[:en]The European Research Council will be in Bratislava on Monday to talk about greater involvement of scientists in excellent research.

Delegation of the European Research Council (European Research Council / ERC) will lead the President, the French mathematician Jean-Pierre Bourguignon. In Bratislava Bourguignon meet with Education Minister Peter Plavčan, Chairman of the Slovak Academy of Sciences Paul Šajgalik and other leading representatives of the domestic academia.

The subject of their discussion on the ERC’s Day in Slovakia will increase the participation of Slovakia in the prestigious grant scheme multi-annual budget of more than € 13 billion.

ERC representatives indicate that there is a correlation between the success of countries and the share of GDP that the R & D spend. 0.83% of GDP on research and development in Slovakia that precedes it in the number of ERC grants obtained among the four worst countries in Europe.

Monday’s conference for professionals at Comenius University should therefore mediate and practical guidelines for potential applicants for grants. They will answer themselves evaluators and the successful candidate.

The low percentage of applications and flexibility when considering

Unlike other European grants to support science and research are contributions from the ERC provide funding for frontier research (Frontier Research). As such, they do not require to manage national quotas or thematic priorities. Succeeds only 10% of applications.

Since 2007, ERC grants support about 6,500 projects. From Slovakia is so far the only ERC grant holders Scientist of the Year 2015 Jan Tkáč from the Institute of Chemistry. He won it back in 2012. Overall, however, it emerged from Slovakia 123 proposals. Four Slovak grant holders operating abroad.

Grant award decisions committee made up of top scientists. Selected on the basis of the quality and excellence of the projects submitted. Also they have an equal chance of social sciences. This time does not play a role or immediate social benefits or economic return.

Successful applicants may not be Europeans, but they have to work for European research organizations. Grant holder, on average, in their Tyme employing another 6 scientists. Support from the ERC is so spread out to about 40-thousand people. The aim is to enable unforeseen scientific and technological developments.

In 2015, the number of grant holders from Central and Eastern Europe doubled. Scientists from the West, they can still draw a staggering, almost 98% of the funds. A persistent deficit is also lower proportion of successful women scientists.[:]