ERC: Strengthening Frontier Research in Europe’s Universities

1. ERC: Strengthening Frontier Research in Europe’s Universities European University Association Convention Lisbon, March 2007 Professor Fotis C. KafatosPresident, ERC 1

2. 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 2

3. Does Europe Need Frontiers 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? • Ageing and shrinking population? • High Labour and Social Security costs? • Expensive production and services? • Limited natural resources? • Capital accumulation and management? 3

4. Europe Can Only Compete Through Knowledge • Leadership in Science, the Endless frontier • Central Role in the Knowledge Triangle:Education / Research / Innovation • Investment in excellent research • is an imperative, not an option 4

5. 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 Paths • A Competitive Champions League, • that sets standards • by merit only (as in football) 5

6. 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 6

7. 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 independentScientific Councilsupported by aDedicated Implementation Structure (DIS) /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) 7

8. ERC Scientific Council: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) (Date: 30/08/06) • 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 8

9. 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 • Research results are the only deliverable • Referees & Evaluation Panels selected by excellence • Flat 20% contribution to overheads 9

10. 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 10

11. See http://erc.europa.eu 11

12. ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant(ERC Starting Grant) • 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 12

13. ERC Advanced Investigator Grant(ERC Advanced Grant) • 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) established investigators at all career stages • (b) located or moving to Europe • (c) no age limit or nationality criterion • (d) The3 Rs 13

14. Calls for applications • Starting Grants • First call: December 2006 pre-announcement • Submission deadline: 25 April 2007 • Advanced Grants • First call: July 2007 • Submission deadlines: October-November 2008 • Starting and Advanced Grants • One call per year, from 2008 14

15. Starting Grants:Foster Early Independence of Young Investigators • Principal Investigators (PI’s): • Outstanding young scientists • European and non-European • Working or moving to Europe • Host institutions: • Universities • Research Organizations • (including companies, that allow independent research) • Based in a European Member State or Associated Country 15

16. Starting Grants:Challenge and Opportunity • For researchers, hosting institutions and regions: • Challenge: • Global competition for scientific excellence • Opportunity: • substantial funding • Incentive to improve quality of research • and enhance creativity 16

17. ERC Grants:What is expected by the researcher? • Make proposal of exceptional quality • Commit best efforts to research programme • Diligent handling of financial and other resources • Fulfil reporting duties vis-à-vis host and ERC • Commit to scientific integrity • Honour the rules of the host institution 17

18. ERC Grants: What is expected by the Host Institution? Make special efforts to attract and retain high caliber researchers Ensure supportive academic surroundings • Access to talented graduate students • Provision of appropriate office/lab space • Access to facilities and scientific equipment • Research/teaching balance • Provision of appropriate intellectual support • Access to administrative infrastructure 18

19. ERC Grants:Salary Issues Host institutions have to maximize availableadministrative and legal options to provide for a competitive salary for nationals and non-nationals • Host institution engages the PI, pays salary • Part (or all) of PI’s salary can be charged to the Grant (joint ERC/institution funding?) • Additional personnel costs related to research can be covered by the ERC Grant 19

20. ERC Grants:Guarantees of Scientific Independence Principal Investigators must be able to: • choose their co-workers • decide on the evolving directions of their work • re-allocate resources as necessary • publish their scientific results without restrictions and independently (choosing co-authors, with, as co-authors, only those who contribute to the work significantly) 20

21. ERC Grants:Portability ERC Grants are portable: • “Money follows the researcher” • The PI is entitled to transfer the grant to another institution after a minimum 2 years at the sponsoring institution • Proper justification and ERC approval required 21

22. 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. 22

23. The ERC Starting Grant scheme aims to foster early independence of outstanding young scientists and scholars, European and non-European, who are working in or moving to Europe. This is a challenge as well as an opportunity, both to them and to their respective host institutions. Both parties face international, global competition for scientific excellence; at the same time, they benefit from this strong incentive to improve the quality of their research. ERC Scientific Council Statement 23

24. Prospective grantees will need to make proposals of exceptional quality and, if awarded these prestigious grants, are expected to commit their best efforts to the proposed research programme, adhere to diligent handling of financial and other resources, and fulfil their reporting duties vis-à-vis their host institutions and the ERC. The ERC Scientific Council encourages host institutions to make very special efforts to attract and retain scientists and scholars of the calibre to win Starting Grants. Host institutions will wish to ensure supportive academic surroundings, including for example access to talented graduate students, provision of appropriate office and (where pertinent) laboratory accommodation, access to scientific equipment, a proper balance of research and teaching, and appropriate intellectual support. ERC Scientific Council Statement 24

25. Host institutions will also wish to utilize the available administrative and legal options in a flexible way and make provision for a competitive salary which is equally attractive for nationals and non-nationals. ERC grants require the scientific independence of grantees to be guaranteed by host institutions. Grantees must be able to choose their co-workers, decide on the evolving directions of their work, re-allocate resources as necessary and publish their scientific results without restrictions and independently, with, as co-authors, only those who contribute to the work significantly. At the same time grantees will commit themselves to scientific integrity and will honour the rules of the host institution. ERC Scientific Council Statement 25

26. Support excellent investigator-initiated research projects by established independent research leaders Complement the ERC Starting Grant scheme by targeting investigators who have already established their independence as leading researchers ERC Advanced Grant(ERC Advanced Investigator Researcher Grant) 26

27. Support individual teams led by leading established Principal Investigators including, for example: Top researchers in European Universities New top quality recruitments From European Overseas Diaspora Non-European recruitments Retain or attract leading active researchers close to or after retirement. Finance ground-breaking, high-risk research that opens new directions in the PIs’ research domains including those of a multi- and inter-disciplinary nature. Provide flexible to manage research funds ERC Advanced Grant - Objectives 27

28. 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; fund leaders; offer competitive package • New poles of excellence created by targeted synergistic recruitment • Regions encouraged to reward competitive institutions • Opportunity for structural fund use 28

29. 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 next generation leaders is stimulated • ERC strategy facilitates rapid investment • on new issues confronting society • Creativity is nurtured, helping research-based industries 29