Reflecting my experience from
being the member of the ERC Peer
Review Panel in Social Sciences and
Humanities in the 2014 call
A Problem: Why researchers from
Slovakia do not apply?
ERC President Prof. Jean-Pierre Bourguignon:
"Excellence in science exists everywhere. For it to
thrive, it's pivotal to nurture talent by providing
- the means,
- scientific freedom,
- the right infrastructure and
- a stimulating environment.„
(https://erc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/press_release/files/Highlight-ERCPresident-in-Slovenia.pdf)
Pre-conditions: ideas and the people
• addressing important challenges
• ambitious objectives (e.g. novel concepts and
approaches or development across disciplines)
• high risk/high gain
• feasibility of the project, the importance of
the research design
• the development of novel methodology
Pre-conditions: ideas and the people
• the ability to propose and conduct groundbreaking research
• evidence of creative independent thinking
• the achievements of the researcher must go
beyond the state of the art
A few recommendations for „the right
infrastructure and a stimulating environment“.
• Inclusive academic environment, common reflecting,
sharing,...setting incentives for frontier research
• Stimulating interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
research projects (APVV/SRDA), a special bonus for
such projects
• Improving system of PhD education, overcoming its
fragmentation, establishing a common Graduate School
for (Social) Science (Academy of Science, Universities)
• An ERC Complementary scheme within the APVV/SRDA:
applicants from Slovak research organizations, who
were positively evaluated in ERC calls but not selected
for funding, can submit an adapted project for funding.