1. The European Research Council FP7 – Bringing Great Ideias To Life
Sheila Vidal, IGC Margarida Trindade, IMM Information Session 5th of November 2008

2. FP: The EU`s Framework Programme for Research Tecnhology and Development

3. + FP7, Specific programmes Cooperation – Collaborative research
Ideas – Frontier Research
People – Human Potential
Capacities – Research Capacity +
JRC (non-nuclear)
Euratom

4. The FP7 “Ideas” Programme European Research Council
Creates European Research Council (ERC) - a pan-European funding organisation designed to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through support to investigator-initiated frontier research across all fields, on the basis of scientific excellence.
ERC will complement other funding schemes in Europe such as those within the 7th Framework Programme and those of research funding agencies operating at the national level.

5. European Research Council Frontier Research
A new understanding of basic research avoiding distinctions:
􀃖 between “basic” & “applied” research
􀃖 between “science” & “technology”
􀃖 between “traditional” disciplines
The term “frontier research” reflects:
􀂾 going beyond these categories
􀂾 absence of disciplinary boundaries
􀂾 intrinsically risky character of ground-breaking research (highrisk/high-gain research) at/& beyond the frontiers of knowledge
􀂾 opening new opportunities & directions in research including those of a multi- & inter-disciplinary nature

6. European Research Council Strategic Aims
Boost European excellence in frontier research
􀂃 by investing in the best researchers and ideas
􀂃 through competition at European level
􀂃 on the basis of excellence as the sole criterion
􀂃 raising incentives towards quality and aspirations of individual researchers
􀂃 providing benchmarks and leverage towards broader (structural) improvements in European research

7. ERC Actors The Scientific Council Independent scientific governance
22 members individually selected by an independent identification committee to reflect the full scope of European research and scholarship
The Executive Agency Practical implementation and management of operations
The European Union Providing the financial means and is the guarantor of ERC’s autonomy

8. Funding Schemes

9. ERC Grant Schemes Two grant schemes: ERC Starting Grant
Support researchers at the stage at which they are starting or consolidating their own independent research team
1st call for proposals, 2007
2nd call for proposals, published 24 July 2008, deadline Life Sciences Panel 10 December h00 Brussels time (ERC-2009-StG)
ERC Advanced Grant
1st call for proposals 2007/08
2nd call for proposals, will be published 19 Nov 08 , deadline Life Sciences Panel 6 May 2009

10. ERC Starting Grants
Support researchers at the stage at which they are starting or consolidating their own independent research team (you should clearly indicate your situation)
Each StG may request up to € for a period of 5 years ( € /year) + 20% overheads
Grants are:
Financially attractive - to attract the very best researchers
Flexible in application - easy to adjust during execution & portable
Administration simple and transparent - fast preparation of grant agreements without “negotiations”
Short reports (every 1,5 years) plus detailed final report

11. ERC Starting Grants Summary of results of 1st Call
Taxa sucesso: 3,4%
Taxa sucesso PT: 1, 7%

12. ERC Starting Grant RequirementsPI
3-8 years since completion of PhD/24 july official docs
Special circumstances will be taken into account, such as maternity/paternity leave, military/civil service (+3 years max.)
Individual Research Teams
Headed by the PI
Can be of national or transnational character
PI and Team Members
Any nationality
One ERC Grant per investigator only may be active at any one time
Hosting Institution
Located in a EU member state or associated country
Intra-European grant portability allowed

13. ERC Starting Grant I am eligible? How to count years after PhD?
Date of Publication of call
You are eligible if your PhD was awarded
within the following intervals:
2nd Call – Open on the 24 July 2008
24 July July 2000
3nd Call – Open on the ?? July 2009
?? July ?? July 2001
4nd Call – Open on the ?? July 2010
?? July ?? July 2002
5nd Call – Open on the ?? July 2011
?? July ?? July 2003
6nd Call – Open on the ?? July 2012
?? July ?? July 2004
3 years years
Note: Special circumstances will be taken into account,
such as maternity/paternity leave, military/civil service (+3 years max)

14. ERC Starting Grant Requirements
Re-applications rules
PIs evaluted bellow the threshold (8/10) cannot apply to the next Starting Grant Call
This rule does not apply to applicants of the ERC-2007-StG

15. ERC Grants Operational Principles
Application in response to calls for proposals
Submission via EPSS only (no paper submission)
One-step application procedure
Two step-evaluation, including interview in step 2

16. ERC Starting Grants
Evaluation

17. ERC Starting Grants Peer Review Evaluation
25 high level transversal panels in 3 domains
Physical Sciences and Engineering (10 panels)
Life Sciences (9 panels)
Social and Humanities (6 panels)
+ pool of remote referees
Pre-allocation of indicative budget ( Euro)
Physical Sciences and Engineering (39%)
Life Sciences (34%)
Social and Humanities (14%)
Interdisciplinary (13%)

18. European Research Council ERC Grants Peer Review Evaluation
Life Sciences (Annex 1 Guide for Applicants)
Panel LS1 - Molecular and Structural Biology and Biochemistry
Panel LS2 - Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics & Systems Biology
Panel LS3 - Cellular and Developmental Biology
Panel LS4 - Physiology, Pathophysiology and Endocrinology
Panel LS5 - Neurosciences and Neural Disorders
Panel LS6 - Immunity and Infection
Panel LS7 - Diagnostic Tools, Therapies and Public Health
Panel LS8 - Evolutionary, Population and Environmental Biology
Panel LS9 - Applied Life Sciences and Biotechnology

19. ERC Starting Grant Panel Structure
Each panel consists of one Panel Chair and Panel Members
Panel Chair oversees evaluation process for the proposals assigned to her/his panel
A pool of referees is used for remote evaluation
Each proposal is assessed by at least 3 reviewers

20. ERC Starting Grants 2-Step Evaluation
Proposal
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3 +
Host Institution
Support Letter
Eligibility Check
Individual assessments
Individual marks
Panel Meetings
Ranking
Interdisciplinary flag
Interview
SUBMISSION STEP 1 (Panel) STEP2 (Panel+Remote)
PI+synopsis project
Project
Host institution
Note: at the interview you don´t know yet the referees comments on your proposal

21. Evaluation Criteria Scientific Excellence is the sole Criterion
Potential of Principal Investigator ?/5
Quality of research project ?/5
Research Environment and Resources Pass/Fail
Referees and panels evaluate and score criteria 1 and 2 numerically:
0-5 points, in increments of 0.5
Threshold 8 / 10
Criteria under 3 will be considered as "pass/fail" and commented but not scored

22. A trilogy of excellence Principal Investigator
ERC Starting Grants
What are the Evaluators looking for?
A trilogy of excellence
Principal Investigator
Research Project
Host Institution

23. ERC Starting Grant What are the evaluators looking for?
Principal Investigator: Potential
Quality of research
Publications of PI in high quality peer reviewed journals or the equivalent?
Papers of PI demonstrative of independent creative thinking and capacity to go beyond the state-of-the-art?
Intellectual capacity and creativity
Records of research, collaborations, project conception, supervision of students and publications demonstrative of new productive lines of thinking?

24. ERC Starting Grant What do you need to provide
The PI (Section 1a.)
Scientific leadership potential (máx 2 pages)
Self Evaluation of early career achievements demonstration potential to go significantly beyond the state of the art
Context of the early scientific scholarly contributions
Recognition and diffusion that early contribution have received from other (publications, citations, additional funding, students, prizes, etc)
CV (máx 2 pages)
Principal scientific activities and responsibilities
Participation in research projects & experience
Experience in scientific collaboration international experience
Funding ID: Current research grants and ongoing applications for work related to proposal. Describe how you envisage an ERC grant will complement any existing funding.
Early Achievement Track Record (máx 2 pages)
Benchmark: list publications as main author in peer reviwed publications
Benchmark: list publication without the participation of the PhD supervisor (last author, at least 1?)
Other publications, patents, invited presentations at conferences, organization of international conferences, international prizes, memberships to editorial boards of international journals

25. ERC Starting Grant Hints and tips on the PI session
Brainstorming Exercise: what do you think the evaluators will be looking for in each sub-section?
Consider how to use the additional page effectively
Sell yourself!
Clarify specific points to strengthen your application: explain career breaks, loss of productivity years
Most evaluators are generalists!
The evaluators will review the PI on the basis of their experience and information they provide in the application form!

26. ERC Starting Grant What are the evaluators looking for?
Quality of the research proposal
Ground-breaking nature
Is the proposal challenging?
Does it go substantially beyond the current state of the art (e.g. including trans-disciplinary developments and unconventional approaches)?
Potential scientific impact
Does it open new and important, scientific, technological or scholarly horizons?
Methodology
Is the outlined scientific approach feasible?
Is the proposed research methodology comprehensive and appropriate? Are the envisaged goals to be achieved within the timescales? Are proposed resources and the level of risk adequate to the challenging research project?

27. ERC Starting Grant What do you need to provide
The Project (Section 1b.synopsis/Section 2)
Extended synopsis (máx 5 pages)
It is the only information regarding the project that evaluators will see during 1st stage of evaluation!
Present consisely the proposal
Show ground-breaking nature andhow it may open new horizons and opportunities for research
Scientific Proposal + Budget (máx 15 pages)
State of the Art and Objectives:
Objectives and context of the state of the art
How and why is important for the field
Impact, such as how it may open new horizons or opportunities for science, technology or scholarship
Specify challenging or unconventional aspects, including multi or inter-disciplinarity
Methodology
Explain including intermadiate goals
Explain in relation to the state of the art, including novelty or unconventional aspects
Highlight intermediate stages where results may require adjustments
Resources
Size and nature of team and roles of key players
Infrastructure, equipment
Reasonable estimate of project costs +20% indirect costs
Calendar
Ethical Issues (no limit)

28. ERC Starting Grant Hints and Tips
Consider what excites you about the research and conveyed this in your application.
Explain how the research will open new horizons or opportunities.
Provide a clear, concise work-plan with detail of the immediate goals.
Highlight intermediate stages where you may need to adjust your project planning.
Clearly explain how you will manage and disseminate your project.
Justify the resources you need for your research proposal and ensure the resources are appropriate.
Highlight multidisciplinary or inter-disciplinary aspects
Explain how the project came about: is it an idea that accompanies you for long but that seemed to ambitious for other types of funding? Is it an idea that involves the coordination of a multidisciplinary team and thus only a large funding could make it happen?
Explain high risk/high gain

29. ERC Starting Grant What are the evaluators looking for?
Research Environment
Transition to independence
Is the consolidation or the transition to independence guaranteed?
Host institution
Is required infrastructure available?
Is appropriate intellectual environment and infrastructural support provided?
Participation of other legal entities
Check of justification for participation of other legal entities

30. ERC Starting Grant What do you need to provide
Research Environment (Section 3, máx 2 pages)
PI’s Institution
Describe facilities and assistance to the project
Illustrate capacity to support project, including intelectual support
Combine your knowledge with information already available at your institution!
Contact M. Trindade (IMM) or Sheila Vidal (IGC)

31. ERC Starting Grants Hints and Tips on Research Environment
• Explain why you have chosen your host institution .
• Describe the way your institution will support your
transition to independence.
Ask your institution text on administrative support, research critical mass and adequate core facilities

32. ERC Starting Grants
Case studies (1st Call)

33. ERC Starting Grants 1st Call Scholars
Julia Kempe
German, 34
Quantum Computers
Tel Aviv Univ.
School of Computer
Science
Israel
EUR
60 months
Mobility
Top education

34. Solid record of research achievements
ERC Starting Grants Henrique Veiga-Fernandes - PT
Solid record of research achievements

35. Solid record of research achievements
ERC Starting Grants IVO Boneca - PT
Solid record of research achievements

36. ERC Starting Grants Tips of successful applicants
Writing courses
Interview training/reharsal
Search help from support officers at host institution
Do your budget according to your needs/avoid overbudgeting – 2007 projects ranged from € to 2 million €
Choose well your panel and panel descriptors
Generally, the interview helps to level English competence between candidates (push people up)
Combine methods and new approaches (multidisciplinarity)
Adventurous projects (1/3) but feasible (2/3)
Highlight potential applications of research
Quick reactions, concise answers; be yourself, relax and enjoy (interview)
Go for it!

37. Thank you for your attention!
Sheila Vidal
(EXT: 202)
&
Margarida Trindade
(EXT: 47023)
The European Research Council for a policy of excellence: the first award winners pave the way” - Paris 7th October 2008

38. HOW TO FIND AN FP7 CALL?

44. (Electronic Proposal Submittion System)
HOW TO APPLY?
REGISTER IN EPSS
(Electronic Proposal Submittion System)

46. PIC:
Org. Short Name: IMM

47. You may change in the real application
Title, Acronym & Abstract & Panel

48. You will receive in your email
Username & Password

50. 2) PREPARE ONLINE APPLICATION
HOW? FORMS?

52. 2.1) A FORMS
(A1, A1T, A2 & A3)

53. Form A1 – General information on proposal + candidate + host institution

54. To be filled with by host Institution (M Trindade/ S Vidal)
Form A1 – General information on proposal + candidate + host institution
To be filled with by host Institution (M Trindade/ S Vidal)
Form A1 – General information on proposal + candidate + host institution
Form A1 – General information on proposal + candidate + host institution

55. Form A1 T – Track record information of candidate - CV
To be filled by candidate you may ask support of host Institution
Leadership profile + scientific achivements

56. Publications, Monographs, Patents, Chapter of Books, Proceedings
ISI web of knowledge

57. Expeditions, steering committes, prizes, editorial boards

58. Form A2 – General information on host institution
Both to be filled with support of host Institution
(M Trindade/ S Vidal)
Form A3 – Budget

59. 2.2 UPLOAD DOCUMENTS: B – FORMS (B1 & B2) PHD CERTIFICATE
HOST SUPPORT LETTER

60. Part B – PROPOSAL B1 B2
PhD certificate (PDF)
Host Support Letter
(M Trindade/ S Vidal)

61. Part B1
General info
(1 page) PI
(6 pages)
Proposal Synopsis
(5 pages)

62. Part B2 Project (14 pages) + budget (1 page) Ethical issues
Host Institution (2 pages)

63. HOST SUPPORT LETTER (M.Trindade / S Vidal)

64. To SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL:
1. Click “Submit NOW” to start the final steps of submission
2. The EPSS performs an automatic validation of the proposal
3. If list of problems appears, submission is blocked until corrected
4. If ok, press “Press this button to submitt the proposal”
You may continue to modify the proposal and submit revised versions overwriting the previous one right up until the deadline!
Make sure you don’t submit too near the close of the close of the call. If uploading is not concluded at the close date the “SUBMIT NOW” button becomes inactive and you can no longer submit the proposal!

65. Thank you for your attention!
Sheila Vidal
(EXT: 202)
&
Margarida Trindade
(EXT: 47023)
The European Research Council for a policy of excellence: the first award winners pave the way” - Paris 7th October 2008