1. Successfully funding European projects University of Glasgow Internationalisation Conference March 20 th 2012

2. Two European Research Council Starting Grants: Nineteenth Century Euclid The Fragments of the Roman Republican Orators

3. ERC Starting Grants aim to support up-and-coming research leaders who are about to establish or consolidate a proper research team and to start conducting independent research in Europe 2-12 years experience since award of PhD Up to 1.5m over five years award criterion: scientific excellence one call per year, published during summer, with autumn deadline erc.europa.eu

4. Application process stage one: application, with two parts: B1 (c. 10 pages), PI detailed CV + extended synopsis of project; B2 (c. 15 pages), detailed summary of project with budget). applications are assessed initially on B1 only those who proceed to stage two are invited to interview in Brussels in early summer notification late summer, followed by a negotiation period; projects to start within six months this may change in subsequent years

5. Nineteenth Century Euclid To produce a monograph, essay collection, and international conferences on the cultural history of Euclidean geometry from around 1780-1900 And to develop the new field of literature and mathematics Not a team project: PI only, 95% over 34 months Includes budget for holding two conferences (a third added later), plus PIs travel 323k

6. The Fragments of the Roman Republican Orators to prepare a new edition, with translation and commentary, of the fragments of oratory from the Republican period at Rome involves PI (60% over five years); RA (100% for 40 months); two PhD studentships; technical and administrative support includes conference and travel budget, facilitating involvement of an international advisory board 1.1m

7. 2007 19% of Starting Grants went to PIs in UK institutions 26% of PIs were women Hit rate: 3% (from 9000 applications) 2011 26% to UK institutions 21% of PIs were women Hit rate: 12% (from 4000 applications)

8. Observations very flexible in terms of what can be funded no interest in Impact emphasis on career development: people-driven as well as project-driven