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Excellence in Science Department

For a researcher, obtaining an ERC grant is one of the highest individual achievements. This is why the Polish Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education, established the Excellence in Science Department within the Chancellery of the Polish Academy of Sciences in 2016. The Department supports the best researchers in order to increase their participation in obtaining these prestigious grants. Further, it provides researchers with comprehensive support in applying and implementing ERC grants. The help offered by the Excellence team is free of charge and available to all scientists who want to apply with one of the host institutions in Poland.

Our Mission and offer

As the Excellence in Science Department of the Polish Academy of Sciences, we offer a comprehensive assistance in the preparation and implementation of ERC projects to all scientists, as well as researchers, who would like to pursue their ERC funded project at the Polish institution.

We offer the following forms of support:

  • evaluation of a project and the CV for applying for ERC grants
  • organizing workshops for scholars interested in applying for ERC grants also organized in cooperation with foreign partners
  • organizing mentoring initiatives “ERC Ideas”
  • “ERC Step by step” workshop
  • networking with specialist in a given discipline
  • mock panels for candidates, who passed the first stage of the Starting and Consolidator grant competition and helping them to prepare an outstanding presentation for an interview in Brussels
  • helping successful grantees throughout the process of preparing a contract as well as supporting them in the implementation and settlement of the project
  • facilitating Polish research institutions that plan to host the ERC grant holders

What are ERC grants?

The European Research Council is an independent EU agenda created by the European Commission in 2007, which finances the highest quality research conducted in the European Union. It is managed by the Scientific Council consisting of the most eminent European scientists. Between the years 2014-2020, the ERC has a budget of over € 13 billion  within the frames of the program Horizon 2020. It enables financing of nearly 7.000 grants, with more than 40.000 scientists participating.

Prestigious ERC grants finance pioneering and ground-breaking research conducted in all research areas. The motto of ERC grants is “High risk-high gain”, and the only criterion for assessing project ideas is their scientific excellence. The grant offer is directed to scientists from around the world, at every stage of their career, who intend to implement grants in the European Union.

See more on the ERC website: https://erc.europa.eu/

The ERC grant scheme

There are specific categories tailored for researchers at a particular stage of their careers.

The Starting Grant appeals to people 2 to 7 years after being awarded their Ph.D. It offers up to 1,5 Mio EUR for maximum 5 years.

The Consolidator Grant is aimed at individuals with more experience, who received their scientific title 7 to 12 years ago. It can be up to 2 Mio EUR for a period of 5 years.

The third funding scheme – the Advanced Grant – may be awarded to scientists who have an excellent scientific track record in the last 10 years. Grantee may be awarded up to 2,5 Mio EUR for a period of 5 years.

The last grant type is the Synergy Grant, dedicated to 2-4 Principal Investigators and their teams to bring together complementary skills, knowledge, and resources in new ways, in order to jointly address ambitious research problems. Scientists may be awarded up to 10 Mio EUR for 6 years.

Additional funding scheme are designed for exploring the commercial or societal potential of research already funded by the ERC. The Proof of Concept Grants can be up to 150 000 EUR.

schemat grantowy

Contact us

The Excellence in Science Department

Polish Academy of Sciences
Palace of Culture and Science
plac Defilad 1, 00-901 Warsaw

doskonalosc@pan.pl

tel. +48 22 182 60 80