Ερευνητικά Προγράμματα Κύπρου

Calls for proposals

Horizon 2020 – Excellence Science – European Research Council Advanced Grants - ERC-2017-ADG

Objective and description

The fundamental activity of the European Research Council (ERC) is to provide attractive, long-term funding to support excellent investigators and their research teams to pursue ground-breaking, high-gain/ high-risk research. Research funded by the ERC is expected to lead to advances at the frontiers of knowledge and to set a clear and inspirational target for frontier research across Europe. Scientific excellence is the sole criterion on the basis of which ERC frontier research grants are awarded.

The ERC's frontier research grants operate on a 'bottom-up' basis without predetermined priorities. ERC Advanced Grants (ERC-2017-ADG) are designed to support excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they are already established research leaders with a recognised track record of research achievements. Applicant Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their scientific proposal.

Applications can be made in any field of research.

Research proposed for funding to the ERC should aim high, both with regards to the ambition of the envisaged scientific achievements as well as to the creativity and originality of proposed approaches.

Eligible applicants

Applicants for the ERC Advanced Grants - called Principal Investigators (PI) - are expected to be active researchers who have a track-record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years and which must be presented in the application. There is little prospect of an application succeeding in the absence of such a record, which identifies investigators as exceptional leaders in terms of originality and significance of their research contributions.

Thus, in most fields, Principal Investigators of Advanced Grant proposals will be expected to demonstrate a record of achievements appropriate to the field and at least matching one or more of the following benchmarks:

10 publications as main author (or in those fields where alphabetic order of authorship is the norm, joint author) in major international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journals, and/or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals and peer-reviewed conferences proceedings of their respective field;
3 major research monographs, of which at least one is translated into another language. This benchmark is relevant to research fields where publication of monographs is the norm (e.g. humanities and social sciences).

Other alternative benchmarks that may be considered (individually or in combination) as indicative of an exceptional record and recognition in the last 10 years:

5 granted patents;
10 invited presentations in well-established internationally organised conferences and advanced schools;
3 research expeditions led by the applicant Principal Investigator;
3 well-established international conferences or congresses where the applicant was involved in their organisation as a member of the steering and/or organising committee;
International recognition through scientific or artistic prizes/awards or membership in well-regarded Academies or artefact with documented use (for example, architectural or engineering design, methods or tools);
Major contributions to launching the careers of outstanding researchers;
Recognised leadership in industrial innovation.

Applicant Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground breaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their scientific proposal.

The ERC actions are open to Principal Investigators of any nationality and any age from anywhere in the world provided their host institution is established in a Member State or an Associated Country.

They shall spend a minimum 30% of their total working time on the ERC project and a minimum of 50% of their total working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country.

Budget and duration

The indicative total budget of this call is 567 million EUR.

Advanced grants will be up to 2.5 million EUR for a period of 5 years. However, an additional 1 million EUR can be made available to cover eligible “start-up” costs for Principal Investigators moving from a third country to the EU or an associated country and/or the purchase of major equipment and/or access to large facilities.

An ERC grant can cover up to 100% of the total eligible direct costs of the research plus a contribution of 25% of the total eligible costs towards indirect costs.

Grants are awarded to the Host Institution with the explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for the Principal Investigator independently to direct the research and manage its funding for the duration of the project.

Any type of legal entity, including universities, research centres and undertakings can host the PI and his/her team.

Deadline for proposals’ submission

The deadline for all domains of this call is 31 August 2017, 17:00:00 (Brussels local time).

Applications for an ERC grant must be submitted by a single Principal Investigator (PI) in conjunction with and on behalf of their Host Institution, called the applicant legal entity.

Further information

Please find attached the call documents.

More information is available at the following website: https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/erc-2017-adg.html

Kind regards,

Flora

Flora Stavropoulou
Intern

European Office of Cyprus

Rue du Luxembourg 3, 2nd floor

B-1000, Brussels

Tel/Fax: +32 (0) 2 280 22 85

E-mail: eoc.brussels2@ucy.ac.cy

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