ERC - Advance Grant Call 2008
Alejandro MARTIN HOBDEY
ERC
DG RTD Unit S-2
PC Meeting
Brussels, 30 January 2008
European Research Council
Overview of presentation
•
Proposal structure
•
Evaluation process
•
Evaluation criteria
•
Interdisciplinarity
•
Demand management
•
Planned Calls
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European Research Council
Submission of proposals
•
•
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Single submission (1 stage, 2 step)
Electronic submission via EPSS
Early registration strongly recommended
(though submission can be performed at the end)
•
3 deadlines
 Physical Sciences on 28th February (open)
 Social Sciences on 18th March
 Life Sciences on 22nd April
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European Research Council
Proposal structure
• Part A: Contains “normal” A1-A3 forms
• Plus additional “A1T”: “Track Record”
– Summary of Scientific Leadership profile
– Summary table of 10 year Track Record
• Part B: contains 3 sections & 1 annex
 Section 1
– Scientific Leadership profile (2 pages)
– CV (including “funding ID”)
– 10-years track record
– Extended synopsis
 Section 2 = Scientific proposal
 Section 3 = Research Environment description
 Statement of support from the Host Institution
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European Research Council
Panel structure
• 3 domains – 25 panels (modification of StG panel
structure)
• AdG Panels distinct from StG Panels
• Selection of Panel Members responsibility of the ScC
• Two sets of panels, meeting on alternate years
• Members of “shadow panels” for given year can/will be
used to help active panels for extra expertise and in
case of oversubscription
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Submission to Panels
• Applicant submits to a Targeted Panel (of PI
choice )
 Can choose one additional “Alternative Review Panel”
• In case cross-panel or cross-domain proposal,
evaluation by members of other panels
• Indicative call budget
• Physical Sciences – 39%
• Social Sciences – 14%
• Life Sciences – 34%
+ 13% for Interdisciplinary – Cross Panel / Cross domain
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Two step evaluation
• Step 1:
 Section 1 of Part B evaluated against Criterion 1 (PI) and 2
(Research Project)
 Proposal needs to pass threshold for both criteria to pass to
second step
• Panels have information extracted from Form A1T (Track Record) to
assist them in their decisions
 Evaluated by Panel Members + possibly “shadow” panel
members where necessary
• Step 2:
 All three sections evaluated against all three evaluation criteria
 Evaluated by Panel Members + Remote Evaluators
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Evaluation process
Submission
Step 1
(panel)
Step 2
(Panel + remote)
Proposal
Proposal
Proposal
Section 1
Section 1
Section 1
Section 2
Section 2
Section 2
Section 3
Section 3
Section 3
+ HI support letter
Eligibility Check
Indiv Assessments
Individual Marks
PANEL MEETINGS
Ranking
Indiv assessments
Individual marks
Interdisciplinary flag
PANEL MEETINGS
Ranking
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start:
· allocation of proposals to
panels as chosen by PI
· initial eligibility check
Reception of proposals
(call deadline)
European Research Council
assignment of proposals to panel
transmission of proposals to
members (SO & PC)
panel members
The Advanced Grant Process Flow
result:
· final ranked list (scale 1 to 4)
· full reviewers statements
pass budgetary cut-off?
Step 1:
semi-automatic pre-sorting
based on track record
information given in part A1T
· part B - section 1
· CV and 10 year track record
· (summary of the) scientific
leadership profile (part A1T)
· extended synopsis
yes
final result:
Step 2:
· successful candidates
· reserve list
no
list for interdisciplinary domain
result:
· rejected proposals
· part B - sections 1, 2, and 3
· CV and 10 year track record
· scientific leadership profile
· scientific proposal
· research environment
· remote evaluation (PM+RR):
· min. 3 readings per proposal
· 3 criteria: PI and project (1 - 4),
research environment (pass/fail)
· panel meeting (PM):
· adjustment and ranking
(possibility to resubmit in 2010)
result:
· pre-sorted list of proposals as
additional infomation
· remote evaluation (PM):
· min. 3 readings per proposal
· 2 criteria (PI, project), 1 to 4
· (nomination of remote referees?)
· panel meeting (PM):
· discussion and final ranking
yes
pass budgetary cut-off?
yes
no
rejections
pass both quality
thresholds?
(no re-submission before 2011)
process step
decision
document
step 2
result:
· ranked list of proposals
· reviewers statements, IARs
· candidate list of remote
referees (RR)
step 1
PC: Panel Chair, PM: Panel Members, RR: Remote Referee, SO: Scientific Officer
no
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European Research Council
Managing demand: lessons from StG
Managing demand for grants
 Maximise call budget

By combining budgets over 2 successive years (only one
application per researcher in either 2008 or 2009)
 Encourage the best to apply


Excellent track record (in recent years)
Strong leadership profile
 Discourage trivial or low-quality applications


Applications should be substantive (one-stage submission with two
stage evaluation)
Disincentives to submission of applications which are not of the
highest quality
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Resubmission rules
•
Only one AdG application for 2008 and
2009 calls (combined)
•
Can only re-apply for 2010 AdG call if you
are above threshold in Step 1 in 2008 or
2009 AdG Call
•
If you apply for AdG in 2008 or 2009,
cannot apply for a StG during same period
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European Research Council
Marking scheme
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Criteria 1 and 2 will be marked according to the following scheme:
• 4: Outstanding
• 3 Excellent
• 2 Very good
• 1 Non-fundable / fail
Criteria 3 is pass fail
Quality threshold of: >=2
Proposals below the quality threshold for either of the two criteria are
eliminated (Step 1) / not fundable (Step 2)
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 (~x3)
Only those proposals that pass both quality thresholds in step 1 will be allowed
to re-submit in 2010. Others have to wait to 2011.
Eliminates the link between “proposal quality” and “passing to Step 2” that was
criticized by many in the StG
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Interdisciplinary Proposals / Domain
• Interdisciplinary Research domain (cross-domain & cross-panel) 
indicative budget of 13% total budget
• Proposal submitted to a primary panel
• Step 1:


Primary panel determines if proposal is “interdisciplinary”
Can take into account if secondary panel is indicated
Proposal “flagged” as interdisciplinary, if appropriate

Possibility to invite reviews from members of other panels
• Step 2:

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Interdisciplinary proposals, not funded within panel budget, will be
transferred to Interdisciplinary Domain for further consideration there
Decision taken at end of process by combined panel of all Panel Chairs
• Any funds not spent in ID domain to be returned “pro-rata” to the other
three domains
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“Co-Investigator projects”
• In addition to the PI, a project can have one or more “CoPIs” or “Co-Investigators”
• These projects are subject to a higher financial limit (3.5
M€) BUT the CO-PIs are subject to the same resubmission rules as PIs!
• CO-PIs do not complete the A1T form, but have to
complete Scientific leadership profile, CV and 10 year track
record in Part B
• No link between Co-PIs (scientific issue) and existence of
partners (administrative issue)
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Financial limits
• Normal limit: 2.5 M€ for five years (pro-rata)
• Certain cases, limit raised to 3.5 M€ (pro-rata)
 Co-investigator projects
 Proposals that require the purchase of major research
equipment
 PI coming from third country to establish him/her self
in the EU or Associated state
• Up to panel to decide whether this is justified or
not.
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European Research Council
ERC Calls Indicative Schedule (2007-2010)
ERC Starting Grant Calls Indicative Schedule 2007 - 2010
Work Programme Revision
ERC Action
Call open
Call Deadline
Estimated Call value
(€ M)
Budgetary year
Evaluation
Feb. 2007
StG1
Winter 06
Spring 07
290
2007
Spring - Autumn 07
May 2008
StG2
Summer 08
Autumn 08
290
2009
Winter 08 - Spring 09
May 2009
StG3
Summer 09
Autumn 09
340
2010
Winter 09 - Spring 10
May 2010
StG4
Summer 10
Autumn 10
400
2011
Winter 10 - Spring 11
ERC Advanced Grant Calls Indicative Schedule 2007 - 2010
Work Programme Revision
ERC Action
Call open
Call Deadline
Estimated Call value
(€ M)
Budgetary year
Evaluation
Oct. 2007
AdG1
Autumn 07
Spring 08
517
2008
Spring 08 - Autumn 08
May 2008
AdG2
Autumn 08
Spring 09
480
2009
Spring 09 - Autumn 09
May 2009
AdG3
Autumn 09
Spring 10
741
2010
Spring 10 - Autumn 10
May 2010
AdG4
Autumn 10
Spring 11
869
2011
Spring 11 - Autumn 11
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