ERC drafts in extra help for evaluation process The European Research Council (ERC) has drafted in extra help to handle the peer review evaluation of the 9,167 applications it received in response to its first round of grants, the Starting Grants for independent researchers. Initially, it was thought that the first ERC cal... The European Research Council (ERC) has drafted in extra help to handle the peer review evaluation of the 9,167 applications it received in response to its first round of grants, the Starting Grants for independent researchers. Initially, it was thought that the first ERC call would generate around 3,000 applications. But response to the call has been overwhelming, far exceeding all expectations, says the ERC Scientific Council. To deal with this massive response, the Scientific Council has implemented an emergency plan, inviting a total of 600 additional panel evaluators, who were in reserve, to assist the 244 members of the 20 ERC panels in the peer review evaluation process. Furthermore, upon request by the Scientific Council, national research funding organisations have seconded 30 experts, who will assist the ERC during the panel meetings, by recording the outcome of the evaluations. The evaluation and selection process, which started in May, will conclude in July. Successful applicants will be informed as soon as possible so that they can submit a second-stage proposal by 17 September. Meanwhile, applicants who were unsuccessful will receive feedback by August. 'Evidently, the ERC regrets that the available funding, although substantial, is not adequate to fund all the meritorious applications. The ERC evaluation system will ensure that the best applications will be retained for the second step, and that the top ones are ultimately funded,' says ERC Scientific Council.
