Experience of European Research Council Panel Ole H Petersen CBE FRS Chair of ERC StG Panel LS4 School of Biosciences

Experience of European Research Council Panel ERC HQ Brussels Helga Nowotny President of ERC Ole H Petersen CBE FRS Chair of ERC StG Panel LS4

Experience of European Research Council Panel The European Research Council (ERC) is the newest, pioneering component of the EU's Seventh Research Framework Programme (the "Ideas" specific programme). It has a total budget of 7.5 billion ( ). Set up in 2007, the ERC aims to stimulate scientific excellence in Europe by supporting and encouraging the best creative scientists, scholars and engineers of any nationality in any field of research, to work in European host institutions.

European Research Council From Academia Europaeas response toEurope 2020, a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth 4 Following on from the need for a broad scholarship base, we reject the notion that there should be exclusive emphasis on those parts of science and scholarship that seem to be able to deliver short term economic benefits through technology. We strongly believe that research in the arts and the humanities is just as essential for the future, as that of the sciences. For example, in the very rapidly expanding field of neurobiology, the borders between molecular, cellular and systems neuroscience, psychology and all the branches of the arts are likely to become increasingly blurred over the next decades. Some of the most profound psychological analyses are deeply embedded in the best literature. Research and scholarship are as much a cultural good as an economic good. Europe can only benefit from having a strong cultural academic diversity.

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6 Angela Merkel The Royal Society

European Research Council 7 Overall Goal of Starting Grants Support ground-breaking, high-risk/high-gain research that opens new opportunities and directions including those of a multi- and inter-disciplinary nature Not looking for incremental research Aimed at young investigators starting or consolidating their own independent research team or independent research programme Significant awards : i.e. up to a max. of 2 M Euro per grant for up to 5 years

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9 General Principles of ERC Operation Scientific Council decides on general funding strategy Scientific Council appoints Panel Chairs Scientific Council appoints Panel Members in consultation with Panel Chairs Panel Chairs have full and formal responsibility for all funding decisions without any interference from Council Uniform administrative grant arrangements and support for all grant panels

European Research Council 10 Evaluation process: Starting Grants Step 2 (Panel + remote) Indiv assessments Individual marks Interdisciplinary flag PANEL MEETINGS Interviews Ranking Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Proposal Step 1 (panel) Indiv Assessments Individual Marks PANEL MEETINGS Ranking Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Proposal Submission + HI support letter + PhD certificate Eligibility Check Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Proposal

European Research Council 11 Marking scheme Criteria 1 and 2 will be marked according to the following scheme: 4: Outstanding 3: Excellent 2: Very good 1: Non-competitive Criteria 3 is pass/fail Quality threshold of: >=2; ½ marks allowed Proposals below the quality threshold for either of the two criteria are eliminated Proposals passing from Step 1 to Step 2 have to pass all thresholds, but also will be limited according to a given multiple of the funding available for that panel (~x2) Only those PIs that pass both quality thresholds in step 2 with their proposals will be allowed to re-submit in 2010.

European Research Council 12 Remote part of evaluation Step 1: proposals sent to (4) PMs Step 2: proposals also sent to specialized remote experts (to be determined at/ following Step 1 meeting)

European Research Council 13 Interviews (Starting Grants Only) Are going to take place at step 2 meetings Must address the elements of the review criteria Panels take into account the results of the interview alongside the other elements Interviews will last ~30 minutes in total ~10 minutes presentation by the PI ~20 minutes: questions and answers Invited applicants are reimbursed

European Research Council 14 Interdisciplinary Proposals / Domain Interdisciplinary Research domain (cross-domain and/or cross-panel) indicative budget of 13% total budget Proposal submitted to a target panel primarily responsible for its evaluation Step 1 & Step 2: Assigned for reviews from PMs outside primary panel, if necessary Step 2: Proposals that pass but not within panel budget will be considered for Interdisciplinary Domain / Budget Decision taken by combined panel of all Panel Chairs

European Research Council 15 Budget considerations of proposals Budget considerations arise (mainly) in Step 2 evaluation (meeting) Panels have responsibility to ensure that resources requested are reasonable and well justified Budget analysis needs to be justified on a proposal by proposal basis (no cross-the-board solidarity cuts) Panels to recommend a final maximum budget based on the resources allocated/ removed

European Research Council 16 Budget considerations of proposals PI salaries are an eligible cost, independent of employment scheme. If requested, PI salary cannot be removed; PI dedication to project (% full time equivalent) can be commented on/ adjusted (min 50% dedication). Awards made on a take-it-or-leave-it basis: no negotiations

Starting Grants 2010: Overall success rate by panel (440 proposals) Env Cultures Maths

Starting Grants 2010: Success rate by country of HI

Starting Grants 2010: Success rate by nationality

Gender distribution by panel funded proposals

StG Success of female grantees

Grantees by Country of HI and Gender

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