www.esf.org Dr. Aigars Ekers ESF-EUROCORES Coordinator PESC -
Physical and Engineering Sciences Unit ESF and its instruments ESF
Conference Quantum Engineering of States and Devices Obergurgl,
Austria, 5 - 10 June 2010 2
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www.esf.org Outline What is ESF? What are the ESF instruments?
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www.esf.org ESF in Setting Science Agendas for Europe European
Science Foundation provides a common platform to its Member
Organisations in order to: advance European research explore new
directions for research at the European level ESFs purpose to serve
the needs of European research community in a global context
through a range of activities ESFs values: excellence, openness,
responsiveness, pan- European, ethical awareness and human values.
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www.esf.org ESF Member Organisations ESF is an independent
association of 79 Member Organisations research funding
organisations research performing organisations academies and
learned societies in 30 countries 5
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www.esf.org About ESF Established in 1974 Offices in
Strasbourg, Brussels, Ostend ESF budget: 58M in 2009 including COST
Staff: equivalent to 170 full time in 2009 including COST Office
ESF headquarters, Strasbourg Marine Board, Ostend Research
Conferences Unit,15 th floor and COST, 21 st floor, Tour Generali,
Brussels 6
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www.esf.org 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 7
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www.esf.org Exploratory Workshops Member Organisation Fora
Science Policy Briefings Research Conferences Research Networking
Programmes Forward Looks Implementing agent for the COST office
through EC contract Strategic Plan 2006-2010 Coordination of ERA
projects Peer Review support Coordination of EUROHORCs projects
EUROCORES Research Programmes ESF Activities SCIENCE STRATEGY
SCIENCE SYNERGY SCIENCE MANAGEMENT 8
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www.esf.org 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 9
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www.esf.org Range of Instruments Funding available to
researchers Exploratory Workshops Conferences RNPs EUROCORES
Funding level Number of researchers per instrument 1030100 15 k 100
k 1 m 10
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www.esf.org 11 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 action plans www.esf.org/flooks
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www.esf.org 12 Address science policy issues of key concern to
the ESF Member Organisations and the wider scientific community
Draw on the advice and expertise of researchers Provide consensus
on strategy recommendations to policy makers www.esf.org/spb
Science Policy Briefings
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www.esf.org 13 Small specialist think-tank meetings Bottom-up
topics based on open calls To determine next necessary steps in the
development of new topics Should catalyse significant and/or
strategic activities 25-30 scientists involved ESF grant per event:
15k Annual calls open beginning of March with deadline end of April
www.esf.org/workshops Exploratory Workshops
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www.esf.org 14 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 For new programmes starting January 2012 call opens on
July 1, 2010 with deadline on October 14 www.esf.org/programmes
Research Networking Programmes
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www.esf.org 15 Research Conferences Cover the latest topics,
proposed by the scientific community and aimed at its benefit
Stimulate dialogue between early-stage researchers and established
scientists Full organisational support by ESF conference organisers
4-5 day events, 20-25 invited speakers, up to 120 selected
participants Grants of 20-60k per conference, including support
earmarked for early-stage researchers Conference Chairs select
participants and may distribute grants to young researchers
www.esf.org/conferences
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www.esf.org 16 Research Conferences www.esf.org/conferences
25-45 conferences per year in 10 scientific domains: Basic Science
Global Change Research Biomedicine Humanities & Social Sciences
Chemistry Life Sciences: Biology+ Mathematics Environmental
Sciences Global Health Physics/Biophysics & Environmental
Sciences Calls for 2012 conferences15 September Calls for 2012
conferences is open with deadline 15 September
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www.esf.org European-scale bottom-up collaborative research
scheme in all scientific disciplines Topics for new EUROCORES
submitted by scientists, peer- reviewed and recommended by ESF
standing committees Topics with sufficient support from national
funding agencies developed in new EUROCORES programmes in an open
call procedure Research funding remains national, networking &
coordination via ESF Typical EUROCORE: up to 80 research groups
arranged in 5-15 collaborative research projects; budget 510M over
3 years Annual calls for new topics (called Themes) open 1 March
with deadline end of May www.esf.org/eurocores EUROCORES EUROCORES
(European Collaborative Research Programmes) 17
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www.esf.org No EUROCORES: spontaneous national research events
EUROCORES: coherent transnational research effort Objective: to
achieve major advances of cutting-edge topics and ensure a leading
position of European research Topics: bottom-up, all disciplines
Preconditions: hot topics and critical mass of researchers to
achieve a breakthrough Selection criteria: scientific quality,
strategic importance Mechanism: synchronous launch of national
projects; reinforced collaboration and networking EUROCORES Vision
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www.esf.org EUROCORES structure (in ideal case a complete
graph) Individual research groups national funding Research and
networking activities within CRPs individual project budget
Programme coordination and networking across the CRPs ESF
(programme N&C budget) CRP5CRP2 CRP4CRP3 CRP1 EUROCORES
Programme EUROCORES-wide networking: conferences, workshops,
schools, exchange visits, dissemination 19
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ESF wishes you a productive event and welcomes future
applications!