ERC Session: Funding Opportunities at the European Research Council (ERC)

Panel MC4: Monday, 10 June at 14:30-16:15 at room 215 (Lossi 36 conference venue)

Since 11 years, the European Research Council has been supporting excellent, investigator-driven frontier research across all fields of science through a competitive peer review process based on scientific excellence as the only selection criterion. ERC calls for proposals are open to researchers from around the world who plan to carry out their research project at a host institution in an EU Member State or in a country associated to the current EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. This includes countries in Eastern Europe such as Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, which could be relevant for the audience in view of the topic of the conference. In the first part of the session, Dr Vsevolod Samokhvalov, Scientific Officer at the ERC Executive Agency, will present the objectives and the principles of ERC funding, mail features of funding schemes, evaluation criteria, some examples of funded projects as well as general guidance for potential applicants how to prepare a proposal.

In the second part of the session, participants will gain practical insights about the evaluation process, project implementation and the impact of having an ERC grant on the academic career from the perspective of two ERC grantees. Prof. Lauri Mälksoo (University of Tartu) will relate his experience of preparing a Starting Grant application and conducting his ERC-funded project on Russia’s perception of the international law. Dr. James Kapalo (University College Cork) current ERC grantees will discuss his experience of preparing and running research project on the presentation of minorities in the archives of the political police in several Eastern European countries. In our experience, such testimonials from ERC grantees are particularly powerful tools to inspire future potential applicants. Subsequently participants will have the opportunity to ask panellists questions about any aspect related to ERC and its funding opportunities.

All interested are welcome!