Dear ERC contacts,

We are planning to organize three ERC Proposal Reading Days in spring 2024! The first two (22 April and 26 April) will be held in Helsinki and the third (24 May) in Oulu.

ERC Proposal Reading Days are organized for researchers who are planning an ERC application. Unlike last autumn, the research services staff members are welcome to participate, too.

Please disseminate the following information to the researchers (especially those planning an ERC proposal) in your organization:

On the Proposal Reading Day (PRD) applicants will get the opportunity to read successful ERC grant proposals in order to see how a proposal might be structured. About 40 ERC grantees from Finnish Host Institutions have given their kind consent to make their proposal(s) available for the reading day.

• Proposal Reading Day is an on-site event.
• The PRDs of 22 and 26 April will be held at the Research Council of Finland premises, Hakaniemenkatu 2, Helsinki.
• The PRD of 24 May will be held at the University of Oulu (Linnanmaa campus).
• There will be two separate sessions on each PRD, at 9-12 and 13-16, both accommodating max 38 persons.
• One is allowed to register only to one PRD and to one session.

Practicalities:

• The proposals are available as paper copies on the PRD. One can preselect up to two proposals. This is done in the registration form. Subject to availability, it may be possible to read copies of other applications.
• Attendance only by registration which is binding. If one signs up, but cannot attend after all, one is requested to deregister before the registration deadline.
• The participants must sign Declaration of Secrecy (attached) when they arrive and sign up to the PRD session.
• Photocopying or taking photos of the applications is not allowed.
• Applications cannot be taken out of the reading room.
• This is a quiet individual reading session. It does not include tutorials about the ERC. To participate one should be familiar with the ERC grant schemes, as well as the conditions for participation listed here.

Registration:

• PRD 22 April: https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/ERC_Proposal_Reading_Day_224_1702  - open until 8 April 2024.
• PRD 26 April: https://www.lyyti.in/ERC_Proposal_Reading_Day_264_9970  - open until 8 April 2024.
• PRD in Oulu is reserved primarily for researchers and research services staff from the University of Oulu and University of Lapland. The registration link will be sent later (in May) to this email list, if there are vacant places.

It is possible that we will organize a few PRDs in the autumn 2024, but they will be confirmed later in the spring.

Kind regards,

Annika and Anna

Anna Kalliomäki

Senior Science Adviser, PhD

NCP for ERC funding, Horizon Europe

Research Council of Finland

Division of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research

Hakaniemenranta 6, POB 131, FI-00531 Helsinki

anna.kalliomaki@aka.fi, Tel: +358 (0) 29 533 5035

Annika Raitala

Senior Science Adviser, PhD

NCP for ERC funding, Horizon Europe

Research Council of Finland

Division of Biosciences, Health and Environmental Research

annika.raitala@aka.fi, Tel: +358 (0) 29 533 5097