This project provided the necessary support to the Vice-Presidents of the European Research Council Scientific Council (ERC ScC) to achieve key milestones and deliverables of the ScC, which are required under the Horizon 2020 framework programme.
Under the Horizon 2020 programme, the European Research Council provides a competitive funding mechanism for investigator-driven frontier research at the European level. One of the key structural components of the ERC is the Scientific Council consisting of 21 eminent researchers and their President, representative of a large range of disciplines and institutional backgrounds. The ERC ScC independently establishes and oversees the ERC's scientific management and the implementation of the Work Programme, including the peer review and the selection of peer reviewers.
The project aimed to support the ERC Vice-Presidents, who, unlike the ERC President, act on an honorary basis, in the efficient and timely achievement of the ScC’s objectives in 2020. The diverse responsibilities of the three Vice-Presidents of the ERC included the achievement of efficient and effective functioning of the ScC, its integrated operation together with the ERC Executive Agency (ERCEA), and effective interfacing with the scientific community, other funding agencies and the political institutions of the European Union. The project provided administrative and research support ranging from secretarial tasks to assistance in developing policy papers related to the work of the Vice-Presidents of the ERC for a period of one year.
The project objective was to provide local administrative, operational and advisory support for the three ERC Vice-Presidents. The project contained a single work package which encompassed all the various tasks associated with this objective. Some of the major tasks accomplished by the Vice-Presidents were the preparations for the ERC Work Programme 2021, the chairing of Standing Committees and Working Groups, recruitment of new panel members for evaluation of proposals submitted to the ERC, participation in meetings of the ERC Board and Scientific Council, and dissemination of information on the ERC to the wider community. These activities are in addition to on-going work monitoring the quality and effectiveness of the ERC evaluation processes, and responding to correspondence from the scientific community. As the Vice-Presidents act on an honorary basis, this project provided the support necessary for them to achieve these tasks.
