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Geology The ncp-fnrs
S
AIT Journey to S

TR the centre

C POR of the The FNRS hosts a National Contact Point whose LE NCP-FNR

mission is to inform the researchers from the

ER Earth Wallonia-Brussels Federation about European
research programmes and in particular about
the ERC, of course, whether by holding sessions
or webinars or via its website. The NCP-FNRS
also makes sure that the administrative bodies
ERC: pros and cons responsible for supporting research in universities

The ERC grant has enabled the research (“Europe units”) have the very latest information.
to put together a large team and so
Vinciane Debaille, make faster progress in her research,
FNRS Senior Research Associate, G-Time Laboratory, ULB in particular by obtaining measuring
instruments that would have been he National Contact Points (NCP’s) on. Further along in the process, some about the ERC and developments to the
impossible to acquire without the grant. make up a network, across researchers who have received funding framework programme.
Vinciane Debaille, FNRS Senior Research Associate, is The flipside of the coin is that the growth TEurope and beyond, responsible ask questions about what they need to Each year it also co-organises information
for publicising the European Union’s
do on an ethical level, in terms of data
of the team also comes with additional
studying the birth of telluric planets in the solar system pressure for which the researcher is not framework programme for research management, about eligible costs, project sessions about the different instruments
of the ERC to help researchers to prepare
through meteorites. Between 2014 and 2019, she was the prepared. “One is not always prepared to and innovation, while also bringing management or preparing contracts with their application as well as possible.
researchers specialised support, in
the European Commission.
recipient of an ERC Starting Grant, enabling her to better manage a big team, which is a responsibility their own language, close to where they But the NCP-FNRS acts most frequently This is an opportunity for them to ask
that is not always easy to bear. However,
their questions to a scientific adviser
understand the initial composition of the solar system few projects attract so much in the way of are. This network is recognised by the as a second line because researchers are from the ERC or to panel members and
European Commission (its members
and the early differentiation of terrestrial planets. financial resources. It brings security and are appointed via the Permanent recommended to turn as a priority to to hear previous grantees share their
independence, which makes it possible for
experiences.
the dedicated units at their universities.
us to do what we want from a scientific Representations of the States to the These units benefit from the information
o find the answers to her differentiation is original and may be linked point of view, without thinking about Union), but organised and funded monitoring provided by the NCP-FNRS
questions, Vinciane Debaille to the heterogeneous nature of the pre-solar economic or material constraints.” differently in each country.
Tstudies meteorites, those gas cloud. However, we have succeeded in The NCP-FNRS in
privileged witnesses of the development proving that the answer is indeed linked to Laurent Zanella
of the planets. “We work with isotopes the formation of the Earth.” practice
to analyse the natural radioactivity that Agenda
exists in all rock. Radioactivity, which acts The snag is that the answer is located The NCP-FNRS provides a helpdesk
like a stopwatch, enables us to date rocks”, in a part of the Earth for which we do service covering the programmes Webinar on ERC Advanced Grant: 26th March 2021
explains the geochemist. “The idea is then not have any samples. This means that for which it fulfils the roles of point more information: www.horizon-europe-info-sessions.be
to compare the chemical composition of researchers are limited for the time of contact. The main requests for
meteorites with that of the planets so that being to using indirect projections information made by researchers to the
we can understand how we went from a to find out whether the Earth is NCP-FNRS are about general advice or
primitive asteroid to a planet that is not differentiated. “Making suppositions about questions relating to submitting a grant Calender of ERC calls 2021
primitive at all, because it is made up of an the composition of this part of the Earth application. Many of the questions are The ERC calendar for 2021 is disrupted by the delays encountered with the start-up of
that is inaccessible is a project that is still
- FNRS.NEWS 121 - FEBRUARY 2021 composition of planets, which will enable oldest rocks are four billion years old, C IN BRIEF Project name: ISOSYC - Initial the way of interpreting the results and so only be confirmed after the final adoption of Horizon Europe: - FNRS.NEWS 121 - FEBRUARY 2021
about the eligibility of researchers for
iron core, a mantle, a crust and even water.”
the new Horizon Europe framework programme.
underway”, explains Vinciane Debaille.
funding. The NCP-FNRS also receives
The aim is to find out the internal
questions about the assessment process,
The start dates are not yet known; the closing dates are planned as follows, but will
The aim is a tough one, because the
us to understand how they are formed.
whereas the oldest meteorites are 4.5
ERC Starting Grant 2021 24 March 2021
th
Complex research
billion years old. “So, I’m missing 500
ERC Consolidator Grant 2021: 20 April 2021
th
million years of information that I am trying
to overcome by researching the oldest
“Fifteen or so years ago, there was a big
ERC Advanced Grant 2021: 31 August 2021
st
Solar System Composition and
debate about the composition of the Earth:
possible rocks.”
Early Planetary Differentiation
ERC Synergy Grant 2022: autumn 2021
is it the same as primitive meteorites? We
ERC Starting Grant
aim is to explain why. To summarise, there
2023 (provisional dates for 2023: Starting Grants: mid-October 2022, Consolidator
are two possibilities: the difference is either
Dates : 2014 -2019
www.ncp-fnrs.be
Grants: beginning February 2023, Advanced Grants: May 2023).
linked to the formation of the Earth, or this
20 now know that this is not the case, and our ER Type of grant: For more information: 2022 will again be a transition year, before returning to a more stable calendar in 21
Contact : ncp-fnrs@frs-fnrs.be