ERC Starting Grant

ERC-StG

Call Information

Who can apply?
Early career researchers (2-7 years after PhD)

What can you apply for?
Up to 1.5 M€ (+ up to 1 M€ for specific costs) for 5 years to establish your research group and conduct frontier research in EU member states and associated countries

Next deadline
24th of October 2024 (TBC)

Get our Guide for ERC-StG Applicants

Most common reasons for rejection

Incomplete
Proposal fails to convincingly address all the critical points required (see below)

Project unbalanced
Research project is fragmented or carries important risks that can compromise its successful implementation

PI’s leadership capacity
The PI’s ability to lead research projects and teams is not sufficiently demonstrated

Readability issues
Proposal difficult to read: complicated organisation of ideas, intricate text flow, or language not adapted to the audience

How we can help you maximise your chances of success

We analyse how well your proposal addresses the following critical points:

Motivation
The scientific challenge identified is important, and solving it will be highly impactful.

Disruptive character/Impact
The strategy, approach, and/or conceptual framework used to address the scientific challenge is unique and disruptive, and opens up new research paths to explore within and beyond the research field.

Research objectives
The research objectives are clear, specific, ambitious, verifiable, and connect with the project’s main purpose.

Feasibility of the research plan
The research plan is coherent, logical, and founded in solid precedents.

Timeliness
The project is timely, emphasises the novel concepts, methods, equipment and/or technologies that enable its successful implementation.

Risk positioning
The potential risks of the project are well-identified, and solid contingencies are in place to make it bulletproof.

Researcher profile
The proposal highlights your role as an emerging leader in your field of research, and your ability to lead and mentor researchers at an advanced level. The proposal evidences the unique experience and achievements that make you, the PI, the perfect candidate to lead this project

Text flow
The proposal is well-structured, easy to read, enjoyable and presents a coherent flow of ideas

More generally…
We will also assess the interdisciplinarity, originality, and cohesion of the project.

Excellent overall guidance. Excellent service and timely delivery! I am very satisfied.

Group Leader, ERC-StG applicant

Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, Dresden

The support I received was excellent, the reviews were exhaustive, providing me with critical insights, and the expert’s feedback really useful in achieving my goals.

Alfonso J. Carrillo, Junior Leader, ERC-StG applicant

Instituto de Tecnología Química, UPV Valencia