Directorate of Research, Enterprise & Innovation Services Developing your Research – The European Research Council (ERC) Frontier Research Grants

This presentation The European Research Council (ERC) Frontier Awards – overview What the profile and achievements of ERC applicants suggests is good practice for early stage researchers and Some ideas for setting your own research development goals

The ERC Frontier Awards – Overview A strand of the Excellent Research Pillar of Horizon 2020; Designed to provide funding to support excellent researchers and their teams to undertake “ground breaking, high risk/high gain research”; The ERC expects the research it funds to lead to “advances at the frontiers of knowledge and to set inspirational targets for frontier research”.

The ERC Frontier Awards – Overview Divided into three research domains: physical sciences and engineering; life sciences and social sciences and humanities; Grants are on the basis of ‘bottom up’ without predetermined priorities; Interdisciplinary applications are encouraged; Applicants can be any age, any nationality (hosted by an EU MS/Associated Country).

The ERC Frontier Awards – Overview – Award Schemes Starting Grants (2-7 years after PhD) up to €2m for 5 years; Consolidator Grants (7-12 years after PhD) up to €2.75m for five years; Advanced Grants (track-record of significant research achievements in the last ten years) up to €3.5m for 5 years; Also Synergy Grants (under review) and Proof of Concept (for ERC grant holders)

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – The Criteria Eligibility - PI will have been awarded his/her first PhD between 2-7 years (eligibility now fixed at the beginning of calendar year); Excellence is the criteria by which applications are assessed – an excellent, high risk/high gain idea and a PI with an excellent track record; Why you - A PI with a track record and achievements which convinces the panel that they are the researcher to carry out research

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – The Process Two stage evaluation process but all material being evaluated must be submitted at time of application; Material (i) Part A - Administrative Proposal (ii) Research Proposal – divided into B1 and B2) and (iii) Supporting Documentation ( host institutional letter of support, ethical self- assessment).

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – Part B1 and Part B2 Part B1 – Cover page, extended synopsis (5 pages), curriculum vitae (2 pages) and early achievements (2 pages) – total 9 pages; Part B2 – the scientific proposal (max 15 pages) – addresses state of the art and objectives, methodology and resources (including project costs).

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – What happens then? Stage 1 – Only Part B1 is evaluated– Cover page, extended synopsis (5 pages), curriculum vitae (2 pages) and early achievements (2 pages) – total 9 pages; Stage 2 – Applicants called for interview panel then evaluates both Part B1 and Part B2 If an applicant does not score well ERC may place time restrictions on next application.

The ERC Frontier Awards –Starting Grant – What is being evaluated? The Research Project – ground breaking nature and potential impact of the project; The scientific approach – feasibility, methodology, timescales; The Principal Investigator – intellectual capacity and creativity (ability, evidence of independent thinking, achievements); commitment (evidenced by time commitment to project).

Track Record Up to five publications in major international multi-disciplinary peer-reviewed journals and/or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals, peer-reviewed conference proceedings and/or monographs of their respective research fields – at least one publication without PhD Supervisor; Patents; Invited presentations to peer-reviewed, internationally established conferences; Prizes/Awards/Academy Memberships.

Research DIT Travel Grants and ERC Co-ordination Grant; National Contact Points (Dr. Graeme Horley, SFI and Mr. Paul Kilkenny, IRC); Internal/external peer review/support/mentoring; SFI/IRC Mock Interviews for Stage 2; SFI and IRC - Development Programmes for applications deemed excellent and fundable at Stage 2 but not funded due to lack of available programme funding.

Who should be interested? Researchers who have a great idea they wish to pursue; Supervisors; Academic Mentors; Academic Leaders/Senior Managers.

Your research nicheOnly you can decide but there are policy drivers Research Profile – self-assessment Who knows you? Who is taking your money? If a potential partner searches for you where do they find you and how do you present? Expert (Public Relations) Memberships and Role Networks (COST ) Conferences, Presentations Evaluator (Participant Portal) Research News Web Page Arrow Social Media Knowledge and skills - getting readyNational and EU/International Funding Opportunities Research Professional Licence to Supervise, Interview, grant writing Achievements – personal planSupervision, grants, awards, publications

SFI research-council-introduction/ IRC research-council Horizon 2020 Financial Support for ERC Applicants help/financial-assistance/ ERC Participant Portal tal/desktop/en/home.html COST

Irish Research Council - Horizon 2020 SSH Research Funding Opportunities and Best Practice Engagement Tips Presenter: Mr. Paul Kilkenny, European Programmes Manager, Irish Research Council Date: Friday, 18 September 2015 Time: Start: 10a.m. Finish: 11.30a.m. approx. Venue: DIT Aungier Street Campus Who should attend: Researchers/research support personnel and senior managers with responsibility for academic development Registration: Please with your For more information please contact Dr. Sandra Fisher, Head of Enterprise & Research Development Services, tel

THANK YOU