Set up in 2007 by the EU, the European Research Council is the first pan-European funding organization for frontier research. It aims to stimulate scientific excellence in Europe by encouraging competition for funding between the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age. The ERC also strives to attract top researchers from anywhere in the world to come to Europe.
It funds young, early-career top researchers ('ERC Starting grants'), already independent excellent scientists ('ERC Consolidator Grants'), and senior research leaders ('ERC Advanced Grants'). Grants are also available for projects carried-out by groups of 2 to 4 top researchers ('ERC Synergy Grants').
Note that the funded research must be conducted in a public or private research organisation (known as a Host Institution/HI) located in any of the EU Member States or associated countries. Novelty as from July 2018, Synergy Grant Group can include up to one Principal Investigator based in a third country, including in Japan.
All calls are published on the Participant Portal. The expected timetable for 2019 is :
ERC Calls | Expected Call Publication
| Submission Deadline(s) | Budget € million (estimated number of grants) |
Starting Grant ERC-2019-StG | < early September 2018 | 17 Oct 2018 | 580 (390) |
Consolidator Grant ERC-2019-CoG | 24 Oct 2018 | 7 Feb 2019 | 602 (314) |
Advanced Grant ERC-2019-AdG | 21 May 2019
| 29 Aug 2019
| 390 (166)
|
Synergy Grant ERC-2019-SyG | < early September 2018 | 8 Nov 2018 | 400 (48) |
All dates will be confirmed in the 2019 work programme, originally planned for mid-July, now expected in mid-September 2018.
Additional resources: