1. 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

2. ERC Budget 2007-2013: € 7.51 billion ≈ $ 10 billion
European Research Council
ERC Budget :
€ 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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 7

8. 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 8

9. 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 9

10. 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 10

11. 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 11

12. 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

13. 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 13

14. 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 14

15. 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”) 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 15

16. 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

17. 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 minutes
NOTE: Invited applicants are reimbursed
European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco

18. European Research Council ¦ Claudia Jesus-Rydin, San Francisco 12.2012
Starting Grant 2009 to 2012
General results
∑ = 2503
∑ = 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

19. 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 ( )
Budget €
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