European Research Council (ERC)
Vision, Rationale and Plans
Investing for Excellence:
The Heart
of European Science Policy
Professor Fotis C. Kafatos
President, ERC
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ERC is a Major European Initiative:
A Visionary Idea Whose Time Has Come
• A logical development of the
European Research Area
• Securely anchored in EU legislation
but at the same time…..
• A revolutionary development
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Does Europe Need Pioneering Research?
• Yes, an essential part of our civilization
Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Freud
Einstein, Watson & Crick, Jacob & Monod… and?
• What will be our future competitive advantage?
ƒ Ageing and shrinking population?
ƒ High Labour and Social Security costs?
ƒ Expensive production and services?
ƒ Limited natural resources?
ƒ Capital accumulation and management?
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Europe Can Only Compete
Through Knowledge
• Leadership in Science, the Endless Frontier
• Central to the Knowledge Triangle:
Education / Research / Innovation
• Investment in excellent research
is an imperative, not an option
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To Become More Competitive, Europe Must
• Generate, Attract and Retain Top Talent
• Integrate and Internationalize our Efforts
• Encourage and Trust the Young
• Create Attractive Career Path
• Competitive Champions League, set standards
(by merit only, as in football)
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The Roadmap to the ERC
• Should Europe Invest in Fundamental Research?
Mobilization of the Scientific Community:
EMBO, EMBL, FEBS, other scientific societies, ISE
Stockholm Meeting (Royal Academy)
• Do We Need a European Research Council?
Copenhagen Meeting (Danish Presidency)
High Level Groups (F. Mayor, R. Sykes); ISE manifesto
Surprising Unanimity: YES!
• Political Context
P. Busquin & ERA; J. M. Gago & Lisbon
A. Mitsos & Added Value Argument:
Competition for Excellence at European Level
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Birth and Structure of the ERC
• Proposals of the Commission 06/04/05 & 21/09/05
to establish ERC through Framework Programme 7
• Adoption FP7 (18/12/06) & Specific Programme “Ideas” (19/12/06) EC
decision establishing ERC (02/02/07); 7.51b€ for 2007-2013
• ERC consists of an independent Scientific Council supported by a
Dedicated Implementation Structure / Executive Agency
• EC acts as guarantor of ScC autonomy and integrity
and ensures proper functioning of the ERC
• Commissioner Potočnik nominated ScC (18/07/06) by arms-length
independent procedure (Patten Identification Committee)
• Generous Budget Commitment and Support by EC & Commissioner
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ERC ScC: Aim, Rensponsibilities and Actions
• Collaborates with EC towards an autonomous, integrated
world-class Research Funding Agency
• Elected Chair & Vice Chairs (12 December 2005)
(ERC President and Vice Presidents)
• Selected ERC Secretary General (SG)
• Established ERC Board (Presidency, SG, EA Director)
• Defined ERC Strategy & Annual Work Programme
• Decided Calls for Proposals
• Established Evaluation Rules & Procedures
• Selected Evaluation Panels
• Intensive 1 yr work before establishment
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The ERC Strategy, 1
• Address essentials, obvious gaps in Europe
- Opportunities and independence for young scientists
- Individual frontier research programs
- Significant funding to make a difference
• Keep it simple
- All fields of science and scholarship are eligible
- Excellence is the sole criterion
- Referees & Evaluation Panels selected by excellence
- Research results are the only deliverable
- Flat 20% contribution to overheads
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The ERC Strategy, 2
• Keep it flexible
- Evaluation panels judge investment levels
- Researchers can rebudget
- Grants are portable
• Trust the dynamic of science
- Interdisciplinarity is encouraged
- Excellence attracts excellence
- The effects of critical mass
- From individual to institutional excellence
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See http://erc.europa.eu
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ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant
(ERC Starting Grant)
- The only programme to be funded in 2007, yearly thereafter
- Ca. 300 M€; 200 grants, average 1.5M€ for 5 years
- i.e. 200 new investigators per call, ca. 1400 in 7 years
Sole selection criterion: Excellence of person & proposal
- Eligibility:
- ≤ 9 years since Doctorate + 3 years for service
- Recently established or offered a position
- To work within EU or Associated States
- No nationality criterion
3 Rs: Recruit, Repatriate, Retain TOP TALENT
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ERC Advanced Investigator Grant
(ERC Advanced Grant)
- Start up in 2nd year, yearly thereafter
- Annual budget minus ERC Starting Grants
- From ca. 600 M€ to over 1 billion € / year
- ca. 200/500 grants (up to 2.5M€ each) awarded each year
- Sole selection criterion: Excellence of proposal & track record
- Eligibility: (a) investigators at all career stages
(b) located or moving to Europe
(c) no age limit or nationality criterion
(d) The 3 Rs
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Examples of Multidisciplinary Panel Structure
• SH1 - Individuals and organisations: economics, management,
demography, geography, urban and environmental studies.
• PE3 - Condensed matter in physics and chemistry: Condensed
matter (structure, electronic properties, fluids,…), statistical physics,
nanosciences, reactions.
• PE8 - Earth system science: Physical geography, geology,
geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, climatology, ecology, global
environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, solar planets, natural
resources management.
• LS2 - Genetics, genomics, bioinformatics & systems biology:
Molecular and cell genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics,
metabolomics, bioinformatics, computational biology, biostatistics,
biological modelling and simulation, systems biology.
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Challenges and Opportunities
for Institutions and Regions
• Talent is the best-distributed resource
• Researchers like to work in home country, if adequately supported
• Generous ERC grants offer independence, permit flexible new hiring
• Hosts ensure independence and offer attractive “welcome package”
• New poles of excellence created by targeted synergistic recruitment
• Regions will wish to reward competitive institutions
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ERC Benefits to Science and Society
• Open competition between top researchers in Europe
enhances aspirations, achievements and recognition
• Funds channelled into promising fields bottom-up,
with agility not always possible for national systems
• Europe becomes attractive to talent regardless of nationality
• Investment in the next generation leaders is stimulated
• ERC strategy facilitates rapid investment
on new issues confronting society
• Creativity is nurtured, helping research-based industries
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