BE NCP Meeting 23 10 2017 - Vlaanderen (FWO) · BE NCP Meeting . 23 10 2017 . Inês Pio, Unit B5 ....

Established by the European Commission

BE NCP Meeting 23 10 2017

Inês Pio, Unit B5 Social Sciences and

Humanities Unit 23 October 2017


The European Research Council

What is the ERC ?

ERC and Belgium

CoG call

The evaluation process

Tips for applicants

Q&A


ERC is…. 1. funding: it is part of H2020

ERC Budget € 13 billion

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For 2018, the budget is more than 1.8 billion euros, the highest ever since the beginning of the ERC.


Panel Members • Appointed by the Scientific Council • Full independence in the evaluation and ranking of the proposals • Appoint remote referees

The ERC Scientific Council • 22 prominent researchers appointed by the

Commission • Establishes overall scientific strategy • Controls quality of operations and

management • Ensures communication with the scientific

community

ERC is…. 2. the Scientific Council


ERC Scientific Officers • Work closely with the panel members • Manage all practical aspects of the evaluations • Carry out scientific follow-up

The ERC Executive Agency • Implements calls for proposals • Organises peer review evaluation • Establishes and manages grant agreements • Administers scientific and financial aspects • Carries out communications activities

ERC is…. 3. the ERCEA


ERC Basics


Starting Grant

•2-7 years after PhD •up to €1.5M (+0.5M) •for 5 years

Advanced Grant

•10 year track-record of significant research achievements •up to € 2.5M (+1M) •for 5 years

Proof-of-Concept

for ERC grant holders only

• Supporting innovative potential of ideas from ERC projects

• up to €150,000 • for 1 year

ERC Funding Schemes

Consolidator Grant

•7-12 years after PhD •up to €2M (+ 0.75M) •for 5 years

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Synergy Grant Re-launched 2018

• 2-4 PIs at any career stage • up to €10 M (+4M) • for 6 years


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ERC calls Budget Call Opening Submission Deadline(s)

Starting Grants ERC-2018-StG

581 M€ (391 grants)

3 August 2017

17 October 2017

Synergy Grants ERC-2018-SyG

250 M€ (30 grants) 3 August 2017 14 November 2017

Consolidator Grants ERC-2018-CoG

550 M€ (287

grants)

24 October

2017

15 February 2018

Advanced Grants ERC-2018-AdG

450 M€ (194 grants)

17 May 2018

30 August 2018

Proof of Concept ERC-2018-PoC

20 M€ (130 grants) 6 September 2017

16 January 2018 18 April 2018

11 September 2018

2018 Call Calendar


Social Sciences and Humanities SH1 Individuals, Markets and Organisations SH2 Institutions, Values, Environment and Space SH3 The Social World, Diversity, Population SH4 The Human Mind and Its Complexity SH5 Cultures and Cultural Production SH6 The Study of the Human Past

Life Sciences LS1 Molecular Biology, Biochemistry,

Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics LS2 Genetics, 'Omics', Bioinformatics and

Systems Biology LS3 Cellular and Developmental Biology LS4 Physiology, Pathophysiology and

Endocrinology LS5 Neuroscience and Neural Disorders LS6 Immunity and Infection LS7 Applied Medical Technologies,

Diagnostics, Therapies, and Public Health LS8 Ecology, Evolution and Environmental

Biology LS9 Applied Life Sciences, Biotechnology

and Molecular and Biosystems Engineering

Physical Sciences & Engineering PE1 Mathematics PE2 Fundamental Constituents of Matter PE3 Condensed Matter Physics PE4 Physical & Analytical Chemical Sciences PE5 Synthetic Chemistry and Materials PE6 Computer Science and Informatics PE7 Systems and Communication Engineering PE8 Products and Processes Engineering PE9 Universe Sciences PE10 Earth System Science

Each panel: Panel Chair and 12-16 Panel Members

2018 Panel Structure


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Frontier of science, scholarship and engineering, i.e. Multi- or interdisciplinary proposals which

cross boundaries between different fields of research, or

Pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging fields of research, or

Proposals introducing unconventional, innovative approaches and scientific inventions.

Particular emphasis on…..


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ERC Grant Schemes Who can apply?

• Everyone can apply (2

years past PhD) • In conjunction with a

Host Institution (HI) based in the EU or an Associated Country

• Spend min. 50% (StG / CoG) 30% (AdG), of total working time at HI (over project duration)

• Iceland • Norway • Albania • Bosnia and

Herzegovina • the former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

• Montenegro

• Serbia • Turkey • Israel • Moldova • Switzerland • Faroe

Islands • Ukraine • Tunisia • Georgia • Armenia

As of 01 January 2017, the following countries are Associated to Horizon 2020:


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ERC funds "frontier research", including applied research.

The budget is distributed among the scientific panels as a function of demand.

The panel descriptors do not represent ERC scientific priorities.

The success rate is virtually flat across the eligibility window (StG, CoG).

Publication record is not decisive in selection decisions.

The Host Institution is not an evaluation criterion.

Contrary to what you may think…..


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ERC AND BELGIUM


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ERC Funded Projects by Country of HI


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Success Rate by Country of HI


Top European

Institutions Hosting

ERC Grantees

by Funding Schemes

ERC calls 2007-2016

and StG2017

Current signatories of the grant agreement

Data as of

21/08/2017


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Host Institutions in Belgium

Source: ERC August 2017


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Grantees at Home and Abroad

41 foreign grantees in BE: mainly IT (7), DE(6), NL(5), FR(5), UK(4)…

217 PIs with Belgian nationality in Belgium

85 Belgian PIs abroad mainly in NL(23), UK(16), FR(16), CH(12)…


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ERC grantees and applicants by gender

ERC evaluated proposals by PI-s in Belgium's HI, by gender

ERC grants in Belgium's HI, success rate by gender


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ERC Consolidator Grants

(7-12 y past PhD) Objective

support excellent PIs at the stage at which they may still be consolidating their own independent research team or programme

PI Profile Has already achieved certain degree of research

independence (very often already working with own group – supervision experience?)

Some publications with significant impact Invited presentations in conferences Funding, awards, prizes


TO BEAR IN MIND

• Time commitment: minimum of 40% time commitment of PI to the project

• Time at the Host Institution: minimum of 50% of time employed and spent at HI (counting with field work)

• Freedom: Researcher has the freedom to choose its team - national or trans-national

• Portability of grants: the ERC grant will follow the PI in case of change of HI

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ERC Consolidator Grants (7-12 y past PhD)

*Potential to become a leader in the field*


Work on a topic of own choice, with a team of own choice

Attract top team members (EU and non-EU) Gain true financial autonomy for up to 5 years

Negotiate best work conditions with the host institution

Move with the grant to any place in Europe (portability of grants)

Attract additional funding and gain recognition: ERC is a quality label

What does ERC offer? Generous grants, independence, recognition & visibility


Eligibility window can be extended for following cases: • Maternity leave: 1.5 years per child before or after the PhD – attention given to equal opportunities in access to ERC grants

• Paternity leave: for whatever documented paternity leave that has been taken before or after the PhD • National service, long-term illness: whatever documented time after the PhD • Further details in ERC Work Program

Which Call? Possibility of eligibility extensions


• Hosts the PI and is located in an EU Member State or an Associated Country

• Is a legal entity: university, research center, business research unit, etc. • Is committed to ensure that the PI may:

o Apply for funding independently o Manage research and funding project o Publish independently as senior author o Have access to reasonable space and facilities

• Signs Grant Agreement • Overhead: 25% • The PI does not need to be employed by the host institution (HI) at the time

when the proposal is submitted. If not already employed by the HI, the PI must be engaged by the latter at least for the duration of the grant

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Role of the Host Institution


The Evaluation Process

Goal select the best frontier research proposals

Excellence is the sole evaluation criterion at 2 levels, Principal Investigator and Project

Method Two steps, peer review

Structure 25 panels, 12-16 experts/panel

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Submission to Panels

• Proposals are submitted to a Targeted Panel (of PI's choice)

Can flag one “Secondary Review Panel” Can explain the interdisciplinary nature of the proposal

• Switching proposals between panels not possible unless clear mistake on part of applicant, necessary expertise being available in a different panel

• But: In case of cross-panel or cross-domain proposals, evaluation by members of other panels is possible


Excellence of the Research Project Ground breaking nature Important challenge? Substantially beyond

the current state of art? High-gain/high-risk balance Potential impact Possibility of a major break-through? Scientific Approach Feasibility, novel concepts/methodology

Excellence of the Principal Investigator Intellectual capacity: Track-record, capacity to go significantly

beyond the state of the art, evidence of creative independent thinking Creativity Commitment : Willing to devote a significant part of PI's working time

(minimum of 50% for Starting, minimum of 40% for Consolidator Grant, minimum of 30% for Advanced Grant)

What is evaluated? CoG Calls Excellence is the sole evaluation criterion


Remote assessment by Panel Members of section 1 – PI and synopsis

Panel meeting

Proposals retained for step 2: Score A

STEP 1

Remote assessment by Panel members and reviewers of full proposals

Panel meeting + interview (StG and CoG)

Ranked list of proposals: Score A

STEP 2

• Right balance between generalist + specialized review • Appropriate treatment of interdisciplinary proposals • Good benefit-cost ratio

ERC basics Evaluation of proposals: review procedure

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Score: B or C Score:

B

Redress


Remote assessment by Panel members of section 1 – PI and synopsis

Panel meeting

Proposals retained for step 2: Score A

STEP 1

Remote assessment by Panel members and reviewers of full proposals

Panel meeting + interview (StG and CoG)

Ranked list of proposals: Score A

STEP 2

• Right balance between generalist + specialized review • Appropriate treatment of interdisciplinary proposals • Good benefit-cost ratio

ERC basics Evaluation of proposals: review procedure

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Score: B or C Score:

B

Redress


Submission of Proposals Differences in Part B1 and Part B2

In Step 1: Panel Members (generalists and with multidisciplinary approaches) see only Part B1 of your proposal: Prepare it accordingly!

Pay particular attention to the ground-breaking nature of the research project – no incremental research. State-of-the-art is not enough. Think big!

Know your competitors – what is the state of play and why is your idea and scientific approach outstanding?

Only the extended Synopsis is read at Step 1: concise and clear presentation is crucial

Outline of the methodological approach (feasibility) Show your scientific independence in your CV (model CV

provided in the part B1 template)

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Submission of Proposals Differences in Part B1 and Part B2

In Step 2: Both Part B1 and B2 are sent to specialists around the world (specialised external referees) Do not just repeat the synopsis

Provide sufficient detail on methodology, work plan, selection

of case studies etc. (15 pages)

Check coherency of figures, justify requested resources

Explain involvement of all team members

Provide alternative strategies to mitigate risk

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Proposal budget considerations

Budget analysis carried out in Step 2 evaluation (meeting)

Panels have responsibility to ensure that resources requested are

reasonable and well justified

Budget cuts need to be justified on a proposal by proposal basis

(no across-the-board cuts)

Panels to recommend a final maximum budget based on the

resources allocated/ removed

Panels do not “micro-manage” project finances

Awards made on a “take-it-or-leave-it” basis: no negotiations


Preparing an application Hints and tips (Generalities)

Register early, get familiar with the system and templates and start filling in the forms

A submitted proposal can be revised until the call deadline by submitting a new version and overwriting the previous one

Follow the formatting rules and page limits.

Download and proof-read the proposal before submitting. Make use of the help tools and call documents (Information

for Applicants, Work Programme, Frequently asked questions) to prepare your proposal

Talk to the National Contact Points and your Institution's grant office – or come to events like this!

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Questions to ask yourself as an applicant – CoG Calls

• Is my project new, innovative, bringing in new solutions? theory? applications?

• Does it promise to go substantially beyond the state of the art?

• Why is my proposed project important?

• Is it timely? (Why wasn't it done in the past? Is it feasible now?)

• What's the risk? Is it justified by a substantial potential gain?

• Do I have a plan for managing the risk?

• Why am I the best/only person to carry it out?

• Am I internationally competitive as a researcher at my career stage and in my discipline?

• Am I able to work independently, and to manage a 5-year project with a substantial budget?

• How can I prove/support my case?


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Typical reasons for rejection

Principal investigator

Insufficient track-record

Insufficient (potential for) independence

Insufficient experience in leading projects

Proposed project

• Scope: Too narrow too broad/unfocussed

• Incremental research

• Work plan not detailed enough/unclear

• Insufficient risk management


Resubmission Restrictions

• If you are a B at step 1 – you need to wait 1 year before reapplying

• If you are a C at step 1 – you need to wait 2 years before reapplying

• If you are a B at step 2 – no restrictions apply

In practice: • If you are a C in 2018 at step 1 you can reapply in 2021 • If you are a B in 2018 at step 1, you can reapply in 2020 • If you are a B at Step 2, you can reapply in 2019

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• More information on: erc.europa.eu which grant am I eligible for? read FAQ check successful applicants’ profiles check panels http://erc.europa.eu/evaluation-panels

• National Contact Point in your country erc.europa.eu/national-contact-points • Follow us on

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EuropeanResearchCouncil

ERC_Research

The European Research Council

http://erc.europa.eu/evaluation-panels

BE NCP Meeting 23 10 2017 - Vlaanderen (FWO) · BE NCP Meeting . 23 10 2017 . Inês Pio, Unit B5 ....

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