55%: the success rate for Sciences Po’s responses to ERC calls for proposals!

The European Research Council was created in 2007 as part of the FP7 (Seventh Framework Programme) with the purpose of reinforcing the excellence, dynamism and creativity of European research. It finances exploratory research projects carried out by researchers recognised as academics of the highest order, working with small teams.

ERC grants are highly selective, with a success rate of 13% in Europe across all fields – physical sciences and engineering, natural sciences and socio-economic sciences and humanities (SSH). France is well-positioned, with an acceptance rate of over 17%.

The academic community of Sciences Po has been particularly successful with its responses to ERC calls for proposals, both for young researchers (ERC Starting Grant) and the more established (ERC Advanced Grant).

• In 2009, through the call for ERC Starting Grant proposals, Yann Algan’s TRUST project (Department of Economics) was among only two projects that received SSH funding in France.
• In 2011, for the ERC Advanced Grant, Bruno Latour’s AIME project (medialab) and Jean-Marc Robin’s WASP project (Department of Economics) were among only eight projects in France to receive SSH funding.
• In 2011, for the ERC Starting Grant, Jenny Andersson’s FUTUREPOL project was among the five projects to receive SSH funding in France. For the ERC Advanced Grant, five projects received SSH funding, including Paul-André Rosental’s SILICOSIS project (Centre d’études européennes).

With these five projects, Sciences Po currently hosts the second highest number of ERC laureates in the socio-economic sciences and humanities in France after the CNRS. On a pro rata basis (number of grants obtained compared to number of researchers), Sciences Po is the top institution in France for ERC grants.

Moreover, with a 55% success rate, since 2009 Sciences Po’s ratio of projects entered to projects selected has consistently been far higher than the European average (which has been around 10% from 2009-2011).

For more information, feel free to contact the Mission Europe de la Recherche at Sciences Po : cecile.rocuet@sciences-po.fr and olivier.romeo@sciences-po.fr