Experience of European Research Council Panel Experience of European Research Council Panel

Ole H Petersen CBE FRSOle H Petersen CBE FRSChair of ERC StG Panel LS4Chair of ERC StG Panel LS4

School of BiosciencesSchool of Biosciences

Experience of European Research Council Panel Experience of European Research Council Panel

ERC HQ BrusselsERC HQ BrusselsHelga NowotnyHelga NowotnyPresident of ERCPresident of ERC

Ole H Petersen CBE FRSOle H Petersen CBE FRSChair of ERC StG Panel LS4Chair of ERC StG Panel LS4

Experience of European Research Council Panel Experience of European Research Council Panel

The European Research Council (ERC) is the newest, pioneering component of theEU's Seventh Research Framework Programme (the "Ideas" specific programme). It has a total budget of € 7.5 billion (2007-2013). Set up in 2007, the ERC aims to stimulate scientific excellence in Europe by supporting and encouraging the best creative scientists, scholars and engineers of any nationality in any field of research, to work in European host institutions.

European Research Council

From Academia Europaea’s response to From Academia Europaea’s response to ‘‘Europe 2020, a strategy for smart, Europe 2020, a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growthsustainable and inclusive growth’

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Following on from the need for a broad scholarship base, we reject the notion that there should be exclusive emphasis on those parts of science and scholarship that seem to be able to deliver short term economic benefits through technology. We strongly believe that research in the arts and the humanities is just as essential for the future, as that of the sciences. For example, in the very rapidly expanding field of neurobiology, the borders between molecular, cellular and systems neuroscience, psychology and all the branches of the arts are likely to become increasingly blurred over the next decades. Some of the most profound psychological analyses are deeply embedded in the best literature. Research and scholarship are as much a cultural good as an economic good. Europe can only benefit from having a strong cultural academic diversity.

European Research Council

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European Research Council

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Angela Merkel

The Royal SocietyThe Royal Society

European Research Council

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Overall Goal of Starting GrantsOverall Goal of Starting Grants

• Support ground-breaking, high-risk/high-gain research that opens new opportunities and directions including those of a multi- and inter-disciplinary nature

• Not looking for “incremental” research

• Aimed at young investigators starting or consolidating their own independent research team or independent research programme

Significant awards : i.e. up to a max. of 2 M Euro per grant for up to 5 years

European Research Council

European Research Council

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General Principles of ERC OperationGeneral Principles of ERC Operation

Scientific Council decides on general funding strategyScientific Council decides on general funding strategyScientific Council appoints Panel ChairsScientific Council appoints Panel ChairsScientific Council appoints Panel Members in consultation with Panel Scientific Council appoints Panel Members in consultation with Panel

ChairsChairs

Panel Chairs have full and formal responsibility for all funding decisions Panel Chairs have full and formal responsibility for all funding decisions without any interference from Councilwithout any interference from Council

Uniform administrative grant arrangements and support for all grant Uniform administrative grant arrangements and support for all grant panels panels

European Research Council

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Evaluation process: Evaluation process: Starting GrantsStarting Grants

Step 2(Panel + remote)

Indiv assessmentsIndividual marks

Interdisciplinary flagPANEL MEETINGS

InterviewsRanking

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Proposal

Step 1(panel)

Indiv AssessmentsIndividual Marks

PANEL MEETINGSRanking

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Proposal

Submission

+ HI support letter+ PhD certificate

Eligibility Check

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Proposal

European Research Council

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Marking schemeMarking scheme

• Criteria 1 and 2 will be marked according to the following scheme:• 4: Outstanding• 3: Excellent• 2: Very good• 1: Non-competitive

• Criteria 3 is pass/fail• Quality threshold of: >=2; ½ marks allowed• Proposals below the quality threshold for either of the two criteria are

eliminated • Proposals passing from Step 1 to Step 2 have to pass all thresholds,

but also will be limited according to a given multiple of the funding available for that panel (~x2)

• Only those PIs that pass both quality thresholds in step 2 with their proposals will be allowed to re-submit in 2010.

European Research Council

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Remote part of evaluation

• Step 1: proposals sent to (4) PMs• Step 2: proposals also sent to specialized

remote experts (to be determined at/ following Step 1 meeting)

European Research Council

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Interviews (Interviews (Starting Grants OnlyStarting Grants Only))

• Are going to take place at step 2 meetings• Must address the elements of the review criteria• Panels take into account the results of the

interview alongside the other elements• Interviews will last ~30 minutes in total

~10 minutes presentation by the PI ~20 minutes: questions and answers

• Invited applicants are reimbursed

European Research Council

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Interdisciplinary Proposals / Domain

• Interdisciplinary Research domain (cross-domain and/or cross-panel) indicative budget of 13% total budget

• Proposal submitted to a target panel primarily responsible for its evaluation

• Step 1 & Step 2: Assigned for reviews from PMs outside primary panel, if

necessary

• Step 2: Proposals that “pass” but not within panel budget will be

considered for Interdisciplinary Domain / Budget

• Decision taken by combined panel of all Panel Chairs

European Research Council

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Budget considerations of proposals

• Budget considerations arise (mainly) in Step 2 evaluation (meeting)

• Panels have responsibility to ensure that resources requested are reasonable and well justified

• Budget analysis needs to be justified on a proposal by proposal basis (no cross-the-board “solidarity” cuts)

• Panels to recommend a final maximum budget based on the resources allocated/ removed

European Research Council

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Budget considerations of proposals

• PI salaries are an eligible cost, independent of employment scheme.

• If requested, PI salary cannot be removed; PI dedication to project (% full time equivalent) can be commented on/ adjusted (min 50% dedication).

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

Starting Grants 2010: Overall success rate by panel (440 proposals)Starting Grants 2010: Overall success rate by panel (440 proposals)

StG 2010 % Success rate (average 15.32%)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

LS1

LS2

LS3

LS4

LS5

LS6

LS7

LS8

LS9

PE

1P

E2

PE

3P

E4

PE

5P

E6

PE

7P

E8

PE

9P

E10

SH

1S

H2

SH

3S

H4

SH

5S

H6

Allocated panel

succ

ess

rate

EnvEnv

CulturesCultures

MathsMaths

Starting Grants 2010: Success rate by country of HIStarting Grants 2010: Success rate by country of HI

ERC STG 2009-10 % Funded Proposals by Country of HI(preliminary analysis)

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

UK

FR

DE

CH IL NL

ES IT SE

BE

AT

PT

DK FI

HU IE CZ

EL

NO PL

CY

EE

Country of HI

20092010

Starting Grants 2010: Success rate by nationalityStarting Grants 2010: Success rate by nationality

ERC STG 2009- 10 %Funded proposals by PI Nationalitypreliminary analysis

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

DE

FR IT IL UK

NL

ES

BE

SE EL

US

AT

AU

CH

HU IE PL

PT

RU

CZ

DK FI

IN AR

BG

HR JP TR

% of Grantees 2009% of Grantees 2010

Gender distribution by panel funded proposalsGender distribution by panel funded proposals

ERC STG 2010 Funded Proposals, Gender Distribution % of Female PIs in Ascending Order

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

PE

5L

S5

PE

6P

E3

LS

2L

S9

PE

7L

S6

PE

2P

E8

PE

9S

H1

LS

1L

S4

LS

3P

E1

SH

4L

S8

LS

7S

H3

SH

2P

E1

SH

6P

E4

SH

5

Allocated Panel

M

F

StG 2010 - Success of female granteesStG 2010 - Success of female grantees

StG 2010 Domain% Female Applicants vs % Female Grantees

19,75%

43,04%

29,59%32,75%

22,89%

38,27%

25,91%23,42%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

LS subtotal PE subtotal SH subtotal ERC STGTotal

Domain

% Female Applicants

% Female Grantees

Grantees by Country of HI and GenderGrantees by Country of HI and Gender

StG 2010 Funded Proposals by Country of Host Institution and Gender

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

UK FR DE CH IL NL ES IT SE BE AT PT DK FI HU IE CZ EL NO PL CY

Country of Host Institution

M

F

European Research Council

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**

European Research Council

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