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

MEDAPP - Medieval Appetites: food plants in multicultural Iberia (500-1100 CE)

Specific programme: ERC-2021-ADG - HORIZON ERC Grant
UPV/EHU Partner Status: Beneficiary
UPV/EHU PI: Amaia Arranz

Project start:  01/01/2023
Project end: 31/12/2027

Brief description: The Islamic conquest of Iberia in the 8th century brought in profound changes in the political, social and economic realms that transformed the everyday life of local rural and urban communities. Technological innovations and the arrival of new crops impacted their agriculture, diet and culinary practices. Plants were present in almost all aspects of medieval people’s ordinary lives (food, crafts, medicines, etc.). However, they have been commonly sidelined in discussions of the past. Most of what we know about plants in this multicultural period in Iberia is based on a limited number of archaeobotanical studies and on written sources, which despite their undeniable value they often reflect issues related to the elites. By contrast, archaeology, and more specifically archaeobotany and their associated sciencebased techniques, are placed in an extraordinary position for approaching issues related to plant production, processing, preparation and consumption, and how these connect to broader societal changes. By integrating archaeobotany and written sources, as well as applying ground-breaking techniques (plant genomics and food remains analyses), MEDAPP aims to disentangle what range of plants were used in Medieval Iberia (6th-11th CE); where new species came from and when were they introduced, who brought them, and how people engaged with them through different practices. The project sets a new holistic agenda for understanding the impact of the new political, economic and social system on agriculture, eating habits and culinary practices of Iberian medieval communities. This project aims at providing a step-change in the way agriculture, plant production, preparation and consumption have been studied in Medieval Iberia. It represents a golden opportunity to fill the voids of texts, looking for clues in the archaeobotanical record; an occasion to approach, with a suite of scientific and innovative methods, the unspoken information contained in these silences.