ERC Consolidator Grant

About the ERC Consolidator Grant

The ERC Consolidator Grant is the second tier of the European Research Council's frontier research scheme under Horizon Europe, designed for excellent mid-career researchers at the stage of consolidating their own independent team. Funding goes up to €2 million over 5 years, with up to an additional €1M for eligible costs such as major equipment, access to large research infrastructures, or major experimental and field-work costs, extended to up to €2M for Principal Investigators relocating to the EU or an Associated Country from elsewhere to take up the grant. The scheme is bottom-up: no thematic priorities, no consortium requirements, no obligation to deliver applied outputs. The sole criterion is scientific excellence judged by international peer review. Eligibility requires 7 to 12 years of research experience post-PhD at the call deadline, with extensions for career interruptions (parental leave, military service, clinical training, long-term illness). Applicants must be hosted at a legal entity in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country. Like the Starting Grant, the Consolidator is open to any nationality, what matters is the host institution. Since 2024 the evaluation is a two-stage process: panel review of an extended synopsis (Part B1, max 5 pages plus the 4-page CV and track record), followed by a full proposal (Part B2, max 7 pages) and a panel interview for shortlisted candidates. Overall success rates typically sit at 12-14%, slightly higher than Starting because the applicant pool is smaller. Consolidator applicants are expected to demonstrate independent research achievements since their PhD, high-impact publications without their PhD supervisor, evidence of leading their own team, competitive grant awards, and trained junior researchers who have moved on to independent positions. The Consolidator is widely seen as the grant that consolidates a research line: a Starting Grant proves independence; a Consolidator scales it.

Who is eligible?

• •7 to 12 years post-PhD at the call deadline (extensions possible for career interruptions)
• •Hosted at an institution in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country
• •No nationality requirement, researchers of any citizenship are eligible
• •Demonstrated independence as a principal investigator since PhD
• •Must devote at least 40% of total working time to the ERC project (50% strongly preferred)

How to apply

1. 1. Choose your panel

   Select one of three domains (Life Sciences / Physical Sciences & Engineering / Social Sciences & Humanities) and one panel within it. Panel choice is final after submission, so think carefully about disciplinary fit, Consolidator panels score against their own norms.

2. 2. Confirm host institution support

   Your host signs a commitment letter guaranteeing space, infrastructure, and the time commitment. Many institutions require internal review weeks before the funder deadline, start early.

3. 3. Draft Part B1 (extended synopsis, ~5 pages)

   Stage 1 evaluation reads only B1. It must convey the central question, ground-breaking nature, feasibility, and your demonstrated independence in a tight 5-page format. Frame the consolidation step explicitly: what bigger question can you now ask that you could not before?

4. 4. Submit via the EU Funding & Tenders portal

   Single submission window per year, no extensions. Portal closes at the deadline minute. Submit Part B1 + B2 + CV + track record at this stage; B2 is only reviewed for B1-passing proposals.

5. 5. Stage 1 panel review (~4-5 months)

   Remote panel reads B1. Scores A (invited to interview), B (will not be funded this call but may reapply next year), or C (cannot reapply to any ERC call for 2 years).

6. 6. Stage 2 interview (~10-12 months in)

   Shortlisted candidates travel to Brussels for a 20-30 minute panel interview: 5-10 minute pitch followed by Q&A. Performance here drives the final decision more than the written proposal.

What sets winning proposals apart

• ✓Frame the proposal as a consolidation step, not a Starting Grant 2.0. Panels want "I have proven X; now I will tackle the bigger Y".
• ✓Lead with one sharp question. Consolidator panels reject "research area" framing as strongly as Starting Grant panels do.
• ✓Use the track record narrative to demonstrate independence post-PhD: publications without your supervisor, students you have trained, grants you have won as PI.
• ✓Quantify feasibility with pilot data. A Consolidator-stage applicant should have preliminary results that mitigate the high-risk framing.
• ✓Get external feedback from a previous Consolidator winner in your panel. Insider perspective on what scores beats generic grant-writing advice.
• ✓Practise the interview pitch out loud at least 10 times. Consolidator interviews are tougher than Starting because panels probe team-leadership claims hard.

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