Your Guide to European Research Council (ERC) Grants: From Starting Out to Leading the Way

If you're an early-career researcher with a bold idea, the European Research Council (ERC) may be one of the most exciting and prestigious funding opportunities you’ll encounter. This guide will help you navigate the main ERC grant types and understand where your work might fit.

What is the ERC and Why Should You Care?

The ERC supports the most ambitious and creative researchers in Europe. It’s highly competitive and focused on excellence—both in the proposed idea and the person behind it. The ERC doesn’t set research priorities. Instead, it funds bottom-up, investigator-driven projects across all disciplines. If your idea is original and high-risk/high-gain, the ERC wants to see it.

1. Finding Your Fit: The Core Individual ERC Grants

The ERC offers three main grants tailored to different stages of a researcher’s career:

Starting Grant (StG): Launching Your Independent Research Career

• Who it's for: Researchers 2–7 years post-PhD, ready to lead their own project.

• Funding: Up to €1.5M for 5 years (plus €1M for specific costs).

Consolidator Grant (CoG): Strengthening Your Research Independence

• Who it's for: Researchers 7–12 years post-PhD who are building a team or consolidating their research direction.

• Funding: Up to €2M for 5 years (plus €1M for specific costs).

Advanced Grant (AdG): For Established Research Leaders

• Who it's for: Leading researchers with a track record of significant achievements. No PhD timing requirement.

• Funding: Up to €2.5M for 5 years (plus €1M for specific costs).

2. Beyond the Individual Path: Collaborative and Follow-Up Funding

Synergy Grant (SyG)

Designed for 2–4 Principal Investigators working together on ambitious, interdisciplinary projects that can’t be tackled by one person alone. Funding: Up to €10M for 6 years (plus €4M for specific needs).

Proof of Concept (PoC)

Available only to existing ERC grantees, this €150,000 grant supports short-term projects (18 months) to explore the commercial or societal potential of ERC-funded research.

3. The New Frontier: ERC Plus Grant

ERC Plus is a new and highly competitive funding scheme for major scientific challenges that exceed the scope of other ERC grants.

• Eligibility: Open to all career stages, but you cannot hold another ERC grant at the same time.

• Funding: Up to €7M for 4–7 years.

• Exclusivity: Can only be awarded once in a lifetime.

4. Key Rules and Processes Across All ERC Grants

• Excellence is the only criterion—both in the project and the Principal Investigator.

• Any field, any topic—ERC is bottom-up and discipline-agnostic.

• Host institution must be in an EU Member State or Associated Country, such as Israel.

Proposal Structure (from 2026 calls onward):

• Part I (5 pages): Your pitch to generalist reviewers. It needs to excite and convince broadly.

• Part II (7–10 pages): Detailed methodology and planning, assessed by domain experts in Step 2.

Evaluation Process:

• Step 1: Only Part I and your CV are evaluated.

• Step 2: If selected, full proposal including Part II is reviewed.

Eligibility Extensions (for StG and CoG): The ERC allows extensions for documented career interruptions, such as parental leave, long-term illness, or clinical training.

5. Your Next Steps

• Read the ERC Work Programme and Information for Applicants.

• Talk to previous grantees and your institution’s grant office.

• Start planning early and get expert feedback.

The ERC supports risk-takers and visionaries. Whether you're starting out or leading a major initiative, the right grant could help turn your research vision into reality.