Open calls › European Research Council
ERC Starting Grant
European Research Council · ERC-2027-STG
Grants for excellent early-career researchers starting their own independent research team or programme.
This call is closed. The page stays online for reference.
What is this call about?
The call funds early-career researchers who are setting up their own independent team or programme. Grants of up to €1,500,000 over 60 months are open to those who defended their PhD between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2026.
What does this call fund?
Scope
The ERC Starting Grant supports excellent Principal Investigators who are starting, or have recently started, their own independent research team or programme. A Principal Investigator should already have shown potential for research independence, for example by producing at least one important publication as main author or a publication without the participation of their PhD supervisor. A researcher may hold only one ERC Starting Grant in their career.
Size and duration of grants
Starting Grants can be awarded up to €1,500,000 for a period of 60 months. The maximum is reduced pro rata for shorter projects. Additional funding of up to €1,000,000 can be requested to cover further eligible costs in any cost category where necessary for the proposed work, and the request must be justified in the proposal. This additional funding is not reduced for shorter projects. Principal Investigators relocating to the EU or an Associated Country from elsewhere to take up their grant may request up to €2,000,000 in additional funding, which applies only to those based outside the EU or an Associated Country at the call deadline. Both the grant amount and any additional funding are assessed during evaluation.
Profile of the Principal Investigator
Applicants must have defended their PhD in the ten years before 1 January 2027, that is between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2026 inclusive, and must hold a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree at the call deadline. The eligibility period may be extended beyond ten years in some well-documented circumstances. Researchers who have already held a Starting or Consolidator Grant cannot apply for the same type of grant, and other eligibility or resubmission criteria may apply, as set out in the ERC Work Programme 2027.
What are the key facts?
- Topic budget
- €594,100,000
- Call code
- ERC-2027-STG
- Programme
- European Research Council
- Funding per project
- up to €1,500,000, with additional funding of up to €1,000,000 on request
- Duration
- up to 60 months
- Expected number of projects
- 373
Who can apply for this call?
- Applicants must have defended their PhD between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2026 inclusive, and hold a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree at the call deadline.
- The ten-year eligibility period may be extended in some well-documented circumstances.
- A researcher may hold only one ERC Starting Grant in their career, and past holders of a Starting or Consolidator Grant cannot apply for the same type of grant.
- Other eligibility or resubmission criteria may apply under the ERC Work Programme 2027.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
14 October 2026
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the official call documents. Official call page Last updated 5 October 2026.