ERC General Information 2021

ERC General Information

All information concerning the European Research Council (ERC) can be found on the ERC website https://erc.europa.eu/

Please see the following excellent instructional videos produced by the European Research Council which explain the general procedures behind the preparation of a proposal to the Starting Grant, Consolidator grant, or Advanced Grant calls.

Video 1: Step by Step Guide to the ERC Application Process

This is a quick and simple video explaining which researchers are eligible to apply for European Research Council grants, at what points in their career, what type of grants we offer, how ERC grant proposals are evaluated - plus all the basics to help you decide when and how you could apply!

Video 2: How to get started with your ERC proposal

In this video, we will walk you through 7 things to consider before applying for an ERC grant. You need to be strategic in your career, and writing an application takes a lot of time and effort. However, an ERC grant offers independence and recognition. You can research a topic of your own choice, with your own team. It will increase your visibility, help you access large facilities, buy the necessary equipment, attract the best team members and collaborators and bring additional funding.

Video 3: How to write Part 1 of your ERC proposal

In this video, we will be talking about the more research-focused part of the ERC application. If you’re considering applying for an ERC grant, you may already know that an application is made up of three parts: part A, part B1 and part B2. Here, we will look into the 3 sections that make up the second part of your application, part B1, and give you some practical tips.

Video 4: How to write part B2 of your ERC proposal

In this video, we will talk about the scientific part of the proposal that is referred to as part B2. This is the part where the panel dig deep into your proposal. In this video, we will cover what to consider when writing part B2.

Video 5: How are ERC proposals evaluated?

In this video we will walk you through the ERC evaluation process. You might think that this is not very relevant, but it actually indirectly impacts on how you write your proposal. Imagine that you have sent your proposal. What happens next? What’s going on behind the scenes while you are waiting for a decision? Let’s go through the 7 phases of the ERC evaluation process.

Video 6: ERC Interview Process

In this video, we will walk you through the ERC interview process, so that you can feel a little more prepared. At the end of the video, we will also give you 8 top tips for a good ERC interview. ERC interviews have quite a reputation and can be nerve-wracking. If you watch this video, you’ll have a much better appreciation of what you will be faced with.

ERC Projects

ADSOIL - ADvanced SOILs for the agritech R&D

Specific programme: HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
UPV/EHU Partner Status: Beneficiary
UPV/EHU PI: Gonzalo Guerrica

Project start:  01/11/2023
Project end: 30/04/2025

Brief description: AdSoils project aims to evaluate, validate, and develop artificial advanced soil technology for its commercial exploitation as a tool for screening crops from belowground. As part of the Farm to Fork strategy, the European Commission aims at reduced “nutrient losses of at least 50% by 2030, while ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility. This is expected to lead to a reduction in fertiliser use of at least 20%”. The breeding and agrochemical sectors are now seeking ways for crops to acquire water and nutrient more efficiently, supplying seeds, compounds and inoculum that reduce soil contamination and make crops more resilient to climate change. Assessing the effectiveness of such strategies is a major bottleneck because current screening technologies are destructive costly and time consuming. Within the ERC consolidator grant 647857 “SENSOILs”, an artificial soil that becomes transparent during watering has been successfully developed. This technology, suited for small scale laboratory research, has shown great potential, enabling the discovery of new forms of mobility by soil bacteria and mapping root induced chemical gradients at microscale resolution. Adsoils project proposes to move a step further and to demonstrate that the AdSoils solution can be fabricated and applied in commercial screens for the discovery of agrochemicals and genomic regions involved in water and nutrient use efficiency. The project will identify cost-effective fabrication routes enabling a close mimic of natural soils and will produce a sufficient volume to validate the soil prototype with industrial end-users.