ERC - The European Research Council

The EU Commission has set up the European Research Council (ERC) to support investigator-driven frontier-oriented research. The organisation supports research on the sole criterion of excellence of the researcher and his or her scientific idea. ERC grants will be awarded through open competition to projects headed by researchers from all over Europe. A 'bottom-up' approach allows researchers to identify new opportunities and directions for research without any thematical constraints.

The European Research Council (ERC) is the first pan-European funding body set up to support investigator-driven frontier-oriented research. Since the distinction between basic and applied research has become blurred, the term 'frontier research' was coined for ERC activities since they will be directed towards fundamental advances at and beyond the frontier of knowledge. ERC grants will be awarded to highly innovative and risky research projects in Europe solely based on the criterion of excellence. The aim here is to recognise the best ideas, and retain and confer status and visibility to the best brains in Europe, while also attracting talented scientists from abroad.

The ERC aims at supporting researchers via two different funding schemes:

1. Starting Independent Researcher Grant (young, excellent researchers on their way to build up or consolidate their own research group)
2. Advanced Investigator Grant (already established, outstanding scientists)

For the period 2007-2013, the ERC has 7.5 billion Euros at its disposal - about 1.1 billion Euros per year. Project selection is organised via peer-review.

Structure of the ERC

The ERC was established by the European Commission and funded through the EU 7th Research Framework Programme (2007 - 2013). It started its work officially on 1 January 2007 under German EU Presidency. 

The ERC consists of a Scientific Council and an Executive Agency. The Scientific Council is the policy-setting body of the European Research Council. It acts on behalf of the scientific community in Europe to promote creativity and innovative research. It directs the scientific strategy and establishes procedures for the evaluation of proposals via peer-review. Its members are 22 renowned scientists. The chair is Prof Helga Nowotny who also acts as President of the ERC. The Vice-President is Dr Daniel Estève. Two Germans are members of the Scientific Council:  Prof. Dr. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine and Physiology and currently Director of the Max Planck Institute for Development Biology and Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Freund, Director of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Department of Chemical Physics.

The Executive Agency applies the strategies and methodologies in the management and operations of the ERC funding activities. The ERC operates with autonomy and integrity which is guaranteed by the European Commission, to which it is accountable.

National Contact Point ERC

In collaboration between the EU Bureau of the BMBF and the DFG, the National Contact Point ERC offers advice and information for potential applicants at German scientific institutions on behalf of the BMBF.
The National Contact Point offers scientists as well as multipliers the following services:

• Providing individual advice in all questions concerning the ERC application
• Rendering legal and financial information with regard to grant preparation and project management
• Organisation of workshops and information events
• Support of German scientific institutions in the organisation of events through presentations and individual advice on location.