Advice on Applying for an ERC Starting Grant

The ERC Workshop last month

Last month we held a workshop on applying to the European Research Council. As well as getting an overview from UKRO, we heard from Dr Tracy Kivell, who won a Starting Grant in 2013, who talked about her experience of applying to the ERC.

The Project 

 Tracy is a paleoanthropologist, who looks at fossil remains to understand human evolution and development. Her €1.6m ERC-funded project, ‘GRASP’, examines two million year old hand bones to try and resolve two key questions in the field: did the earliest humans still use their hands to climb trees, and when did they start using tools.

The project uses innovative methods, including internal structural analysis using high-resolution microtomography (microCT).

Why Apply? 

Tracy applied to the ERC in 2012, five years after getting her PhD. She was motivated to apply because her vision - and the research questions she was seeking to answer - required a large and complex project which was unlikely to be funded elsewhere.

Furthermore, the time was right for her. She had been at the Max Planck Institute, but neither her publication record nor her funding success were huge. However, she had had two high impact papers, including one as lead author that had made the cover of Science. In addition she was looking for a way to move back to the UK, as her partner was at UCL.

 Writing the Application 

‘Understanding the Participant Portal requires a degree in engineering’, Tracy joked, but her underlying point was well made: give yourself time to prepare and understand what’s required. But understanding the Portal was only the beginning, and Tracy mapped out a series of points to consider when preparing a bid.

ECR Network: Planning your Career

Whilst some early career researchers might have a very clear and definite idea of where they want to be in five, ten or twenty years time, others may be less sure. Even those with certainty might not know how to make it happen. This session, the first ECR Network event of the new year, will be led by Prof Sally Sheldon (Kent Law School) and Dr Simon Black (Human Resources/School of Anthropology & Conservation). Both have had very different careers, and between them represent a number of different issues, from juggling the needs of family with the demands of your career, to dealing with workloads whilst keeping your eye on your long term goal, to making the most of opportunities, even if they’re the ones you might not necessarily have initially chosen. As well as a researcher in his own right, Simon is Learning & Development adviser for HR, with particular responsibility for the development of researchers, so can advise on the support the University offers in planning and developing your career.

The event is free and open to all, and tea/coffee/water/biscuits will be provided. However, do let me know if you intend to come along so that I can get an idea of numbers.