Apply for ERC Grants

Who should apply?

All senior researchers should consider this!

Why should I apply?

• An ERC advanced grant means 25 Mkr for five years of free research!

• It forces you to place your research in a broad perspective and clearly define the potential impact of your work. What you are doing better be so important that society would be willing to invest in it. If it is, ask for funding. If it is not, perhaps you should change what you are doing now.

• It forces you to contemplate your research career and where you are heading.

• You receive great written feedback from 4-6 peers, both on your profile as a researcher and on your proposal ideas.

• If you are looking for a promotion, the reviewer feedback provides an excellent and independent support case. (Vice versa, it may not look great not having searched for large grants as independent researchers.)

• If you succeed: eternal fame :-)

Is it lost time if I fail?

• Having gone through this exercise myself three times (and failing three times) I am still happy I did this because the process has definitely sharpened me. 

• Based on the feedback, you can improve and re-apply the year after. 

• Your ideas can be recuperated in other proposals.

• VR is now looking into how “failed” proposals can be recuperated nationally: www.vr.se/aktuellt/nyheter/nyhetsarkiv/nyheter/2019-05-09-kan-ercs-bedomning-av-forskning-anvandas-av-nationella-forskningsfinansiarer.html

Tips/How can we help you?

• KTH research support office provides an info session plus a workshop for AdG the 17th of June between 13.30-16.30 at RSO, Lindstedtsvägen 5. Keep an eye out for invitation and registrations! Questions about this go to malheden@kth.se .

• Search peer feedback and discuss your proposal with colleagues. Doing so is probably the most effective way to improve your proposal! (Feel free to ask your impact responsible Wouter or Robert via impact@eecs.kth.se .)
• Look up the reviewers in the panel you address. Although your proposal will be reviewed by other persons not listed, these are the panel members deciding on the ranking of your proposal.
• Have a look at previous successful grant applications. (Ask Malin Hedengran at RSO ( malheden@kth.se ) or check with Wouter or Robert to find EECS people that already have a grant.)

Facts and Links:

• Next deadlines (preliminary!): ERC Advanced Grant August 29 (to be officially announced May 21); Planned Starting grants open at 17/7 2019 and closes on the 16/10 2019. Consolidator grants open 24/10 2019 and close at 4/02 2020. 

• To the ERC portal: erc.europa.eu/funding/advanced-grants