Seventh EU Framework Programme Ireland

Ideas / ERC

The IDEAS programme, run by the European Research Council (ERC), aims to fund bottom-up, frontiers scientific/scholarly projects across science, engineering, the humanities and social sciences. The IDEAS programme has a budget of €7.5 billion over the lifetime of FP7. Currently there are four calls per year:

1. ERC Starter Grant competition (aimed at young investigators targeting independence; grants up to €2 million over 5 years)
2. ERC Advanced Grants competition (aimed at well established independent investigators; grants up to €3.5 million over 5 years)
3. ERC Synergy Grant (aimed at a small group of Principal Investigators; grants up to €15 million over 6 years)
4. ERC Proof of Concept (open to ERC grant holders; grants up to €150,000 over 12 months)

For more information on applying for these grants, please see the pages linked above or click on the links on the left hand side of this page.

The main criterion for the ERC Grants is scientific excellence.

The programme aims to increase the cooperation between researchers and the generation of knowledge across Europe and to translate this knowledge into social and economic growth. A key role of the programme is to attract the best researchers to the European Union from both European and third countries.

The programme stands out through its uniquely flexible approach to EU research; proposed research projects are judged solely on merit, as judged by a peer review independent of political priorities.

Click here to access the European Research Council (ERC) homepage

There have been numerous ERC Grant Awardees in Ireland over the past few years. More information about these Awardees is available here.

The ERC provides:

• a Guide for Applicants (frequently updated, please use above link to find latest version)
• an Electronic information service announcing the latest activities and developments
• a Research Enquiry Service with the most up to date information on the programme.

To assist ERC applicants in Ireland, Graeme Horley (NCP, Lifesciences & Physical Sciences and Engineering) and Leonora Harty (NCP, Humanities and Social Sciences) run additional services such as information events (mock interview training and non-technical pre-reads may be provided in certain cases). Please contact them to learn more about these services (contact details are over on the right).

Graeme Horley, SFI, is the National Delegate to the ERC for the IDEAS programme.