What’s Behind the Screen?

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WHAT IS EXCELLENCE IN
RESEARCH?
• When aiming for excellence, one should aim at the stars: At
new knowledge which changes paradigms, invents new
fields and open opportunities with broad societal
consequences.
• These are the kind of breakthroughs that form the base for
new products and processes that bring benefit to people in
their everyday lives.
• To reach this level of excellence we need to foster scientific
research with an ambition to challenge accepted views and
knowledge which can result in real breakthroughs.
• This kind of ambition is much more risky, it needs a longer
time perspective and it is normally less productive, but it has
a higher probability of making a real difference.

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HOW IS EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
SUSTAINED AND NURTURED?

• TRUST AND FREEDOM

• LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE

• CREATIVE AND DYNAMIC RESEARCH

ENVIRONMENTS

• BEYOND AND ACROSS DISCIPLINES

• RECOGNISING AND NURTURING TALENTS

• STATE OF THE ART INFRASTRUCTURE

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januar 2021

Focus on people

Excellence

Flexibility
Universities ERC

Trust

Transparency
4
 Excellence
Focus on people
If you let the best people
grapple with the problems
they are passionate about,
we set the stage for real
scientific breakthroughs.

5
 Transparency in
Evaluations
• Excellent research should be identified by
careful evaluation of research proposals and
applicants, carried out in an open competition
by internationally acclaimed experts.
• The evaluation should follow internationally
acknowledged standards and criteria in a fair
and transparent assessment procedure.
• By doing so, it is possible to identify and
support the very best people with the most
ambitious ideas.

6
STATEMENTS FROM
ERC GRANTEES

https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/magazine/rewriting-
rewarding-tips-repeat-applicants

https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/magazine/application-
advice-authors-successful-grant-proposals
• Excellence is ultimately funded
• Choose your panels wisely
• Aim high and go for it
• Think about big things. Questions that bother you.
Questions that you don’t know how to think about.”
• Networking is crucial
• Step1 vs. Step2
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 ERC STATISTICS

Statistics show that for StGs, applicants 4 years past their PhD
have the same success rate as those 6-7 years post PhD. The
same is true for CoGs - the trend for applying is 11 years post
PhD even though those with 8 years have the same success rate
as those with 12 years’

Generally, applicants who managed to reached the second stage

of evaluation (Step 2) in their initial application, but then failed to
progress to get a grant, double their chances by applying again.

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 TRY AGAIN !!

https://erc.europa.eu/newsevents/magazie/rewriting-rewarding-tips-repeat-applicants

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Rules for Success

 There is no satisfactory substitute for excellence

 Absolute integrity in everything

 Everything in moderation including moderation itself

 Hire the best people and then get out of their way

 Don’t take yourself too serious

The Secrets of a Success: ERC.

 The evaluators: high-level scientists from all over the world.

 Scientific and financial independence of the grantees.
 The length of the grants giving room for being scientifically
ambitious.
 The simplicity of the scheme and of the procedures.
 Efficient management by an autonomous Executive Agency.
 Empowering the Scientific Council: 22 scientists as decision
makers.

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12

More top talent to fund!

Average of > 400 unfunded top projects each

year
Qualitative Evaluation of
ERC Completed Projects
Comparison of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 results

Qualitative evaluation of completed

ERC projects
Overall results for 2015, 2016 and 2017
2015 21,6% 49,8% 25,1% 3,5%

2016 24,7% 47,9% 26,3% 1,1%

2017 19,2% 59,7% 19,6% 1,5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

A - Scientific breakthrough
B - Major scientific advance
C - Incremental scientific contribution
D - No appreciable scientific contribution
Qualitative Evaluation of
ERC Completed Projects
Analysis (ex-ante versus ex-post)

Rank position
Rank index
# funded projects