European Research Council Europe: A vibrant place for frontier science Exchanging ideas across borders and continents, between research cultures and fields

Madeleine Drielsma, Jens Hemmelskamp, Theo Papazoglou

Donald B. Dingwell ERC Secretary General

High-level conference “Destination Europe”Cambridge (MA), US, 20 January 2012

European Research Council

After five years of existence, the ERC

has reinforced Europe as a prime location for

top scientists in frontier research

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European Research Council

Raphael: The School of Athens(1510-1511)

The early European Research Area

For Excellence, the best framework conditions are needed

European Research Council

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The first pan-European funding body supporting excellence in frontier research

• Part of the 7th EU Research Framework Programme

• Significant budget - USD 10 Billion from 2007-2013

• Excellence as the only valid criterion

• Open to researchers from anywhere in the world

willing to do research in Europe

• Independent Scientific Council with 22 Members

European Research Council

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Substantial grants to the very best, creative scientists

Researcher ERC funds individual scientists Any nationality, age or current place of work

Host Institute Based in EU or associated countries Grants are portable

Frontier research project All fields: Physical Sciences & Engineering, Life Sciences, Social

Sciences & Humanities Bottom-up: no predetermined subjects High risk/high gain

Research team Grantee can choose national or trans-national team

if scientific added value proven

European Research Council

Two main ERC grant schemes

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Starting Grant• Attract/retain next-generation leaders

(2-12 years after PhD)

• Up to US$ 2.6 Million for 5 years+ US$ 640 000 ‘set up’ funds for thosemoving from overseas

Advanced Grant • Attract/retain current world-leaders• Up to US$ 4.5 Million for 5 years

+ US$ 1.3 Million ‘set up’ funds for thosemoving from overseas

European Research Council

After 5 years of existence…A success story

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Doubling of ERC budget foreseen

Highly recognised by the research community

~2 600 top researchers funded (58% are at early-career stage); 53 nationalities represented

Working in >480 different institutes in 27 countries

Highly competitive (average success rate 12%)

50% of grantees in 50 institutes; “Excellence attracts excellence”

Benchmarking effect, e.g. competition between universities

Efficient and fast grant management

European Research Council

Institution No. GrantsUniversity of Cambridge 1 67University of Oxford 2 60Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) 3 48Hebrew University of Jerusalem 4 41Weizmann Institute 5 38University College London 6 37Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH) 7 36Imperial College 7 36University of Helsinki 8 21Catholic University of Leuven 9 20University of Zurich 9 20University of Amsterdam 9 20Technion - Israel Institute of Technology 9 20Karolinska institute 10 19University of Munich (LMU) 10 19University of Edinburgh 10 19University of Leiden 10 19University of Bristol 10 19Free University Amsterdam 10 19Radboud University Nijmegen 11 18Rijksuniversiteit Groningen 12 17University of Vienna 12 16University of Utrecht 13 16University of Heidelberg 14 15TU Munich 14 15University of Geneva 15 14University of Aarhus 15 14University of Manchester 15 14University of Lund 15 14

Total number

Rich opportunities offered by European

world class universities and research centres

(e.g. Max Planck, CERN, Pasteur, EMBL)

Top universities in ERC calls

Top research centresin ERC calls

InstitutionTotal

GrantsNational Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) 120Max Planck Society (MPG) 60INSERM 27Commission for Atomic Energy (CEA) 20INRIA 18Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) 17Pasteur Institute 15Medical Research Council (MRC) 14

European Research Council

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The ERC’s international peer review has strengthened merit-based evaluation systems

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UK DE FR IT ES NL SE BE AT DK FI PL HU CZ PT EL IE RO BG CY SK LT EE SI CH IL NO TR HR IS US JP CA AU RS TW CL HK RU UA AR MX

EU Member States Associated C. International

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Based on the eight ERC StG and AdG calls 2007 - 2011

Number of instances that experts of a certain country of origin are contributing to the ERC peer review?

European Research Council

Global researchers seek the best science & resources.

Global researchers benefit from ERC funding.

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European Research Council

European and global knowledge are strongly interconnected

Source:see http://isi.fraunhofer.de/isi-de/t/projekte/rt-eracep.php

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Visualisation of collaboration & publication activity (based on analysis of the ERC project “ERACEP”)

Example: Public health

European Research Council

• To work on a research topic of own choice, with a team of own choice

• To gain true financial autonomy for 5 years

• To attract top team members (EU and non-EU) and collaborators

• To attract additional funding and gain recognition; ERC is a quality label

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The ERC offers independence, recognition & visibility

European Research Council

Incentive: Additional “start-up” funding for scientists moving to Europe (US$ 640 000 for Starting grantees and US$ 1.3 Million for Advanced grantees)

Flexibility: Team members can be based outside Europe. Grantee can move within Europe with the grant.

Several European countries/host institutes assist applicants and reward grantees with top-up funds or long-term professorships.

Attractive featuresfor researchers from outside Europe

European Research Council

Coming to Europe doesn’t mean burning bridges:

• Grantee can keep affiliation with home institute outside Europe

• Grantee must spend a “significant part” (min. 50 %) of the work time in Europe

Simple and flexible grants for researchers from outside Europe

Example: use of flexibility

2013 2017

Research in Europe

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European Research Council Global researchers follow the best science and the best resourcesExample

ERC Project: “CAPER in Invasive Breast Cancer”

American professor Michael Lisanti received an ERC Advanced Grant (US$ 1.9 Million) in 2010.

Also, Honorary Professor at the University of Manchester

since 2010.

He is still professor at the Thomas Jefferson

University, US.

European Research Council

South Africa, NamibiaMar. 2012

India

2013

Brazil, Argentina, Chile

May 2012

China

2013

Japan, Taiwan, S.-KoreaSept. 2012

Russia, UkraineJune 2012

ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand

2012/13

CanadaFeb.2012

US South West & Mexico Dec. 2012

US East Coast 2013

Attracting excellent researchers worldwide

ERC global campaign targetingtop and emerging research locations

European Research Council

“We want to put the ERC on the map in the coming years […] we need to make sure that the

crème de la crème of the research community worldwide knows what Europe and the ERC can offer.”

Prof. Alain Peyraube, Chair of the Scientific Council’s internationalisation working group

Stepped-up efforts