1. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 1 Dr. Katja Wirth Bürgel  National Contact Point European Research Council Euresearch Head Office  katja.wirth@euresearch.ch  phone +41 380 60 18 Dr. Katja Wirth Bürgel  National Contact Point European Research Council Euresearch Head Office  katja.wirth@euresearch.ch  phone 031 380 60 18 The European Research Council - ERC

2. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 2 Presentation Outline 1.Introduction to the ERC 2.Starting Grant 3.Advanced Grant 4.View Back

3. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 3 1. Introduction to the ERC

4. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 4 1.1 Position within FP7 1. Introduction to the ERC € 7.5 billion 15% of FP7 budget

5. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 5 1.2 Principle of the ERC  Support for individual researchers or teams, led by a Principal Investigator  Young researchers: ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant  Established researchers: ERC Advanced Investigator Grant  All fields of science  Bottom-up  Strong focus on interdisciplinary  Excellence is the only criterion 1. Introduction to the ERC

6. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 6 1.2 Principle of the ERC  Investment in research talent  Flexible grants, under the control of the Principal Investigator  100% reimbursement of costs  Investment for Europe: Host organisation to be located in the EU (or AS)  3Rs: Recruit, Retain, Repatriate 1. Introduction to the ERC

7. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 7 1.3 Who can Apply?  Principal Investigator (PI) – no consortium  Needs an excellent scientific track record and proven potential and a ground breaking research idea  Nationality, age and current place of research not relevant  His / her host institution must be located in a EU member or associated state  His / her team members can have any nationality / be located in any country 1. Introduction to the ERC

8. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 8 1.4 Application  Important documents to read:  Work Programme  Guide for Applicants  The PI submits a proposal in conjunction with a Host Institution  One-stage application, but two-stage evaluation  Electronical submission, via EPSS 1. Introduction to the ERC

9. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 9 Involves 3 components (see Guide for Applicants):  Administrative forms (to fill in in EPSS)  Research proposal (ca. 28 pages, to submit as pdf)  Section 1: Info on the PI (CV, track record etc.)  Section 2: Research Project  Section 3: Research Environment  Supporting documents 1.4 Application 1. Introduction to the ERC

10. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 10 1.5 Evaluation  Eligibility check  Evaluation: 25 thematic peer review evaluation panels evaluate the proposals.  Every panel consists of one panel chair and 10-12 panel members.  Evaluation also via remote experts  2 Evaluation stages:  Stage 1: only one part of the proposal will be assessed  Stage 2: whole proposal will be evaluated Starting Grant: Stage 2 evaluation includes an interview in Brussels. 1. Introduction to the ERC

11. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 11 Evaluation Criteria: 1.Potential of applicant 2.Quality of project 3.Research environment Forget about Brussels jargon and political blabla! 1.5 Evaluation 1. Introduction to the ERC

12. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 12 1.6 Call Timetable  Every summer one call for Starting Grants, with deadlines in autumn, winter.  Every autumn one call for Advanced Grants, with deadlines early in the following year  3rd Starting Grant Call open now  3rd Advanced Grant Call open now 1. Introduction to the ERC

13. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 13 2. ERC Starting Grant

14. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 14 2. ERC Starting Grant 2.1 Objectives  Keep excellent young researchers in Europe  Support researchers at the establishment of their first research team  Make excellent researchers visible: “Little Nobel Prize”

15. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 15 2.2 Figures  ~ € 528 million for the actual call  Increasing budget over FP7  Up to € 2 million per grant, for up to 5 years 2. ERC Starting Grant

16. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 16 2.3 Who can Apply?  Applicant needs an excellent scientific track record and proven potential and a ground breaking research idea  A research team to be established or consolidated (may be only 1 member)  Between 2 and 10 years after PhD (exceptions, such as maternity leave) -> this criterion can change for the next calls! 2. ERC Starting Grant

17. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 17 3. Advanced Grant

18. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 18 3. ERC Advanced Grant 3.1 Objectives  Opportunity to established top research leaders to pursue frontier research of their choice  Promote substantial advances in the frontiers of knowledge, encourage new lines of enquiry, new methods, new techniques, including unconventional approaches and highly risky research  Make excellent researchers visible: “Little Nobel Prize”  Reverse brain drain into brain gain

19. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 19 3. ERC Advanced Grant 3.2 Figures  max € 2.5 million per grant, in special cases € 3.5 million  Increasing budget over FP7

20. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 20 3. ERC Advanced Grant 3.3 Who Can Apply?  Established team leader – in special cases Co-Investigator  Needs an excellent scientific track record over past 10 years and a ground breaking research idea  Can be of any nationality and age - no restrictions concerning research age

21. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 21 4. View Back

22. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 22 4. View Back 1st Starting Grant Call, 2007  Heavy oversubscription: < 9.000 proposals  299 grants awarded  14 awardees based in Swiss Host Institutions  Researchers based in Switzerland were especially successful. Success rate twice as high compared to EU average.  For statistics see http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/memo.pdf. http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/memo.pdf  Grantees and their projects: http://erc.europa.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=16 6 http://erc.europa.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=16 6

23. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 23 4. View Back 2nd Starting Grant Call, 2009  2503 proposals submitted  Submissions in CH: 61  237 grants will be awarded  Grantees in Switzerland: 17 (8 LS, 8 PE, 1 SH)  Overall success rate: 10%; success rate in CH: 28%  Names of grantees and indicative statistics: http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/Press_release_StG-2_results.pdf http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/Press_release_StG-2_results.pdf

24. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 24 3. View Back 1st Advanced Grant Call, 07/08  2’167 proposals submitted  288 proposals successful  Overall success rate ca. 11%; Success rate in CH almost 30%  CH has 27 grantees  Average age of PI: 51 years, on average 23 years after PhD  Statistics: http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/AdG1-Statistics_06_11_08.pdf 2nd Advanced Grant Call, 08/09  1’583 proposals submitted  Evaluation being finished

25. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 25 ERC Starting & Advanced grant calls 2007, 2008 & 2009 Submitted proposals StG 07AdG 08 StG 09AdG 09 728206 228159 568135 22795 1625301 434220 1038179 256145 47765 8664 23670 4922 20771 3423 18143 17 33992 9031 1144 29 9 347 30 6 15342 5237 20196 61102 4822 77 387 92 199141 8079 9229 3018 13032 2621 13216 2916 172 41 212 10 52 21 114 23 18 3 2828 26 1818 17233 4730 18317 4210 29463 9536 542107 13480 8429 2811 4015 198 00 10 404 44 204 63 61 00 55 03 02 01 01 00 00 01 MEAL

26. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 26 4. View Back Successful proposals by country of host institution & domain (StG 2007)

27. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 27 Successful proposals by country of host institution & domain (StG 2009; top 237 proposals) 4. View Back

28. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 28 4. View Back Successful proposals by country of host institution & domain (AdG 2008)

29. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 29 4. View Back Success rate by country of host institution (i.e. ratio submitted – selected proposals) ERC Advanced Grant 2008 ERC Starting Grant 2007 CH

30. © Euresearch  Katja Wirth Bürgel  4 November 2009  European Research Council  www.euresearch.ch 30 Questions? Katja Wirth Bürgel, NCP ERC, Euresearch Head Office katja.wirth@euresearch.ch, 031 380 60 18 http://www.euresearch.ch/ Thank you for your attention!