The European Research Council (ERC) is introducing a new funding scheme: ERC Plus Grants. It is designed to support outstanding researchers from Europe and around the world who have ground-breaking ideas and a vision for transformative research that goes beyond the scope of existing ERC programmes.

The ERC Plus Grant is intended to support excellent project leaders (Principal Investigators) who address major scientific challenges. Applications submitted to the ERC Plus call should concern projects that cannot be implemented within a standard ERC grant. Applicants should explain how the proposed project goes beyond the scope of a standard ERC project—for example, by transforming an entire field or opening completely new research directions. It should be noted that only around 30 ERC Plus Grants will be awarded each year across all fields and career stages, whereas approximately 1,000 Starting, Consolidator and Advanced Grants are awarded annually.

ERC calls are open to researchers of any age and nationality, living anywhere in the world at the time of application, who intend to conduct their research project at a Host Institution located in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. Researchers at all career stages may apply for the ERC Plus Grant, provided they have an outstanding scientific track record in their field. Their scientific leadership will be assessed in relation to their career stage. Each researcher may receive only one ERC Plus Grant in their lifetime.

Which projects are eligible?

• Criteria
  Applications may address any scientific discipline. ERC grants are awarded in a bottom‑up manner, without predefined thematic priorities. Due to the large number of applications submitted each year and the need to maintain the high quality and integrity of the evaluation process, certain restrictions (e.g. regarding resubmission) will also apply in the ERC Plus call under the ERC Work Programme 2026.
• Place of research
  Research must be carried out at a public or private research institution (Host Institution). This may be the institution where the applicant is already employed or another institution located in an EU Member State or an Associated Country.
• Host Institution
  The ERC application is submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) on behalf of the Host Institution. The Host Institution must ensure that the PI has appropriate conditions to conduct research independently and manage the funding. The PI does not need to be employed at the Host Institution at the time of application.
• Principal Investigator (PI) and research team
  ERC grants support projects led by the PI, who may hire team members of any nationality. It is also possible to involve team members from institutions located outside Europe. The PI of an ERC Plus Grant must commit at least 30% of their working time to the project and spend at least 50% of their working time in the EU or an Associated Country.

Grant amount and duration
ERC Plus Grants are awarded for 4 to 7 years, without proportional budget reduction for projects shorter than 7 years. The maximum grant amount is EUR 7 million, with no possibility of requesting additional funds.

Eligible costs
ERC Plus Grants are awarded as a lump sum for the entire project. Under lump-sum funding, a single lump-sum amount is granted, divided among beneficiaries if necessary. It is based on a realistic estimation of the project’s actual costs and fully covers all planned activities.

Applicants must prepare a budget including only costs eligible under the actual cost model, i.e.:

• eligible direct costs of the project, and
• a 25% flat rate for indirect costs, calculated on top of the categories of direct costs allowed under Horizon Europe.

How to apply?

Applications for ERC grants can be submitted only in response to published calls.

A complete ERC application includes:

• administrative forms,
• the research proposal,
• supporting documents.

Calls are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

How does the ethics review work?
Every application selected for funding must undergo an ethics review to ensure that ERC‑funded research complies with ethical principles and relevant EU, national and international legislation, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. This is a legal requirement under Horizon Europe (Articles 18 and 19).

The ethics review is based on:

• Part A of the application (including the Ethics Issues Table – EIT and the Ethics Self‑Assessment – ESA),
• Part B of the application.

A well‑prepared Ethics Self‑Assessment is essential, as it clearly identifies the ethical issues associated with the proposed research and explains how they will be addressed.

The ethics review consists of three stages (details will be provided in ERC documents).

How does the scientific evaluation process work?
Applications are evaluated by selected international experts (peer reviewers) based solely on the criterion of scientific excellence. This criterion applies both to the research project and to the PI’s profile.

Panels assess in particular:

• the ground‑breaking nature and ambitious level of the research project.

Panels also evaluate:

• the intellectual capacity and creativity of the PI(s), with particular regard to whether they possess the necessary knowledge and capability to carry out the project effectively.

For ERC Plus Grants, greater emphasis is placed on applicants’ past achievements than in standard ERC grants—they are expected to be leaders in their field. Since ERC Plus is open to researchers at all career stages, panels will assess achievements relative to the applicant’s career stage.

Evaluation stages
ERC Plus proposals are evaluated in two stages; the applicant interview takes place at Stage 2. The assessment is carried out by peer‑review panels, which may be supported by independent external experts working remotely.

In Stage 1, the following elements are evaluated: the short scientific part (Part 1), the CV and track record of the Principal Investigator, and the Statement of Vision. Based on this assessment, only the highest‑quality proposals are invited to Stage 2 (“retained / not retained”).

In Stage 2, the full project description is evaluated, and the Principal Investigator presents the proposal during the interview with the ERC Plus panel (Step 2).

At the end of Stage 2, the proposal receives one of the following ratings:

A – the proposal fully meets the excellence criterion and is recommended for funding, subject to the availability of resources;
B – the proposal meets only some elements of the excellence criterion and will not be funded.

Proposals recommended for funding are financed by the ERC, provided that sufficient resources are available. Funding is awarded according to the position on the ranking list.

All proposals recommended for funding are subject to an ethics review and, where necessary, also to a security appraisal.