study of Physico-Chemical Processes During the Seismic Cycle Duration and budget of the project: 5 years (2008-2013) Budget 1.992.000 € Padova University Italy Similarly several of the ERC ”main list” Principal Investigators have received recently very prestigious awards. European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012