Experience of European Research Council Panel

1. Experience of European Research Council Panel Ole H Petersen CBE FRS Chair of ERC StG Panel LS4 School of Biosciences

2. Experience of European Research Council Panel Ole H Petersen CBE FRS Chair of ERC StG Panel LS4 Helga Nowotny President of ERC ERC HQ Brussels

3. Experience of European Research Council Panel The European Research Council (ERC) is the newest, pioneering component of the EU'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.

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

6. The Royal Society Angela Merkel

7. Overall 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

9. General Principles of ERC Operation Scientific Council decides on general funding strategy Scientific Council appoints Panel Chairs Scientific Council appoints Panel Members in consultation with Panel Chairs Panel Chairs have full and formal responsibility for all funding decisions without any interference from Council Uniform administrative grant arrangements and support for all grant panels

10. Step 2 (Panel + remote) Step 1 (panel) Submission Section 1 Proposal Proposal Proposal Section 2 Section 1 Section 3 Section 1 Section 2 Section 2 Section 3 Section 3 Indiv assessments Individual marks Interdisciplinary flag PANEL MEETINGS Interviews Ranking Indiv Assessments Individual Marks PANEL MEETINGS Ranking + HI support letter + PhD certificate Eligibility Check Evaluation process: Starting Grants

11. Marking 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.

12. 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)

13. Interviews (Starting 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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”

17. Starting Grants 2010: Overallsuccess rate by panel (440 proposals) Maths Env Cultures

18. Starting Grants 2010: Success rate by country of HI

19. Starting Grants 2010: Success rate by nationality

20. Gender distribution by panel funded proposals

21. StG 2010 - Success of female grantees

22. Grantees by Country of HI and Gender

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