ERC Starting Grants are designed to support excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they are starting their own independent research team.

The Principal Investigator shall have been awarded their first PhD at least 2 and up to 7 years prior to 1 January 2020.

Objectives

The fundamental activity of the ERC is to provide attractive, long-term funding to support excellent investigators and their research teams to pursue groundbreaking, high-gain/high-risk research.

Proposal should be submitted through Funding and Tender Portal.

About 455 proposals will be supported in this call.

Limitations

Maximum of EUR 1 500 000 for a period of 5 years.

A Principal Investigator must have already shown the potential for research independence and evidence of maturity, for example by having produced at least one important publication as main author or without the participation of their PhD supervisor. Applicant should also be author, co-author of significant publications in major international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journals, or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals of their respective field. They may also demonstrate a record of invited presentations in well-established international conferences, granted patents, awards, prizes, etc.

Principal Investigator shall spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country and a minimum of 50% of their working time on the ERC project.