ERC (European Research Council) is a mono-beneficiary research funding scheme (and also the title of the organization that manages the programme), which supports groundbreaking, high-risk/high-gain research from all disciplines, administered as part of the European Commission’s Framework Programmes.
ERC grants continue to be awarded under the Horizon Europe system between the 2021-2027 period. You can find brief information at this page about the Sponsored Research Office services aimed to promote Koç University’s success in this program.
You can always contact us and request an appointment for a one-to-one meeting to evaluate the competitiveness of your research agenda (and your CV) in the ERC programme. We can get together to inform you about the scheme in general and discuss a proposal development calendar specifically for you.
In the ERC programme, there are three main types of frontier research support schemes for researchers who are either just starting their research career, or are at intermediate or at advanced career stages. Depending on the date that you earned your PhD degree, you can evaluate your preparation strategy based on which funding type you are eligible for.
A summary eligibility table for the ERC 2023 calls can be found in the 2024 Work Programme:
(2024 WP includes significant rule revisions. Here is an SRO brief on what is new and revised.)
ERC Starting Grant: You are at the beginning of your research career as a faculty member, you are setting up your independent research group / agenda. You can demonstrate “research independence” and a strong track record. If 2-7 years have passed since your PhD defense date, you can apply to the Starting Grant. If your degree was awarded between 1.1.2017-31.12.2021, you are eligible for the Starting Grant 2024. At this level, the research group of the PI can be funded for a maximum of 5 years and a maximum of 1.5 million Euros. Additional funds for 1 million Euros may be requested. The closest call, the 2024 round, will be opened on 11.7.2023 and closed on 24.10.2023.
ERC Consolidator Grant: You have progressed in your career, you have settled your independent research group / agenda. You have a stronger track record and are fully independent at this stage. If 7-12 years have passed since your PhD defense date, you can apply to the Consolidator Grant. You are eligible for the Consolidator Grant 2023 if your degree was awarded between 1.1.2012 and 31.12.2016. At this level, you can apply with a 5-year research idea to be funded with a maximum of 2 million Euros. Additional funds of 1 million Euros may be requested. The closest call, the 2024 round, will be opened on 12.9.2023 and closed on 12.12.2023.
ERC Advanced Grant: You have reached a considerably high point in your research career, you are a renowned/ influential researcher in your discipline. You can apply to this fund at any stage after your PhD degree, there is no “range” criterion in this respect. At this level, you can apply with a 5-year research idea to be funded with a maximum of 2.5 million Euros. Additional funds of 1 million Euros may be requested for cases such as expensive equipment etc. The closest call, the 2024 round, will be opened on 29.5.2024 and closed on 29.8.2024.
It is possible to extend the eligibility window for the Starting and Consolidator Grants due to maternity, paternity and career interruptions for medical reasons. You can contact SRO regarding the details if such conditions apply to your case.
A fourth frontier type of research funding in the ERC programme is the ERC Synergy Grant. In this scheme, 2 to 4 coordinators (from separate institutions or from the same institution) are invited to come together and demonstrate the synergy between their expertise and an interdisciplinary groundbreaking research idea. Synergy Grant projects can be funded for up to 6 years with a maximum budget of 10 million Euros; and an additional budget for up to 4 million Euros can be requested. Coordinators may be at any postdoctoral career stage, they are expected to have profiles eligible for an individual ERC application. The closest call, round 2024, will be opened on 12.7.2023 and closed on 8.11.2023.
A fifth type of support is open to researchers who have received one of the above frontier ERC grants: ERC Proof of Concept Grant is a scheme to fund the “proof of concept/technology” that has developed as an outcome of an ERC project. An additional fixed budget of 150.000 Euros is available for the commercialization of a technology or service during (or immediately after) the implementation of an ERC project. There will be two cut-off in 2024: 14.3.2024 and 17.9.2024.
There are two dimensions to consider for each grant type, from the perspective of eligibility:
We can help you assess these two dimensions when you contact us.