European Science Foundation

ECRP stands for European Collaborative Research Project, a grant scheme managed by the European Science Foundation (ESF). The overall aim of the ERCP Programme is to support high quality responsive-mode, researcher-led, collaborative international research within and across all fields of the social sciences, offering opportunities to test innovative ideas, pool multidisciplinary expertise and strengthen European research capacity. The scheme is open to applications on any topic within the social sciences that demonstrates an international framework for research collaboration. The ECRP-programme is part of the ESF EUROCORES-programme.

In collaboration with 21 EFOs (Eurocores Funding Organisations) ESF has drawn up an ECRP Protocol enabling them to consider collaborative proposals from European research teams based on a Common Application Form, submitted by a common deadline and evaluated using a common reviewing process, while funding decisions on individual projects are made at national level in accordance with national rules.

ECRP-proposals consist of at least three individual projects. The entire proposal is submitted to the ESF by the Project Leader. The Call for Proposals and relevant information for the ECRP VI 2010 round can be found on the website of the ESF (www.esf.org/ecrp). In addition, the principal investigator of the Dutch individual project will have to submit the Financial Details and Additional Requirements form (see below) to NWO via Iris.

The entire assessment procedure for the full proposals will be handled by ESF. Applicants will be informed by the ESF on the results. On the basis of the outcomes of this assessment procedure, the MaGW Divisional Board will decide whether to fund Dutch individual projects.

Who can apply

For the Dutch individual project, the proposed research must fall within the remit of the social sciences. This domain is defined by the Social Sciences list of expertise codes (see Documentation at bottom of the page).

To be eligible for MaGW funding, the applicant (principal investigator) of the Dutch individual project must hold a doctorate and be employed at a Dutch university or at a research institute recognised by NWO/KNAW.

What can be applied for

Personnel costs
For Dutch individual projects funding can only be requested for a single PhD student (4 years full-time, since July 1st 2009 amounting to € 205.013) or a postdoc (max. 3 years full-time, since July 1st amounting to € 201.635) research position. The salary costs of PhD students and post doc researchers are fixed in an agreement between NWO and VSNU (The Dutch Association of Universities).

Bench fee
The above mentioned grants each include a bench fee of € 5,000 to cover the costs made by the PhD or postdoc for the research (i.e. thesis and congress visits). Material costs Material costs up to € 20,000 can be applied for. This includes, for example, costs for data collection, travel and accommodation costs (for project personnel and project leaders) and for meetings with members of other contributing projects. These costs should be specified and justified on the Financial Details and Additional Information form (see the end of this page)

Costs not covered are:

• Computers, laptops, calculation time on computers
• Overhead costs, housing and depreciation costs

The total budget requested for the Dutch individual project does not exceed € 225.000. Please note! A proposal for a European collaborative research project can include only one Dutch individual project (research group based in the Netherlands).

The strong integration of Collaborative Research Projects is expected to entail coordination effort by the Project Leader. Project Leaders will therefore be allowed for up to an additional 10% of their budget to support the coordination role. These costs should be specified and justified on the Financial Details and Additional Information form (see the end of this page).

When can be applied

Deadline for submitting applications was 10 March 2010, 16:00 hrs. 

Criteria

The applications will be assessed by referees according to following criteria:

• Originality (potential contribution to knowledge)
• Research design and methods
• Competence and expertise of the applicants
• Added value of the collaboration
• Value for money
• Planned output

Procedure

Submission
The proposals are submitted to ESF according to the instructions on the ESF website (http://www.esf.org/ecrp) and on the form issued by ESF. Applicants from Dutch individual projects must also complete the Financial Details and Additional Requirements form (see below) and submit this to NWO via their Iris account. Please not that the same deadline, as mentioned above, applies.

Eligibility
Within two weeks after the deadline for submitting proposals, the applicants will be informed by the ESF about the eligibility of their application. Please consult the ESF website for the eligibility criteria. MaGW will determine whether the contributing project falls within the remit of the social sciences, whether the applicant holds a doctorate, whether he/she has a tenured appointment at a Dutch university or an NWO/KNAW institute and whether the budget applied for does not exceed the maximum amount of € 225,000.

External peer review and rebuttal
The proposals will be externally reviewed between mid-April and mid-July 2010. ESF will submit the proposals in their entirety to at least three referees. The applicants will be given the opportunity to respond to the referees’ comments during the second half of July 2010.

Committees

Review panel
An international review panel representing the entire discipline will be convened by the ESF. It will assess the proposals at the start of September based on the reviews and rebuttals. The review panel will subsequently communicate recommendations for funding decisions to ESF.

Funding decisions
Based on the review panel’s recommendations, the MaGW Divisional Board will take a decision about funding and will inform ESF of this. Please note!: A European collaborative research project can only proceed if at least three individual projects are awarded funding. If this minimum is not realised then the previously taken funding decision lapses. A Dutch individual project will not be funded as an independent project.

Outcome
ESF will inform applicants about the outcome of the review procedure in mid-December 2010.

After funding
Funded European Collaborative Research Projects must start within 3 months of the outcome of the funding being announced (before 31 March 2011).

Budget

For the 2010 round of ESF ECRP VI programme, the NWO Division for Social Sciences has made a budget of € 450,000 available. This allows funding of no more than two Dutch individual projects. 

Contacts

• Dhr. drs. J.S. Voskuilen (coordinator ECRP at NWO)
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 09 89, e-mail: j.voskuilen@nwo.nl
• Mw. E.T.W. van Liempt (secretariat ECRP at NWO)
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 09 44, e-mail: e.vanliempt@nwo.nl
• Mrs. Sarah Moore (coordinator ECRP at ESF)
  phone: +33 (0)3 88 76 21 70, email: smoore@esf.org
• Mrs. Caroline Eckert (secretariat ECRP at ESF)
  phone: +33 (0)3 88 76 71 42, email: ceckert@esf.org