Directorate of Research, Enterprise & Innovation Services

Developing your Research – The European Research Council (ERC)

Frontier Research Grants

This presentation

• The European Research Council (ERC) Frontier Awards – overview

• What the profile and achievements of ERC applicants suggests is good practice for early stage researchers and

• Some ideas for setting your own research development goals

The ERC Frontier Awards – Overview

• A strand of the Excellent Research Pillar of Horizon 2020;

• Designed to provide funding to support excellent researchers and their teams to undertake “ground breaking, high risk/high gain research”;

• The ERC expects the research it funds to lead to “advances at the frontiers of knowledge and to set inspirational targets for frontier research”.

The ERC Frontier Awards – Overview

• Divided into three research domains: physical sciences and engineering; life sciences and social sciences and humanities;

• Grants are on the basis of ‘bottom up’ without predetermined priorities;

• Interdisciplinary applications are encouraged;• Applicants can be any age, any nationality

(hosted by an EU MS/Associated Country).

The ERC Frontier Awards – Overview – Award Schemes

• Starting Grants (2-7 years after PhD) up to €2m for 5 years;

• Consolidator Grants (7-12 years after PhD) up to €2.75m for five years;

• Advanced Grants (track-record of significant research achievements in the last ten years) up to €3.5m for 5 years;

• Also Synergy Grants (under review) and Proof of Concept (for ERC grant holders)

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – The Criteria

• Eligibility - PI will have been awarded his/her first PhD between 2-7 years (eligibility now fixed at the beginning of calendar year);

• Excellence is the criteria by which applications are assessed – an excellent, high risk/high gain idea and a PI with an excellent track record;

• Why you - A PI with a track record and achievements which convinces the panel that they are the researcher to carry out research

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – The Process

• Two stage evaluation process but all material being evaluated must be submitted at time of application;

• Material (i) Part A - Administrative Proposal (ii) Research Proposal – divided into B1 and B2) and (iii) Supporting Documentation ( host institutional letter of support, ethical self-assessment).

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – Part B1 and Part B2

• Part B1 – Cover page, extended synopsis (5 pages), curriculum vitae (2 pages) and early achievements (2 pages) – total 9 pages;

• Part B2 – the scientific proposal (max 15 pages) – addresses state of the art and objectives, methodology and resources (including project costs).

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – What happens then?

• Stage 1 – Only Part B1 is evaluated– Cover page, extended synopsis (5 pages), curriculum vitae (2 pages) and early achievements (2 pages) – total 9 pages;

• Stage 2 – Applicants called for interview panel then evaluates both Part B1 and Part B2

• If an applicant does not score well ERC may place time restrictions on next application.

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – What is being evaluated?

• The Research Project – ground breaking nature and potential impact of the project;

• The scientific approach – feasibility, methodology, timescales;

• The Principal Investigator – intellectual capacity and creativity (ability, evidence of independent thinking, achievements); commitment (evidenced by time commitment to project).

Track Record

• Up to five publications in major international multi-disciplinary peer-reviewed journals and/or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals, peer-reviewed conference proceedings and/or monographs of their respective research fields – at least one publication without PhD Supervisor;

• Patents;• Invited presentations to peer-reviewed,

internationally established conferences;• Prizes/Awards/Academy Memberships.

Research Supports @ DIT

• Travel Grants and ERC Co-ordination Grant;• National Contact Points (Dr. Graeme Horley, SFI and

Mr. Paul Kilkenny, IRC);• Internal/external peer review/support/mentoring;• SFI/IRC Mock Interviews for Stage 2; • SFI and IRC - Development Programmes for

applications deemed excellent and fundable at Stage 2 but not funded due to lack of available programme funding.

Who should be interested?

• Researchers who have a great idea they wish to pursue;

• Supervisors;• Academic Mentors;• Academic Leaders/Senior Managers.

Your research niche Only you can decide but there are policy drivers

Research Profile – self-assessment

Who knows you?Who is taking your money?If a potential partner searches for you where do they find you and how do you present?

Expert (Public Relations)Memberships and RoleNetworks (COST )Conferences, Presentations Evaluator (Participant Portal)Research NewsWeb PageArrowSocial Media

Knowledge and skills - getting ready National and EU/International Funding OpportunitiesResearch ProfessionalLicence to Supervise, Interview, grant writing

Achievements – personal plan Supervision, grants, awards, publications

SFI http://www.sfi.ie/international/the-european-research-council-introduction/IRCHttp://research.ie/projects/european-research-councilHorizon 2020 Financial Support for ERC Applicantshttp://www.horizon2020.ie/who-can-help/financial-assistance/ERChttp://erc.europa.eu/Participant Portalhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/home.htmlCOSThttp://www.cost.eu/

Irish Research Council - Horizon 2020 SSH Research Funding Opportunities and Best Practice Engagement TipsPresenter: Mr. Paul Kilkenny, European Programmes Manager, Irish Research CouncilDate: Friday, 18 September 2015Time: Start: 10a.m. Finish: 11.30a.m. approx.Venue: DIT Aungier Street CampusWho should attend: Researchers/research support personnel and senior managers with responsibility for academic developmentRegistration: Please email Sandra.fisher@dit.ie with your details For more information please contact Dr. Sandra Fisher, Head of Enterprise & Research Development Services, tel. 01 402 3308.

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