Call for Proposals: ERC Starting Grant Programme

Objectives

• Support for excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they are starting their own independent research team or programme.
• Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition, and feasibility of their research proposal.
• A Starting Grant Principal Investigator should have already shown evidence of the potential for research independence, for example by having produced at least one important publication as main author or without the participation of their PhD supervisor.

Funding Information

• Starting Grants may be awarded up to a maximum of EUR 1,500,000 for a period of 5 years. The maximum size of the grants is reduced pro rata temporis for projects of a shorter duration. (This does not apply to ongoing projects).
• Additional funding up to EUR 1 000 000 can be requested in the proposal to cover the following eligible costs when these are necessary to carry out the proposed work: (a) “start-up” costs for Principal Investigators moving to the EU or an Associated Country from elsewhere as a consequence of receiving the ERC grant, and/or (b) the purchase of major equipment, and/or (c) access to large facilities, and/or (d) other major experimental and field work costs, excluding personnel costs.

Eligibility Criteria

• The ERC actions are open to researchers of any nationality who intend to conduct their research activity in any EU Member State or Associated Country.
• A Starting Grant Principal Investigator should have already shown evidence of the potential for research independence, for example by having produced at least one.
• important publication as main author or without the participation of their PhD supervisor.
• The Principal Investigators shall have successfully defended their first PhD at least 2 and up to 7 years prior to 1 January 2025. Cut-off dates: Successful defence of PhD between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 (inclusive).
• The eligibility period can be extended beyond 7 years in certain properly documented circumstances.
• All Principal Investigators funded through an ERC Starting Grant must spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in a Member State or Associated Country and a minimum of 50% of their working time on the ERC project.

For more information, visit EC.