ERC (European research Council)

Researchers of any nationality with 2–7 years post-PhD experience.

Critèria

Any field of research

Location

Research must take place in a public or private host institution (HI) in an EU Member State or associated country, including the applicant’s current HI or another eligible one.

Host institution

ERC grant applications require a single Principal Investigator (PI) to apply on behalf of a host institution. The institution must provide conditions for the PI to lead research and manage funding. It can be any legal entity in an EU Member State or associated country. The PI doesn’t need to be employed at submission but must have an agreement if successful.

Team

ERC grants support individual researchers who can hire team members of any nationality, including those based outside Europe.

Starting Grants offer up to €1.5 million for 5 years (pro rata for shorter projects). An additional €1 million is available for start-up costs, major equipment, large facilities, or experimental work.

Call identifier

ERC-2026-StG

Call open

09/07/2025

Call deadline

14/10/2025

Budget (M€)

705

Researchers of any nationality with 2–7 years post-PhD experience.

Criteria

Any field of research

Location

Research must take place in a public or private host institution (HI) in an EU Member State or associated country, including the applicant’s current HI or another eligible one.

Host institution

ERC grant applications require a single Principal Investigator (PI) to apply on behalf of a host institution. The institution must provide conditions for the PI to lead research and manage funding. It can be any legal entity in an EU Member State or associated country. The PI doesn’t need to be employed at submission but must have an agreement if successful.

Team

ERC grants support individual researchers who can hire team members of any nationality, including those based outside Europe.

Consolidator Grants offer up to €2 million for 5 years (pro rata for shorter projects). An additional €1 million is available for start-up costs, major equipment, large facilities, or experimental work.

Call identifier

ERC-2026-CoG

Call open

25/09/2025

Call deadline

13/01/2026

Budget (M€)

673

Active researchers with significant achievements and exceptional leadership in originality and impact.

Criteria

Any field of research

Location

Research must take place in a public or private host institution (HI) in an EU Member State or associated country, including the applicant’s current HI or another eligible one.

Host Institution

ERC grant applications require a single Principal Investigator (PI) to apply on behalf of a host institution. The institution must provide conditions for the PI to lead research and manage funding. It can be any legal entity in an EU Member State or associated country. The PI doesn’t need to be employed at submission but must have an agreement if successful.

Team

ERC grants support individual researchers who can hire team members of any nationality, including those based outside Europe.

Advanced Grants offer up to €2.5 million for 5 years (pro rata for shorter projects). An additional €1 million is available for start-up costs, major equipment, large facilities, or experimental work.

Call Identifier

ERC-2026-AdG

Call open

28/05/2026

Call deadline

27/08/2026

Budget (M€)

747

ERC Synergy Grants support 2 to 4 Principal Investigators (PIs) working together on ambitious research problems, with one designated as the corresponding PI (cPI).

Criteria

Any field of research

Location

Research must take place in a public or private host institution (HI) in an EU Member State or associated country, including the applicant’s current HI or another eligible one.

Host Institution

PIs can apply within the same or different Host Institutions (HIs), each of which must support the PIs they host for the grant’s duration. At submission, all HIs must provide a support letter. The ERC Synergy Grant is awarded to the cHI hosting the cPI and any other HI hosting additional PIs. HIs must engage PIs for the entire grant period, ensuring they can lead the research and manage funding. PIs do not need to be working at the proposed HI at submission but must have a supplementary agreement and host institution commitment if successful.

Team

Synergy Grants provide up to €10 million for 6 years (pro rata for shorter projects), with an additional €4 million available for start-up costs, major equipment, large facilities, or experimental work.8 ERC grants cover up to 100% of eligible direct costs plus 25% for indirect costs.

Synergy Grants provide up to €10 million for 6 years (pro rata for shorter projects), with an additional €4 million available for start-up costs, major equipment, large facilities, or experimental work.8 ERC grants cover up to 100% of eligible direct costs plus 25% for indirect costs.

Call identifier

ERC-2026-SyG

Call open

10/07/2025

Call deadline

05/11/2025

Budget (M€)

500

Principal Investigators from any ERC frontier research grant (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, or Synergy) are eligible for an ERC Proof of Concept Grant. They must show the connection between the proof-of-concept idea and their ERC project.

Criteria

ERC Proof of Concept Grants are available to Principal Investigators with an ongoing or completed ERC grant (after January 1, 2024). These grants support the commercialization and social innovation potential of ERC-funded ideas by funding activities not covered by the original grant. They help verify innovation potential through testing, validation, research, technical assessments, IPR protection, industry collaboration, and identifying end-users.

Localition, Host Institution & Team

The Host Institution must employ the Principal Investigator for the Proof-of-Concept project duration and be in an EU Member State, Associated Country, or an EU law-based entity (e.g., JRC, International European Interest Organisations). International organisations headquartered in an EU Member State or AC are considered established there. Any legal entity, public or private, including universities, research organisations, and private for-profit centres, can host PIs. The PI may submit the PoC proposal with a different Host Institution, provided it meets eligibility criteria.

The Work Programme will award Proof of Concept Grants as a lump sum of €150,000 for 18 months. While ERC expects activities to be completed within 12 months, grants will be signed for 18 months to accommodate projects needing more time. Extensions will only be granted exceptionally.

Call identifier

ERC-2026-PoC

Call open

13/11/2025

Call deadline

17/03/2026
17/09/2026

Budget (M€)

60