Support to the Vice-Presidents of the ERC Scientific Council 2023

Project Information

ERC VP CSA

Grant agreement ID: 101118747

DOI

10.3030/101118747

Project closed

EC signature date 20 March 2023

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 298 521,25

EU contribution

€ 298 521,25

Coordinated by

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ERC VP CSA (Support to the Vice-Presidents of the ERC Scientific Council 2023)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The European Research Council (ERC) provides a competitive platform for investigator-driven frontier research at the European level. It is led by a Scientific Council (ScC) consisting of 21 eminent scientists and their President, and it is this council that independently establishes and oversees the ERC's scientific management and the implementation of its Work Programme. This project aims to support the ERC Vice-Presidents, who act on an honorary basis, in the efficient and timely achievement of the ScC's goals in 2023. This project will provide local administrative and advisory support to the three ERC Vice-Presidents. The staff supported by this project will provide analysis of the output of the ERC and the ScC to the Vice-Presidents, preparatory work for the meetings of the ScC, support with scientific outreach and representation, as well as maintaining a clear and efficient channel of communication between the Vice-Presidents and the ERC's Executive Agency. A key duty of the Vice-Presidents is maintaining the integrity of the ERC's evaluation panels, and the staff supported by this grant will facilitate this by providing detail information and analysis of potential panel members to the Vice-Presidents to allow them to take informed decisions on recruitment. The staff will also coordinate the invitation of new panel members and communicate with them during the recruitment process. The impact of the project will be to ensure the efficient and well-managed operation of the ScC. This support is required, as the duties of the Vice-Presidents demand a considerable portion of their time. By allowing the Vice-Presidents to effectively and efficiently perform their duties, this project will contribute significantly to the continued implementation of the ERC under Horizon Europe.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The support staff for the Vice-Presidents provided support and analysis as required by the three Vice-Presidents. This allowed them to help lead the ERC’s Scientific Council in discussion of the Work Programme for 2024.
After the orientation debate at the plenary meeting in December 2022, the Work Programme 2024 was discussed at the plenary meeting in February 2023. Based on the decisions taken by the Scientific Council at that plenary meeting, the final draft of the Work Programme 2024 was formally approved and established via email at the end of February 2023.

The recruitment of (new) experts and monitoring the quality of the ERC evaluation process is the most significant part of this Coordination and Support Action. This aspect of the action has been achieved, as the recruitment needs for all the ERC calls and panels concerned over the course of this action have been either met, or (in a few cases) invitations are pending with experts to fill the remaining vacancies.

This action provided support to the ERC Vice-Presidents to allow them to prepare for and help lead discussion in the 4 ERC Scientific Council Plenary meetings and ERC Board meetings in 2023. The support staff funded by this action accompanied the Vice-Presidents to these meetings to provide on-site administrative and advisory support to the Vice Presidents. This support contributed to the efficient and productive nature of these meetings, as described in deliverable 4 and 6.

Each of the Vice‐Presidents takes on a number of additional activities alongside their role in panel recruitment and oversight of the evaluation process, including the chairing of Standing Committees and Working Groups of the Scientific Council. This action provides administrative support to allow the smooth operation of these committees and groups. The support provided by the staff allowed the Vice‐Presidents to run the Standing Committee for Programme Impact Monitoring and Evaluation (SC PRIME, chaired by Professor Jesper Q. Svejstrup, VP for the Life Sciences Domain) and the Standing Committee on Conflict of Interest, Scientific Misconduct and Ethical Issues
(CoIME, chaired in 2023 by Professor Eveline Crone, VP for the Social Sciences and Humanities) efficiently and effectively.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Not applicable.

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