ERC calls announces first calls under H2020
New seasonal deadlines have been announced for Horizon 2020 European Research Council (ERC) funding. The ERC enables leading scientists in Europe to carry out high quality new research.
According to Liverpool John Moores University in north-west England, the deadline for the first round of funding will be in the spring of 2014, beginning with the Starting grants. This will then be followed by consolidator grants during the summer and autumn with advanced grants also in the autumn. There will be two deadlines for proof of concept funding in the same year.
Starting grants are awarded to PhD scientists with between two and seven years’ experience and are able to receive up to €2m in funding over five years. ERC Consolidator grants are given to scientists with up to 12 years’ experience and can obtain an additional €750,000.
Advanced grants are awarded to leading, established scientists in their field and can amount to up to €3.5m for the financing of new research. Proof of Concept funding is for existing ERC grants holders only to determine proof of concept of an idea that was produced in the course of their ERC-funded projects and helps to cross the valley of death.
The ERC is expected to receive an estimated €13.2bn during Horizon 2020 and will form part of the Excellent Science pillar, along with the Marie Curie Actions and European Research Infrastructures. However, the final budget for the ERC will not be confirmed until the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework has been passed.
Winning grants for the FET projects, another key part of the Excellent Science pillar, were announced last year to The Human Brain Project and the Graphene Project.
