1. Overview of European funding opportunities for CES Wednesday, 2 nd November 2011 Huw Merfyn Hughes European Research Funding Officer

2. European funding schemes – all have a different focus: FP7 – research focus European Innovation in Technology (EIT) Joint Technology Initiatives Individual ‘Directorate Generales’ e.g. Culture, Agriculture Structural funds – ERDF, INTERREG, ESF COST LIFE+ Bilateral arrangements e.g. EU/US Atlantis Programme Lifelong Learning Programmes – some aspects covered by Iona Hopkins of IntRC Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) *industry

3. Structured into ‘Specific Programmes’: Collaborative Projects/Cooperation Ideas (European Research Council) People (includes Marie Curie) Capacities Joint Research Council (JRC) not accessible to AU Euratom not accessible to AU FP7 ….these programmes are subdivided…

4. Research Infrastructures Research for the Benefit Of SMEs Regions of Knowledge Research Potential Science in Society Activities of International Co-operation Coherent Development of Policies Initial Training of Researchers Lifelong Learning and Career Development Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways The International Dimension Specific Actions Starting Independent Researcher Grants Advanced Investigator Grants Cooperation Capacities Ideas People + JRC+ Euratom Health Food, Agriculture, Fisheries, & Biotechnology ICT Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials, & New Production Technologies Energy Environment (including Climate Change) Transport Socio-Economic Sciences & Humanities Space Security Proof of Concept Grants New pilot scheme: Synergy Grants FP7

5. Cooperation Health Food, Agriculture, Fisheries, & Biotechnology ICT Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials, & New Production Technologies Energy Environment (including Climate Change) Transport Socio-Economic Sciences & Humanities Space Security General characteristics  Supports creation of ERA through promotion of collaboration that’s beyond the scope of individual Member States  67% of FP7 funding  Tender type ‘topics’ with competition – success rates vary per topic but around 17%  Consortia of at least 3 from 3 MS/AC  Other countries can participate but developed countries rarely get €  Topics announced in ‘Work Programme’ document – one for each theme - generally in July  Some single stage, some two-stage applications  Deadlines Nov-Feb

6. Research Infrastructures Research for the Benefit Of SMEs Regions of Knowledge Research Potential Science in Society Activities of International Co-operation Coherent Development of Policies Initial Training of Researchers Lifelong Learning and Career Development Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways The International Dimension Specific Actions Starting Independent Researcher Grants Advanced Investigator Grants Capacities Ideas People The 3 ‘other’ programmes that are accessible to AU: general characteristics  Approx 33% of total funding FP7 funding across the 3  competitive applications  research questions mostly proposed by applicants so are ‘bottom-up’  success rates vary across schemes and from year to year – typically in the range 5-46%  pre-existing excellence of organisations/individuals is favoured Proof of Concept Grants New pilot scheme: Synergy Grants

7. Ideas aka European Research Council (ERC) grants Starting Independent Researcher Grants Advanced Investigator Grants  Supports ‘the best’ to undertake the highest quality research within EU or AC - scientists, engineers and scholars  Funding of €7.51 billion (2007-13)  Excellence of Individual Researcher and Proposal are the sole criteria  Competitive, flexible funding – success rates have varied every year/9%-17%  Retain, repatriate and recruit  Support for a PI and (if necessary) team members usually (90% of cases) in one location within EU or AC  At least 50% of PI’s time to be spent on project  Investigator-initiated frontier research across all fields of research, on the basis of scientific excellence Advanced Investigator Grants <€2M pro-rata over 5 years – July call/Autumn deadlines <€2.5M pro rata over 5 years – Autumn call/Spring deadlines Proof of Concept New pilot scheme: Synergy Grants For previous ERCAdv Grant recipients 2-4 PIs to collaborate on interdisciplinary challenge

8. Overview of Marie Curie Actions People Specific Programme Host ActionsIndividual Actions Initial Training Networks (ITN) Industry Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPPs) International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES) Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) International Incoming Fellowships (IIF) International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF) Career Integration Grants (CIG) Typically July calls – Autumn/Winter deadlines Typically March calls – August deadlines Also funded: Researcher’s Night, CO-FUND People

9. Capacities Research Infrastructures Research for the Benefit Of SMEs Regions of Knowledge Research Potential Science in Society Activities of International Co-operation Coherent Development of Policies Aims through 7 schemes to  enhance research and innovation capacities throughout Europe, and to ensure their optimal use  support the coherent development of policies  complement the Co-operation programme  contribute to EU policies and initiatives to improve the coherence and impact of Member States’ policies  find synergies with regional and cohesion policies, the Structural Funds, education and training programmes and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP)

10. Previous suggestions put to Elena of relevant funding schemes for CES targeted at helping CES students to develop their career in research/their employability: 1.People/Marie Curie Individual Actions 2.People/Marie Curie Host Actions: ITNs and IRSES 3.People/Marie Curie ‘Researchers’ Night’

11. Support (1) 1. Signposting/News of calls Central Research Office – e.g. weekly staff e-mail; through PIVOT Departmental/Faculty research support staff Making use of AU’s UKRO membership - daily/weekly updates – register on UKRO’s website - http://www.ukro.ac.uk/Pages/UKRO.aspxhttp://www.ukro.ac.uk/Pages/UKRO.aspx EU’s Participant Portal website http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/page/calls

12. Proposal preparation –  General advice on process and writing - Huw Merfyn Hughes hmh@aber.ac.uk ext 8742 hmh@aber.ac.uk  Proposal preparation – Huw initially, and Faculty Research Support Officer  Specialist Advice: National Contact Points, UKRO  Info Days: UK or Brussels  Partner searches  Proposal writing courses: UKRO, External Contractors  Financial advice – main contact Emyr Reynolds ehr@aber.ac.uk ext 2257ehr@aber.ac.uk  Meeting spaces for consortium meetings at Brussels: - Berwyn Davies, WHEB abd@aber.ac.ukabd@aber.ac.uk - UKRO* Support (2)

13. Support (3) Financial support to prepare proposals Funds may be available within Departments/Institutes Possibility of applying to the University’s Research Fund External funding available for up to 50% from Wales European Collaboration Fund administered by Wales European Enterprise Network but only for Welsh Government’s priority areas: http://www.enterpriseeuropewales.org.uk/wlx/tech/How_we_can_help.asp ?ContentID=0110&BackTo=0&savemsg=&CustomMessagehttp://www.enterpriseeuropewales.org.uk/wlx/tech/How_we_can_help.asp ?ContentID=0110&BackTo=0&savemsg=&CustomMessage= 

14. Previous experience/copies of applications Examples of proposals – contact Huw Merfyn Hughes - previously successful applicants within your Department  Support (4)

15. Thanks for your interest Questions?