European Funding and Networking Opportunities

Dr Paul Egerton Head of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences

CASEE Regional Network Workshop, Vienna 20th May 2010

www.esf.org

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Setting Science Agendas for Europe

The European Science Foundation provides a common platform for its Member Organizations in order to:

•advance European research

•explore new directions for research at the European level

Through its activities, the ESF serves the needs of the European research community in a global context.

Its mandate is underpinned by the values of excellence, openness, responsiveness, pan-European, ethical awareness and human values.

www.esf.org

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ESF Member Organisations

79 Member Organisations research funding organisations research performing organisations academies and learned societies

in 30 countries

www.esf.org

About ESF

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• Established in 1974

• Offices in Strasbourg, Brussels, Ostend

• ESF budget: 58M€ in 2009 including COST 30M€

• Staff: equivalent to 170 full time in 2009 including COST Office

ESF headquarters, Strasbourg

Marine Board, Ostend

Research Conferences Unit,15th floor and COST, 21st floor, Tour Generali, Brussels

www.esf.org

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ESF covers all scientific domains

Standing Committee domains

•Humanities

•Social Sciences

•Life, Earth & Environmental Sciences

•Medical Sciences

•Physical and Engineering Sciences

Expert Board/Committee domains

•Marine Sciences

•Polar Sciences

•Space Sciences

•Radio Astronomy

•Nuclear Physics

•Materials Science and Engineering

www.esf.org

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ExploratoryWorkshopsExploratoryWorkshops

Member Organisation ForaMember Organisation Fora

Science PolicyBriefings

Science PolicyBriefings

ResearchConferences

ResearchConferences

Research Networking Programmes

Research Networking Programmes

Forward LooksForward Looks

Implementing agent for the COST office

through EC contract

Implementing agent for the COST office

through EC contract

Strategic Plan 2006-2010Strategic Plan 2006-2010

Coordination ofERA projects

Coordination ofERA projects

Peer Reviewsupport

Peer Reviewsupport

Coordination ofEUROHORCs projects

Coordination ofEUROHORCs projects

EUROCORES Research Programmes

EUROCORES Research Programmes

ESF ActivitiesESF Activities

SCIENCESTRATEGY

SCIENCESYNERGY

SCIENCEMANAGEMENT

www.esf.org

Range of InstrumentsFunding available to researchers

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Exploratory

Workshops

Exploratory

Workshops

ConferencesConferences

RNPsRNPs

EUROCORESEUROCORES

Fund

ing

leve

l

Number of researchersper instrument

10 30 100

15 k€

100 k€

1 m€

www.esf.org

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Forward Looks

• Medium to long-term scientific perspectives

• Multidisciplinary topics viewed at a European level

• Bring together scientists with policy makers

• Wide consultation

• Result in major reports and actionplans

www.esf.org/flooks

www.esf.org

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• Address science policy issues of key concern to the ESF Member Organisations and the wider scientificcommunity

• Draw on the advice and expertise of researchers

• Provide consensus on strategy recommendations to policy makers

www.esf.org/spb

Science Policy Briefings

www.esf.org

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• One-off specialist meetings

• Spearheading topics

• ‘Bottom-up’ topics based on open calls

• Should catalyse significant and strategic activities

• 25-30 scientists involved

• ESF grant per event: 15k€

www.esf.org/workshops

Exploratory Workshops

www.esf.org

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• Output-oriented discussion platforms for Member Organisations to develop joint actions on specific issues, involving others as appropriate

• Actions: to contribute to Member Organisation strategy development and/or lead to the development of– Best practice e.g. peer review– Common procedures– Cooperative activities

• Time-limited activities, typically two years

www.esf.org/mo-fora

ESF Member Organisation Fora

www.esf.org

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• Unique investigator-driven collaborative research scheme in Europe covering all scientific disciplines

• An opportunity for the science community and Member Organisations to submit ideas for medium- to large-scale collaborative research programmes

• International and joint peer review

• Research funding remains national, networking funded through ESF

• Typically channels 5–10M€ over 3 years across 5-15 collaborative research programmes, with up to 80 individual projects

www.esf.org/eurocores

EUROCORES(European Collaborative Research Programmes)

www.esf.org

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• Networking to enable major scientific endeavours over a four- to five-year period

• Supported by Member Organisations according to interest

• Typically include workshops, conferences,exchange visits, summer schools and dissemination

• Can link to other initiatives, including the EC Framework Programme

• Financing in the range of 100k€-130k€ per year

• 6,500 participants per year in 45-50 programmes

www.esf.org/programmes

Research Networking Programmes

www.esf.org

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Research Conferences

• Interdisciplinary scheme for Europe implemented in collaboration with high-profile partners

• Stimulate dialogue between early-stage researchers and scientific leaders worldwide

• Cover the latest topics, proposed by and for the scientific community

• Full organisational support by ESF conference organisers

• Grants of 20-60k€ per conference, including support earmarked for early-stage researchers

www.esf.org/conferences

www.esf.org

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Science Management

ESF serves the academic community in promoting cutting-edge science in Europe by creating synergies between funding agencies and by assisting cross-border cooperation.

•Peer Review support

•Coordination of projects for the EuropeanHeads of Research Councils

(EUROHORCs)

•Coordination of European Research Area projects

Implementing agent for the COST office through European Commission contractImplementing agent for the COST office through European Commission contract

www.esf.org

European CoCooperation in Science and Technology

Intergovernmental Framework, governed by its Member States

•Origin: – Started 1971: Ministerial conference, with 19

Member States

•Current Participation:– 2009: 35 COST Member States and

1 cooperating state (Israel)

•COST Actions:– Concerted Actions of nationally funded

research and development projects– Open networks on a global scale

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www.esf.org

European CoCooperation in Science and Technology

www.cost.esf.org

The Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) is the main decision-making body responsible for the strategic development of COST

Approximately 250 current Actions

Between 65 and 300k€ per year over 4 years

Meetings, workshops, conferences, short term scientific visits, training schools.

Continuous call open to all with collection dates in March and September

Approximately 9 month decision path

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LESC states its mission to be: “LESC initiates, coordinates, catalyses and fosters research of biological, environmental and Earth systems across time and space emphasizing the complex interactive boundaries between these disciplines and linking to societal issues. It also identifies future research needs and prepares strategies for their implementation, and contributes to training and mobility of young scientists. LESC achieves these goals in concert with Member Organizations and through synergistic actions with other Standing Committees, Expert Committees, COST Domain Committees, the European Commission and international partners.”

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CONTENTS• Introduction and framework• From Molecules to

organisms- The molecular level- The cellular and organism levels

• From populations and communities to ecosystems

• Atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere

• Earth Sciences- The global level

• Science and society• Implementation

19/17

www.esf.org

Life Sciences:

• http://www.esf.org/research-areas/life-earth-and-environmental-sciences/about/life-sciences.html

Currently 38 Funded activities in the Life Sciences Across Research networking programmes,

Exploratory workshops and EUROCORES programmes

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RecommendationsRECOMMENDATIONS1. Follow-up research activities on

the whole food system are urgently needed

2. Comprehensive and explorative scenario studies are called for

3. Follow-up studies should include all relevant stakeholders

4. Health and sustainability require due attention

5. Production of safe food for personalized nutrition requires an action plan

6. An important element of follow-up studies is education

7. Cooperation with ongoing activities is required

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Forward Look “Responses to Environmental & Societal Challenges for our Unstable Earth”

RESCUE Objectives

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• Strategic process for natural, social & human sciences to improve their interdisciplinary synergy and to respond efficiently to societal and policy-relevant needs;• New scientific issues related to global change, especially those of trans-disciplinary nature or of major society-driven relevance;• New approaches towards interdisciplinary science, & to facilitate the ‘revolution’ in education and capacity building it requires.

help ensuring global sustainable governance

www.esf.org/rescue

new, emerging, and neglected Science Questions;

Collaboration between the natural, social and human sciences in global change studies;

Requirements for research methodologies & data;

towards a ‘Revolution’ in education and capacity building;

Interface between science and policy, communication and outreach.

RESCUE Working Groups

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FACEing the Future: Planning the Next Generation of Elevated CO2 Experiments on Crops and EcosystemsLESC-PESC Science Position Paper - Main Recommendations

Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) should proceed beyond descriptive science, and recognise the shift to a mandate to understand and predict the consequences of atmospheric and climatic change on the process and ecosystem level, and to contribute to the design of appropriate strategies to respond to this change.

The design of the sites and experiments and their outputs should be closely integrated with modelling approaches, including systems biology, and ecosystem and climate change modelling.

A joint plan is needed for crops and natural ecosystems.

www.esf.org

Latsis Prize 2010: Biodiversity

European Latsis Prize 2010 "Biodiversity"• In the context of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010,

one of the goals of which is to stop the decrease of biodiversity worldwide, the European Latsis Prize seeks nominations for outstanding contributions to interdisciplinary research on Biodiversity, in its widest meaning, which has had a major impact in this domain.  The candidate should have excellent research achievements in aspects of biology and ecology, or perception of society on biodiversity, or human and societal aspects of or vision on biodiversity, economic aspects of biodiversity, both direct (e.g. fisheries, forestry, agriculture) and indirect, which have contributed to this development.

• The deadline for submission of nominations is 30 June 2010. The European Latsis Prize 2010 will be awarded on the occasion of the Annual Assembly of the European Science Foundation on Wednesday 17 November 2010, in Strasbourg, France.

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www.esf.org

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Open Calls for Proposals

ESF issues annual calls for proposals for:

•Exploratory Workshops

•Research Conferences

•Research Networking Programmes

•EUROCORES themes and projects

www.esf.org/calls

www.esf.org

Calls for proposals 2010

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www.esf.org

Calls for Proposals 2010

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www.esf.org

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European Science Foundation headquarters1 quai Lezay-Marnésia BP 9001567080 Strasbourg cedex France+33 3 88 76 71 00

Marine Board secretariatWandelaarkaai 7 8400 Oostende Belgium+32 59 34 01 63

ESF Conferences 149 avenue Louise, Box 14 Tour Generali1050 Brussels Belgium+32 2 533 20 20

COST office149 avenue Louise Tour Generali1050 Brussels Belgium+32 2 533 38 00

www.esf.org