The European Research Council: Funding Opportuni8es in Europe for Crea8ve Minds from Anywhere in the World

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Gavin Hill
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September 2018 Art & Build Architect / Montois Partners / credits: S. Brison Dr.

1 The European Research Council: Funding Opportuni8es in Europe for Crea8ve Minds from Anywhere in the World European Conference on Computational Biology, Athens, Greece 10 September 2018 Art & Build Architect / Montois Partners / credits: S. Brison Dr. Maria Siomos Genetics, 'Omics', Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, LS2 Panel Coordinator, ERCEA

2 Today s presenta8on 1. Introduc8on to the ERC 2. Applying to the ERC (StG, CoG, AdG, PoC) 3. Synergy grants 4. The ERC and Greece 5. The ERC and LS2: Gene8cs, 'Omics', Bioinforma8cs and Systems Biology

3 1. Introduc8on to the ERC

competition Budget: 13 billion (2014-2020) - 1.9 billion /year 7.5 billion (2007-2013) - 1.

the ERC President; full authority over funding strategy Ø Support by the ERC Executive Agency (autonomous) Ø

4 What is the ERC? The ERC supports excellence in frontier research through a bottom-up, individual-based, pan-european competition Budget: 13 billion ( ) billion /year 7.5 billion ( ) billion /year Legislation Ø Scientific governance: independent Scientific Council with 22 members including the ERC President; full authority over funding strategy Ø Support by the ERC Executive Agency (autonomous) Ø Excellence as the only criterion Strategy Ø Support for the individual scientist no networks! Ø Global peer-review Ø No predetermined subjects (bottom-up) Ø Support of frontier research in all fields of science and humanities 2

5 ERC in the H2020 Structure Ø The HORIZON 2020 main components: Excellent Science è World class science is foundation of technologies, jobs, well-being è Europe needs to develop, attract, retain research talent è Researchers need access to the best infrastructures Industrial leadership Societal challenges Ø Excellent Science: European Research Council (budget under H2020: 13 billion) Future and Emerging Technologies Marie Skłodoswka Curie Actions Research Infrastructures 5

6 ERC H2020 Budget ERC Budget 13 billion 6

7 Opera8on of the ERC European Research Council Scientific Council ERC President Ø Defines the funding strategy Ø Appoints all panel members Ø Does not participate in the evaluation process ERC Executive Agency (of the European Commission) ERCEA Director Ø Organises the evaluation of the proposals (Scientific Dept) Ø Manages all legal and financial aspects of ERC grants (Granting Dept) Panel members ERC Scientific officers Ø Full independence in the evaluation and ranking of the proposals Ø Appoint remote evaluators Ø Work closely with the panel members Ø Manage all practical aspects of the evaluations and scientific project follow-up

8 ERC Scientific Council Members Prof. Klaus BOCK (Chemistry), ERC Vice-President Prof. Jean-Pierre BOURGUIGNON (Mathematics), ERC President Prof. Paola BOVOLENTA (Neurobiology) Prof. Margaret BUCKINGHAM (Biology) Prof. Christopher CLARK (History) Prof. Eveline CRONE (Psychology) Prof. Athene DONALD (Soft Matter and Biological Physics) Prof. Andrzej JAJSZCZYK (Electronics and Communication Engineering) Prof. Tomas JUNGWIRTH (Condensed Matter Physics) Prof. Michael KRAMER (Astrophysics) Prof. Eva KONDOROSI (Plant Biology and Microbiology), ERC Vice-President Prof. Kurt MEHLHORN (Computer Science) Prof. Barbara ROMANOWICZ (Geophysics) Prof. Martin STOKHOF (Philosophy), ERC Vice-President Prof. Giulio SUPERTI-FURGA (Medical Systems Biology) Prof. Nektarios TAVERNARAKIS (Molecular Systems Biology) Prof. Janet THORNTON (Bioinformatics and Structural Biology) Prof. Isabelle VERNOS (Molecular and Cell Biology) Prof. Reinhilde VEUGELERS (Economics) Prof. Michel WIEVIORKA (Sociology) Prof. Fabio ZWIRNER (Theoretical and High-Energy Physics)

ERC Panel Members by Country of HI and Gender Averaged over 2007-2017 29% of the ERC panel members were

9 ERC Panel Members by Country of HI and Gender Averaged over % of the ERC panel members were women * Number of instances that experts of a certain country of origin are contributing to the ERC peer review 9

10 ERC Grant Schemes Star8ng Grants starters (2-7 years after PhD) up to 1.5 million for 5 years Consolidator Grants consolidators (7-12 years after PhD) up to 2 million for 5 years Advanced Grants track-record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years up to 2.5 million for 5 years Proof- of- Concept bridging gap between research - earliest stage of marketable innovation up to for ERC grant holders Synergy Grants (re- launched 2018) 2 4 Principal Investigators up to 10 million for 6 years

11 Extensions of eligibility window for StG and CoG Extensions of eligibility window possible for StG and CoG for documented cases of: Maternity 18 months per child (before or after PhD) Paternity actual time taken off Military service Medical specialty training Caring for seriously ill family members

12 What do ERC grants offer? ERC offers independence, recognition & visibility to work on a research topic of own choice, with a team of own choice to gain true financial autonomy for 5 years to negotiate with the host institution the best conditions of work to attract top team members (EU and non-eu) and collaborators to move with the grant to any place in Europe if necessary (portability of grants) to attract additional funding and gain recognition; ERC is a quality label 12

Priority to Young Scientists + 60 000 people working in ERC teams.

13 Priority to Young Scientists people working in ERC teams. Two-thirds of ERC grants to early-stage Principal Investigators. 13

14 AYrac8ng researchers to Europe Almost 8% of all ERC grants are to principal investigators of non-era nationality Non-ERA Principal Investigators Starting and Consolidator grants Advanced grants Total grants USA Canada Russia Australia India Japan China New Zealand Argentina Other Total

15 AYrac8ng researchers to Europe Nationality of ERC project teams (PIs not included) Analysis of 1901 Starting and Advanced Grants EU: 71% Assoc. Countries: 10% non-eu/ac: 17% unknown: 2% In all ERC grants + 10,000 non-era team members most from China, USΑ, India, and Russia 15

Nobel Prizes to ERC grantees The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 was

Bernard Feringa Nobel 2016 Jean Tirole Nobel 2014 The Nobel Prize in

Moser and Edvard Moser, together with John O'Keefe, "for their

May-Britt Moser Nobel 2014 Edvard Moser Nobel 2014 Serge Haroche Nobel

16 Nobel Prizes to ERC grantees The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 was awarded jointly to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa "for the design and synthesis of molecular machines". Bernard Feringa Nobel 2016 Jean Tirole Nobel 2014 The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences 2014 was awarded to Jean Tirole "for his analysis of market power and regulation". The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014 was awarded to May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser, together with John O'Keefe, "for their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain". May-Britt Moser Nobel 2014 Edvard Moser Nobel 2014 Serge Haroche Nobel 2012 Konstantin Novoselov Nobel 2010 Ø 2 other ERC grantees received the Nobel prize in 2010 and 2012 Ø Other 7 ERC grantees were already Nobel laureates at the moment they received the ERC grant 16

17 Publica8on performance

18 After More than 10 Years, a Success Story 8,500 Over top researchers funded since the ERC's creation in ,000 Over articles from ERC projects published in prestigious scientific journals 60,000 Over researchers and other professionals empl oyed in ERC research teams > 750 research institutions hosting ERC grantees universities, public or private research centres in the EU or associated countries 13 billion ERC budget for under 76 nationalities of grant holders 18

19 2. Applying to the ERC (StG, CoG, AdG, PoC)

20 ERC 2019 Call Calendar 10/09/ /09/2018

21 Evaluation Panel Structure (WP2019) 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 Neurosciences 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 and Analytical Chemical Sciences PE5 Synthetic Chemistry and Materials PE6 Computer Science and Informatics PE7 Systems and Communication Engineering PE8 Products and Process Engineering PE9 Universe Sciences PE10 Earth System Science 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 21

22 Submission to panels Proposals are submitted to a Panel of PI's choice: Can flag one Secondary Review Panel. PI should explain the interdisciplinary nature of the proposal. Panel chair can request cross-panel review(s) if the main panel does not have all necessary expertise. Panel chair can also request reviews from other active panel members across all calls (StG CoG AdG). Transfer of proposals between panels may occur if: Clear mistake on part of applicant. Necessary expertise is available in a different panel. Both panel chairs agree on the transfer.

23 How are ERC research proposals evaluated? STEP 1 STEP 2 Remote assessment by Panel members of B1 Remote assessment by Panel members and remote evaluators of full proposals Panel meeting Panel meeting + interview (StG and CoG) B C Proposals retained for step 2 Feedback to applicants Ranked list of proposals A B Right balance between generalist + specialised review Appropriate treatment of interdisciplinary proposals

24 Proposal structure PART A online forms A1 Proposal and PI info A2 Host Institution info A3 Budget PART B1 submitted as.pdf Extended Synopsis 5 p. CV 2 p. Early Achievements (StG and CoG) or 10-year Track Record (AdG) 2 p. Annexes submitted as.pdf HI support letter copy of PhD (StG, CoG); document for extension of eligibility window (StG, CoG) PART B2 submitted as.pdf Scientific Proposal 15 p. Read the Information for Applicants

25 Submission of proposals: Part B1 - Project Step 1: Panel members and cross-panel reviewers (if needed) Only Part B1 is evaluated! Project Focus on the ground-breaking nature no incremental research. Think big! Know your competitors what is the state of play and why is your idea and scientific approach outstanding? Outline of the methodological approach. Do you have preliminary results? Is it feasible? Is it timely? Why wasn't it done already? Concise and clear presentation is crucial (many evaluators are generalists).

26 Submission of proposals Part B1 Principal Inves8gator Step 1: Panel members and cross-panel reviewers (if needed) Only Part B1 is evaluated! Principal investigator Why am I the best/only person to carry out the project? Am I internationally competitive? Show your scientific leadership in your CV. Show your own contribution on your key publications (incl. papers published without your PhD supervisor for StG, CoG). Give a realistic picture of your collaborations show that you can drive the collaborations.

27 Submission of proposals Part B1 and Part B2 Step 2: Panel members + external remote reviewers Both Parts B1 and B2 are assessed. Do not just repeat the synopsis. Provide details on methodology, work plan, selection of case studies etc. Make sure that the quantitative and qualitative differences to the state of the art are clear and referenced. Check coherency of budget figures, justify requested resources. Explain involvement/profile of team members. Provide alternative strategies to mitigate risk. Include a work plan with timeline.

28 Typical reasons for rejec8on Principal investigator Insufficient track-record Insufficient leadership profile Proposed project Scope: Too narrow ß à too broad/unfocused Incremental research/continuation of previous work Work plan/team composition not detailed enough/unclear Insufficient risk management

29 Some 8ps for the proposal No excessive highligh9ng This is a ground- breaking idea. It is the first 9me that this type of experiment has been tried. This represents high risk/high gain research. Avoid jargon and too many abbrevia9ons Don t try to oversell the proposal Make sure to give full references (including names of authors and ar9cle 9tle) is not part of page limit! Use the full space! Explain the budget properly Explain your role in publica9ons, trying to highlight your intellectual independence (for StG, CoG)

30 Some 8ps for the interview Be natural Don t try to make a business presenta9on you are talking to scien9sts Bring back- up slides an9cipate ques9ons Have data slides ready to show, if available Know the details of your proposal, including the methods Know your research area who are your main compe9tors/ collaborators? Be able to answer the ques9on: Which 2 sentences could be added to a textbook about your research in 5 years? When the panel asks ques9ons, don t answer with excellent ques9on it can come across as arrogant

31 Open access The ERC supports the principle of open access to The published output of research, including in particular peerreviewed articles and monographs Research data and data related products such as computer code Under, beneficiaries of ERC grants must ensure open access to all peer-reviewed scientific publications relating to their results as set out in Article 29.2 of the ERC Model Grant Agreement. In 2017, for the first time under, beneficiaries of ERC grants will automatically be covered by the provisions on research data sharing as set out in Article 29.3 of the ERC Model Grant Agreement unless they specifically decide to opt-out (which can be done at any time). Beneficiaries that do not opt-out should also ensure appropriate management (including preservation and curation) of the research data they generate in order to ensure its sustainability. 31

32 Success rate Average success rate: 12% Star8ng/Consolidator Grant Advanced Grant 18% 16% 14% 12% 18% 16% 14% 12% 13.9% 16.1% 13.8% 13.4% 14.1% 12.3% 14.4% 10% 8% 6% StG CoG 10% 8% 6% 8.5% 4% 4% 2% 2% 0% %

33 StG 2015 funded proposals Success rates by years past PhD # funded proposals STG 2015 funded PIs by years past PhD Years past PhD 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% M (252) F (99) SR Female PIs (10 %) SR Male PIs (13.4 %)

34 CoG 2015 funded proposals Success rates by years past PhD 120 CoG 2015 funded PIs by years past PhD 30% M (208) # funded proposals % 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Success rate F (94) SR Female PIs (16 %) SR Male PIs (14.5 %)

35 Age of grantees and success rates # grantees STG COG ADG 2015 Age of grantees on 1 Jan 2015 with success rate age of grantee ADG COG STG Success rate 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Success rate

36 3. Synergy grants

37 Design of the Synergy call in a nutshell HI to be in EU or Associated Country SyG2019: possible for one PI to be outside of EU or AC 2018: 250 M 2019: 400 M SyG2019 call open for submission until 8/11/ Principal Investigators Grant size: up to 10 M + 4 M for 6 yrs SyG2019: 3 step evaluation to finish in September 2019 No restrictions on their location 2018: projects 2019: projects 50% of working time in EU or AC and 30% of working time on the ERC project SyG2019: it does not apply to the PI applying with a third country Host Institution 3 Step evaluation: with interviews for all PIs in step 3

38 ERC Synergy 2019 Based on core ERC principles EXCELLENCE AS SOLE CRITERIUM 'BOTTOM-UP' NO DISCIPLINARY PRIORITIES NOT 'CONSORTIA' TYPE At project and at PI level Encompasses the synergetic aspects Research priorities and the configuration of the group determined by the individual investigators Projects expected to cover more than one discipline or research field, but not obligatory Not loose collaborative projects Equality of PIs but a designated corresponding PI With adequate working arrangements to suit the objectives of the project

39 ERC Synergy Evaluation process Feb July Sept 2019

40 Take home messages A highly competitive call è only exceptional proposals are likely to be funded that will demonstrate that the truly ambitious research questions could lead to breakthroughs only through the joint effort of the complementary and synergistic group of PIs. Synergy is not simply a successful collaboration è è The interaction would yield something more than just the sum of the individual parts. To yield possibly either unforeseen, completely new science, to cross fertilise disciplines or to solve important research problems that until now could not be dreamt of solving. Tough future restrictions on submissions planned 40

41 ERC Synergy 2019 Intended restrictions for calls Evaluation Can a PI apply to Result of SyG-2019 Step StG/CoG/AdG call in 2020? SyG call in 2020? SyG call in 2021? C 1 no no no B 1 and 2 yes no yes B 3 yes yes yes A 3 yes yes yes

42 4. The ERC and Greece

43 ERC Funded Projects by Country of HI 43

44 Success Rate by Country of HI 44

45 ERC Proof of Concept

46 Grantees at Home and Abroad 87 Greek nationals abroad in 11 European countries, more than half in UK(30), DE(20) and CH(18) 79 of them were already abroad at the time of application 46

47 ERC Grants versus GERD 47

48 Host Institutions in Greece 48

50 4. The ERC and LS2: Genetics, 'Omics', Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

51 Top European Ins8tu8ons Hos8ng ERC Grants Current signatories of the grant agreement taken into account

52 SYNERGY 2012 and 2013 Successful Host Ins8tu8ons

53 Top European Ins8tu8ons: LS2 Grants Country Host Institution StG CoG AdG Total IL Weizmann Institute FR CNRS DE EMBL UK University of Cambridge DE Max Planck Society UK University of Edinburgh DK University of Copenhagen ES Centre for Genomic Regulation IL Hebrew University of Jerusalem IL Tel Aviv University UK University of Oxford FR Curie Institute BE Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) CH Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research DE German Cancer Research Center NL Radboud University Nijmegen SE Uppsala University NL Netherlands Cancer Institute FR INSERM CH ETH Zurich FR Pasteur Institute SE Karolinska Institute

54 The European Research Council More information on erc.europa.eu National Contact Point in your country erc.europa.eu/national-contact-points Follow us on EuropeanResearchCouncil ERC_Research 54

Funding opportunities from the European Research Council

Funding opportunities from the European Research Council Javier L Albacete, ERC Executive Agency (on leave from U. Granada) Scientific Officer Unit B4 Physical Sciences & Engineering Strong and Electroweak