# Starting Grant

**Funder:** ERC
**Budget:** Up to €1.5M + up to €1M additional eligible costs (up to €2M for PIs relocating from non-associated third countries)
**Duration:** Up to 5 years
**Consortium:** No
**Application:** Single stage; ethics review follows selection
**Frequency:** Annual
**Official call:** https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/starting-grant
**Last verified:** 5 July 2026

> **Recently updated:** catalog cleanup 2026-07-04: call closed per funder page

## Eligibility & scope

Open to researchers of any nationality with 2–7 years post-PhD experience (extensions possible for parental leave, illness, etc.). Host institution must be a public or private research organisation in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country. Single PI applies; any field of research eligible. Proposals submitted via EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

## Summary

The ERC Starting Grant funds researchers 2-7 years post-PhD to establish independent research groups anywhere in Europe, with up to €1.5 million over five years (up to €2.5 million if relocating from outside the EU). The grant is open to any nationality and any field of research, with a single-PI model requiring no consortium partners. ERC runs this call annually.

## Who should apply

- Researchers 2-7 years past their PhD (timeline flexible for parental leave or illness)
- Any nationality, hosted at a public or private research organisation in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country
- Researchers working in any field of research
- Early-stage scientists ready to lead their own independent research programme

## Key dates

- Annual deadline: check EU Funding & Tenders Portal for exact 2026 closing date
- Single-stage submission of full proposal
- Up to five-year project duration

## Tips for applicants

- The bottom-up, open-ended nature means clarity on your independence from your PhD/postdoc supervisor is critical, reviewers explicitly assess this.
- Budget justification matters: reviewers evaluate ambition against feasibility, so spell out resource needs and risk mitigation for your proposed scope.
- Interview stage is absent here (single-stage evaluation); your proposal must stand on its written merit, invest heavily in the narrative coherence and technical detail.

## Frequently asked questions

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

Up to €1.5 million over five years; researchers relocating from outside the EU may receive up to €2.5 million.

### Who is eligible for the ERC Starting Grant?

Researchers 2-7 years past their PhD (with possible extensions for parental leave or illness), of any nationality, hosted at a public or private research organisation in an EU Member State or associated country.

### Do I need a consortium or co-investigators for the ERC Starting Grant?

No, the ERC Starting Grant is a single-PI scheme, you lead independently, though you may employ team members.

### Is the ERC Starting Grant recurring?

Yes, ERC runs the Starting Grant call annually; check the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the exact closing date each year.

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

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