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Budget: €7.4 billion (2007 - 2013)
The “Ideas” programme hosts all those
activities that are to be implemented by the European Research
Council (ERC). The ERC is expected to enjoy a high degree of autonomy
in order to develop high-level frontier research at a European
level, building on excellence in Europe and raising its profile
at the international level.
This programme will enhance the dynamic character,
creativity and excellence of European research at frontier knowledge.
The "Ideas" programme will boost Europe's
competitiveness by helping to attract and retain the most talented
scientists, supporting risk-taking and high-impact research, and
promoting world-class scientific research in new, fast emerging
fields.
What's the benefit for citizens:
Countries with leading-edge research are best
positioned to deliver a better quality of life to their citizens,
while maintaining their economic position and advancing their
global competitiveness.
During FP7 the Ideas programme will fund EU frontier
research. The concept behind Ideas is that first-rate researchers
are best placed to identify new opportunities and directions at
the frontiers of knowledge. These in turn will feed back into
society and find their way to the industries and markets, and
translate into the broader social innovations of the future.
What's the benefit for researchers:
The ERC will have a unique position as a pan-European
funding organisation designed to support the best science and
scholarship across all fields of research through open and direct
competition. It is expected to reinforce Europe's dynamic character,
making it more attractive to leading scientists from both Europe
and third countries, as well as for industrial investment.
Two types of the ERC grant will be available,
both operating on a "bottom-up" basis without predetermined
priorities, across all fields of research:
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The ERC Starting
Independent Researcher Grants (ERC Starting Grants).
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The objective is to provide support to the independent careers
of outstanding researchers. They are either located in or moving
to the EU and associated countries, and are at the stage of establishing
their first research team or programme, whatever their nationality.
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The ERC Advanced
Investigator Grants (ERC Advanced Grants).
The objective is to support excellent frontier research
projects by leading established researchers across the EU
member states and associated countries, whatever their nationality.
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What's the benefit
for industry and SMEs:
Projects will be funded on the basis of proposals
presented by researchers both from the private and public sectors
on subjects of their choice and evaluated on the sole criterion
of excellence as judged by peer review. Frontier research is a
key driver of wealth and social progress because it offers new
opportunities for scientific and technological advancement, and
is instrumental in producing new knowledge leading to future applications
and markets.
Information from the “FP7 Factsheets” provided courtesy
of the EC’s DG Research.
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