ERC
European Research Council
The ERC funds frontier research across all fields. Three main grant types: Starting Grants (0-10 years post-PhD from the 2027 calls), Consolidator Grants (5-15 years from the 2027 calls), and Advanced Grants (established leaders). A researcher can be awarded at most one Starting Grant and one Consolidator Grant during their career.
Evaluation Criteria
- 1Scientific excellence of the research project (ground-breaking nature, ambition, feasibility)
- 2Scientific excellence of the PI (track record, intellectual capacity, creativity)
- 3For StG/CoG: potential to become an independent research leader
- 4For AdG: demonstrated ability to lead and attract top researchers
Proposal Structure
- •Part B1: extended synopsis (max 5 pages) + CV and track record (max 4 pages, up to 10 research outputs). Step 1 shortlisting is decided on B1 alone
- •Part B2 (max 7 pages): full scientific proposal, methodology, work plan, risk mitigation. The budget justification sits outside the page limit
- •From the 2026 Work Programme, feasibility is assessed at Step 2 only, keep the B1 synopsis on the idea, objectives, and why now
- •Budget justification: personnel, equipment, consumables, travel, other
Common Mistakes
- ×Being incremental rather than truly ground-breaking, ERC wants paradigm shifts
- ×Underestimating the importance of the B2 track record section
- ×Too many work packages, keep it focused and ambitious
- ×Not demonstrating independence from PhD/postdoc supervisor's work
- ×Generic methodology, be specific about your unique approach
Success Tips
- ✓Highlight what makes YOUR approach different from existing work
- ✓Start with a compelling opening, evaluators read hundreds of proposals
- ✓Show preliminary data that demonstrates feasibility without solving the whole problem
- ✓Publications in top journals matter, quality over quantity
- ✓Budget should be ambitious but justified. Under-requesting signals lack of ambition
Frequently Asked Questions
+Who is eligible for an ERC Starting Grant?
From the 2027 calls, researchers can apply any time within 10 years of their PhD defence (with possible extensions for career breaks); the 2-7 year window applied through the 2026 calls. You must be hosted at a legal entity in an EU Member State or associated country. There is no nationality requirement, and at most one Starting Grant can be awarded per researcher during their career.
+How much funding does an ERC Starting Grant provide?
Up to €1.5 million for 5 years, with an additional €1 million available for eligible start-up costs, equipment, access to large facilities, or fieldwork. The Consolidator Grant goes up to €2M and the Advanced Grant up to €2.5M.
+What is the difference between ERC Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced Grants?
From the 2027 calls, Starting Grant targets researchers 0-10 years post-PhD and Consolidator Grant 5-15 years post-PhD (the earlier windows were 2-7 and 7-12 through the 2026 calls); Advanced Grant is for established research leaders with a track record of significant research achievements over the last 10 years. A researcher can be awarded at most one Starting Grant and one Consolidator Grant during their career.
+What is the ERC Starting Grant success rate?
ERC Starting Grant success rates typically range from 10% to 15%, varying by panel and year. Recent calls have hovered around 12-13% overall success across life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences panels.
+How long does ERC evaluation take?
Approximately 9-11 months from the call deadline to the final funding decision. Stage 1 (panel review) results arrive ~4-5 months after submission; Stage 2 interviews take place ~7-9 months after submission.
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