Who can apply?
The ERC Starting Grant supports excellent Principal Investigators who are starting or have recently started their own independent research team or research programme.
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 one publication without the participation of their PhD supervisor.
For the ERC Starting Grant 2027, applicants should have successfully defended their PhD between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2026. The eligibility period may be extended in duly documented cases, for example parental leave, long-term illness or clinical training.
A researcher may be the Principal Investigator of only one ERC Starting Grant during their career.
Host Institution
The project must be hosted by a legal entity established in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The Host Institution must provide suitable conditions for the PI to independently lead the research and manage the funding. The PI does not need to be employed by the Host Institution at the time of proposal submission, but a mutual commitment is required if the proposal is successful.
Budget and duration
Researchers can request up to €1.5 million for a period of 5 years. In some cases, an additional €1 million may be requested for specific eligible costs. Principal Investigators currently based in non-associated third countries may request up to an additional €2 million.
What kind of research?
The ERC funds frontier research. Projects should be ambitious, original and ground-breaking. Applications are welcome from all research fields, including life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities. ERC grants operate on a bottom-up basis, without predetermined priorities.
Evaluation criteria
The only evaluation criterion is scientific excellence. The evaluation focuses on both the excellence of the research project and the Principal Investigator. ERC proposals are evaluated by international peer reviewers on the basis of excellence as the sole criterion.
Call opening and deadline
The exact call opening date and deadline for the ERC Starting Grant 2027 will be confirmed in the ERC Work Programme 2027 and on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. ERC has announced that the ERC Starting 2027 call is planned to be open in July 2026.
How to apply?
Call will be published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and on the ERC website. Applicants should read the call documents carefully and contact their Host Institution early. They can also rely on support from their National Contact Point, which can provide guidance on the ERC rules, proposal structure and application process.