# ERC Advanced Grant 2026

**Funder:** ERC
**Budget:** €2,500,000 (5 years) + up to €1M start-up
**Deadline:** 27 August 2026 (Call opens May 28, 2026)
**Duration:** 5 years
**Consortium:** No — single PI
**Application:** Single-stage (Part I 5pp, Part II 7pp)
**TRL:** Frontier research
**Frequency:** Annual
**Next round:** 2027-05
**Official call:** https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/advanced-grant
**Last verified:** 6 July 2026

> **Recently updated:** catalog cleanup 2026-07-04: budget ceiling corrected per erc.europa.eu

## Summary

The ERC Advanced Grant funds established researchers to pursue frontier research over five years, with up to €2.5 million in direct costs plus an optional €1 million start-up package for researchers 12+ years post-PhD based in Europe or associated countries. The call welcomes any research field and emphasises groundbreaking, high-risk projects that challenge existing paradigms. ERC runs this programme annually with an August deadline.

## Who should apply

- Researchers at least 12 years past their PhD defence
- Hosted at an institution in an EU member state or associated country
- Any research field, fundamental or applied
- Track record of independent, high-impact research leadership
- Ambitious, high-risk projects with potential to redefine research directions

## Key dates

- Deadline: 27 August 2026 (call opens 28 May 2026)
- Single-stage written evaluation (Part I: 5 pages; Part II: 7 pages)
- Five-year project duration

## Tips for applicants

- Part I is filtered to shortlist; be ruthless about clarity and impact, avoid hedging language.
- The start-up package (optional €1M add-on) is rarely funded unless explicitly justified; reserve it for genuine lab setup or pilot costs, not business-as-usual research.
- Risk mitigation matters here: reviewers expect ambitious proposals to name failure modes and contingencies explicitly.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does the ERC Advanced Grant pay?

Up to €2.5 million over five years for direct research costs, plus an optional start-up package of up to €1 million.

### Who can apply for the ERC Advanced Grant?

Researchers at least 12 years past their PhD, hosted at an institution in an EU member state or associated country.

### What types of research does the ERC Advanced Grant fund?

Any field of research, including fundamental and applied science, with emphasis on frontier and high-risk projects that challenge existing paradigms.

### Is the ERC Advanced Grant a single-stage or two-stage call?

Single-stage written evaluation with Part I (5 pages) used for shortlisting and Part II (7 pages) for full assessment.

### When is the ERC Advanced Grant 2026 deadline?

The deadline is 27 August 2026; the call opens 28 May 2026.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/erc-advanced-grant-2026) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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