1

Principal Investigators
experienced with EU programmes

We in ERS will be able to help you to reduce the time required for acquisition and management of EU projects & improve the recognition of achievements in your institution at the European Commission and among peers who are leading other EU initiatives.

ERS seeks long-term partnerships with high-potential principal investigators and we would be delighted to work with you. Please contact us for a personal discussion about possible mutually beneficial collaborations, your own situation and expectations.

For orientation, typical collaborations include:

“I plan to submit a proposal and would like to optimize my chances for success.”

ERS can provide advice in all phases of the proposal-preparation. We support the conceptualisation of the project so that it already covers all aspects that need to be described in the formal proposal. We provide templates, answer queries related to formalities, and offer comments about the proposal.

We offer support and hassle-free tools to design a realistic budget.

We can help you to plan the drafting, moderate discussions, and assign co-authors ( for some parts of the text we can be co-authors). We also organise meetings and TelCos, send reminders and collect material from the partners directly.

“I have a problem in one of my EU projects. It needs to be solved quickly and without repercussions.”

ERS-consultants have worked as EU Project Officers and are familiar with EU guidelines and procedures. In addition we benefit from experience in a great number of EU projects. We are able to suggest options and support you in explaining your favoured solutions to the consortium and the EU. We can also support the formal implementation of solutions.

“The management should not impose unnecessary burdens and restrictions on the researchers in my project(s).”

It is our profession to ensure exactly the above. Management should ensure that you comply with the regulations but otherwise should nurture your scientific creativity. We don’t use a one-size-fits-all management model, but optimise it for each of your projects. Tasks that need to be micro-managed will be handled with as little hassle for the researchers as possible. We offer modules to foster an energetic intellectual atmosphere, in particular during meetings. We custom-fit the management to your ambitions.

“I would like to have more interaction with the European Commission and with other EU projects.”

We contribute specific activities to the Dissemination-Work Package to improve the liaison to the European Commission and to enter into a non-competitive exchange of ideas with related projects.

The EU relies on solid information to draft future calls. We advice when to disclose information and how to safeguard you against suspicions of partisanship. Networking with experienced peers in other projects is a great way to prepare the ground for future projects. We foster an open dialogue with other projects by preparing legal agreements and organising dedicated meetings.

Offers for Principal Investigators experienced with EU programmes:

  • Consultation charged on an hourly basis (130 €/hour, plus VAT and travel expenses). This option applies to subcontracts in running projects, as well.
  • Partnership in projects (administrative tasks and project coordination): Our budget is 3-4% of the total funding (depending on how many tasks you’d like us to take on). We can discuss case by case on this option.
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Principal Investigator
new to EU programmes

Do you need help in deciding which EU funding opportunities would best fit your research profile? We can support you in planning and writing a proposal that has a good chance for success in the EU competitions.

Our consultants and project managers can take care of the project management and liaise with your local administration to establish tools and procedures that fit with the project.

We seek long-term partnerships with high-potential investigators. We would be happy to help you getting started in EU programmes. Please contact us for a personal discussion about your research interests and your expectations.

For orientation, typical collaborations include:

“My research is highly appreciated and well published. Can I benefit from EU funding?”

We can help you to make the right choice now and a plan for the future. ERS-consultants are very familiar with the European landscape of funding programmes and know how to interpret call descriptions. We can help you to apply for a programme that meets your interests while offering a fair chance for success.

“I would like to submit a proposal – can you help me to improve my chances?”

Yes, but without promising a silver bullet. Fortunately, EU evaluations are known to favour good ideas which are well presented. Our consultants can help you to shape a good concept that fits the formal structure of the proposal. Beyond this, we provide templates, a process to organise the co-authors and answer all queries related to formalities. ERS project managers can organise meetings and TelCo’s, send reminders and collect material from the partners directly. We can help to estimate and negotiate the budget and offer comments on the proposal at different stages. For some parts of the text we can be co-authors.

“How much administrative burden can I expect in an EU project?”

Taking care of administrative issues is our main expertise, almost all tasks that you wish to delegate can be taken over by ERS. Our team will ensure that the management procedures fit exactly the needs of your project: tasks where risks cannot be tolerated need to be managed in a very disciplined way: the use of templates, concrete planning and checks for compliance are necessary. This management style cannot be applied across the project, as researchers would feel hemmed in and would spend too much time on documentation instead of innovation. ERS will help you balance accountability with modern management techniques that foster scientific creativity.

Offers for Principal Investigator not experienced with EU programmes:

  • Consultation charged on an hourly basis (130 €/hour, plus VAT and travel expenses). This option applies to subcontracts in running projects, as well.
  • Partnership in projects (administrative tasks and project coordination): Our budget is around 3-4% of the total funding (depending on how many tasks you’d like us to take on). We can dicuss case by case on this option.
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Academic Institutions

Your objective is to acquire more EC funds and to increase your recognition as an excellent place to do research?

In a personal meeting and as a first step we would discuss your situation, needs and goals. In a second step we would agree on concrete optimisation measures that you would wish to implement.

Each client has individual conditions for which we seek a concept that fits perfectly your needs and wishes.

For orientation, typical requests from academic institutions are:

“The researchers awareness about funding opportunities need to be increased and they require to have a good idea whether there’s a fair chance for success.”

ERS can offer to establish a steady collaboration with high-quality official advisors such as the National Contact Point. Regular information events at department-level, the preparation of fact-sheets for easy information, and even to set up an institution-wide wiki as a dynamic knowledge-database are some possibilities. To counsel small groups and individual researchers of high potential is another option on our portfolio.

“Researchers need to be able to concentrate on scientific aspects of proposals.”

ERS offers support in a wide range of intensity: this starts from acting as helpdesk for administrative, budgetary and procedural questions and continues with our full involvement, where we contribute to the conception of the project, co-author parts of the proposal, and mediate the budgeting. Our support can be adapted, within an agreed framework, to individual needs and wishes. At institutional level, success often depends on the researchers’ commitment to lead ambitious projects. We offer advice on how to set up motivation and appreciation measures as a part of your strategy.

“We wish to improve the chances for success.”

ERS can provide annotated templates, give advice for drafting proposals and comment on draft proposals. At institutional level we offer to set up a panel of peers that would edit and test-evaluate proposals on a high scientific level.

“The handling of projects needs to be more (cost-)efficient.”

Our consultants offer training for administrators and project-managers. With your IT-departments we can discuss how the existing IT-infrastructure could handle EU projects. At institutional level, ERS offers advice how your procedures could be made more efficient in the greater framework of your mission.

Offers for Academic institutions:

  • Framework contracts: This would be a service contract adapted to your institution’s requirements and needs. We offer services on a fixed amount basis (starting at 50.000 €), or consultation charged on an hourly basis (130 €/hour, plus VAT and travel expenses), or a mixed model of ‘essential services’ for a fixed amount plus ‘bonus services’ on an hourly basis.
  • Consultation charged on an hourly basis (130 €/hour, plus VAT and travel expenses). This option applies to subcontracts in running projects, as well.
  • Partnership in projects (administrative tasks and project coordination): Our budget is around 3-4% of the total funding (depending on how many tasks you’d like us to take on). We can discuss case by case on this option.
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Private Institutions

You seek to find EC funding opportunities that match your business strategy? We can assist you in acquiring funding if you wish to lead a project.

This can include training of staff-members who manage your EU projects. Or, alternatively, ERS can take care of project management for you.

Our consultants can help you to safeguard intellectual property and to solve issues either within the consortium or with the EU.

In a personal meeting and as a first step we would discuss your situation, needs and goals. In a second step we would agree on concrete actions that you would wish to implement.

For orientation, frequently asked questions by private institutions are:

“Are there funding opportunities that match our technology? Do we have a fair chance for success?”

ERS can help you to identify the EC programmes that best meet your development needs while offering a reasonably high success rate. Besides, we offer regular information events at department-, CSO- or board-level and prepare fact-sheets for easy information. We can counsel selected groups and individual researchers as well as managers.

“Can we meet our goals when working in an international consortium?”

Mutual respect for each other’s goals, in particular between academic and private sector partners is a key element in good projects. This is part of our project management strategy which includes ‘soft’ means to establish an amiable culture within the consortium as well as ‘hard’ means like legal agreements and compliancy checks.

“What will happen to innovations? How much access do we have to grant to our existing knowledge?”

Our team can offer help to formulate a consortium agreement that regulates individual and joint ownership as well as confidentiality in a fair and transparent way. In addition we provide several day-to-day lightweight measures that will avoid almost all intellectual property issues.

Services for private institutions:

  • Framework contracts: This would be a service contract adapted to your institution’s requirements and needs. We offer services on a fixed amount basis (starting at 50.000 €), or consultation charged on an hourly basis (130 €/hour, plus VAT and travel expenses), or a mixed model of ‘essential services’ for a fixed amount plus ‘bonus services’ on an hourly basis.
  • Consultation charged on an hourly basis (130 €/hour, plus VAT and travel expenses). This option applies to subcontracts in running projects, as well.
  • Partnership in projects (administrative tasks and project coordination): Our budget is around 3-4% of the total funding (depending on how many tasks you’d like us to take on). We can discuss case by case on this option.

PROJECTS

CONTACT

We look forward reading or hearing from you.

European Research Services GmbH
Hüfferstraße 5
48149 Münster
Germany

Phone: +49 251 8335590
E-Mail: team@european-research-services.eu