ERC Work Programme 2022 - ec.europa.eu

1 EN. ANNEX. European Commission Decision C(2021) 4860. ERC Work Programme 2022. 1|Page 2|Page About this document This document is the annual work Programme for the European Research Council (ERC). funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. It is the legal document which sets out how the ERC will allocate its funding for the corresponding year. It is established by the ERC Scientific Council and subsequently adopted by the European Commission. The rules applying to the submission and peer review and evaluation of proposals, as well as to the award of grants to successful legal entities are set out in The European Research Council Rules of Submission, and the related methods & procedures for peer review and proposal evaluation relevant to the specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe , referred to in this document as ERC Rules of submission and evaluation under Horizon Europe , and available at: 2027/horizon/ How to apply for ERC grants Principal Investigators who wish to apply for ERC grants need to do so through the EU.

2 Funding & Tenders Portal, which contains all information on each call, as well as details of National Contact Points who can provide information and personalised support in different languages: More information on the ERC in general, including its mission and organisation, a description of its funding schemes, a step-by-step application guide and details on funded projects is available at: 3|Page Summary of main features in 2022. This ERC work Programme is the second under the 2021-2027 Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Union ( Horizon Europe'). Considering the Union's interest to retain, in principle, relations with the countries associated to the predecessor Programme to Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, most third countries associated to Horizon 2020 are expected to be associated to Horizon Europe.

3 For the purposes of the eligibility conditions, applicants established in Horizon 2020 Associated Countries or in other third countries negotiating association to Horizon Europe will be treated as entities established in an Associated Country, if the Horizon Europe association agreement with the third country concerned applies at the time of signature of the grant agreement. Starting, Consolidator, Advanced and Synergy Grants will be available under this work Programme . ERC Principal Investigators funded under one of these grants under prior work programmes will also be able to apply for complementary funding, via Proof of Concept Grants and the Public Engagement with Research Award. Two separate Proof of Concept calls for proposals will be opened under this work Programme , each with an indicative budget of EUR 25 million, for a total of EUR 50 million.

4 The first call for proposal, ERC-2022- PoC1, will open in calendar year 2021 with a single deadline. The second call for proposals, ERC-2022-PoC2, opening in calendar year 2022, will have three cut-off dates, similarly to the approach followed in the past until Work Programme 2020. Restrictions on applications will apply to the 2022 calls based on the outcome of the evaluation of previous calls see restrictions on submission of proposals under Admissibility and eligibility criteria . Submission restrictions for Principal Investigators who served as panel members under previous calls apply. The members of ERC panels alternate to allow panel members to apply to the ERC calls in alternate years. In the case of Synergy Grant, the Panels serving the 2022.

5 And 2023 calls will be substantially renewed compared to the Panels that served the 2019. and 2020 calls respectively. Because of this renewal, Principal Investigators who served as Panel Members in the 2019 and 2020 Synergy Grant calls will be able to apply to the Synergy 2022 call unless they serve as Panel Members in the 2022 call. Finally, as from 2021 it is no longer possible for applicants to opt out of the submission of Research Data Management plans. 4|Page Table of contents About this document 2. How to apply for ERC grants 2. Summary of main features in 2022 3. Objectives and Principles of ERC Funding 5. Main Frontier Research Grants 12. - Indicative summary of calls from the 2022 budget 13. - Grants 15. - Funding 23. - Admissibility and eligibility criteria 24.

6 - Proposal submission and description 31. - Evaluation procedure and criteria 34. Complementary funding for ERC Principal Investigators 40. - Summary of complementary funding with indicative budget and 42. timetable - Proof of Concept Grant 43. - Public Engagement with Research Award 50. Other Actions 53. Public Procurement 58. Indicative Budget 60. Annexes 62. 1. Primary panel structure 63. 2. ERC policy on PhD and equivalent doctoral degrees 66. 3. Countries associated to Horizon Europe and restrictions applying to 68. some legal entities 4. Security 69. 5. Gender equality plans 70. Early Detection Exclusion System (EDES) 71. 5|Page Objectives and Principles of ERC Funding 6|Page The fundamental activity of the ERC, via its Council. The panels may be assisted by main frontier research grants1, is to independent external experts working provide attractive, long-term funding to remotely.

7 Support excellent investigators and their The ERC's peer review evaluation process research teams to pursue ground- has been carefully designed to identify breaking, high-gain/high-risk research. scientific excellence irrespective of the Research funded by the ERC is expected to gender, age, nationality or institution of lead to advances at the frontiers of the Principal Investigator and other knowledge and to set a clear and potential biases, and to take career inspirational target for frontier research breaks, as well as unconventional research across Europe. career paths, into account2. The evaluation process ensures that Principal Excellence is the sole criterion on Investigators have the professional the basis of which ERC frontier competences and qualifications required research grants are awarded to complete their proposed The evaluations are monitored to guarantee The ERC also awards complementary transparency, fairness and impartiality in funding for the Principal Investigators the treatment of proposals.

8 ERC calls are funded by its main grants, in order to fulfil expected to be highly competitive. its mission of supporting new ways of working in the scientific world and to raise Applications can be made in any the profile of frontier research in Europe field of research as well as the visibility of ERC programmes to researchers across Europe and internationally. The ERC's main grants as well as other Principal Investigator-led actions are 2. evaluated based on the sole criterion of Regarding negative impacts of the Covid-19. outbreak on a Principal Investigator's curriculum excellence, comprising a set of detailed vitae or track record, see the section Evaluation evaluation elements decided by the ERC criteria . 3. Applicants whose proposals are recommended Scientific Council based on the specific for funding are deemed to fulfil the operational objectives of the grant.

9 Capacity requirements of Article 198(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the The evaluation of applications to the ERC's European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the main grants is conducted by peer review general budget of the Union, amending panels composed of renowned scientists Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No and scholars selected by the ERC Scientific 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, 1. Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Grant and Synergy Grant, also referred to in this Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 966/2012 (OJ L 193, work Programme as main grants.)

10 , p. 1) (the 'Financial Regulation'). 7|Page The ERC's frontier research grants4 The ERC awards flexible, long-term operate on a 'bottom-up' basis without funding for a period of up to five years for predetermined priorities. the Starting, Consolidator and Advanced Grants and up to six years for the Synergy The ERC puts particular emphasis on the Grants. The Scientific Council reviews frontiers of science, scholarship and funding conditions regularly to make sure engineering. In particular, it encourages that grants remain competitive both at proposals of a multi- or interdisciplinary European and international level. nature which cross the boundaries between different fields of research, The maximum grant varies by grant type. pioneering proposals addressing new and An ERC grant can cover up to 100% of the emerging fields of research or total eligible direct costs of the research proposals introducing unconventional, plus a contribution towards indirect costs, innovative approaches and scientific in accordance with the conditions set out inventions.