This article is directly based on the official ERC video “How can you get started with your ERC proposal?”, published as part of the European Research Council’s applicant guidance series. We have turned the main messages into a practical, easy-to-read guide, with additional tips to help researchers prepare their ERC application more strategically.

The full official video series is available here.

An ERC grant can be transformative. It gives researchers the opportunity to pursue an ambitious scientific idea with intellectual freedom, financial independence and international visibility. It can also help Principal Investigators build a team, strengthen their profile and negotiate the conditions they need to carry out frontier research.

But ERC proposals are highly competitive, and preparing a strong application takes time. Before you start writing, it is worth understanding what the ERC expects, what documents you need, how to choose the right panel, and when it makes sense to apply.

Why apply for an ERC grant?

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ERC grants are designed to support ambitious, curiosity-driven research. They are not intended for incremental projects or routine extensions of ongoing work. A strong ERC proposal should be built around a bold research question with the potential to move a field forward.

For applicants, the benefits go beyond funding. An ERC grant can help you:

strengthen your scientific independence;
build or expand your research team;
increase your visibility in your field;
gain leverage when negotiating with a host institution;
develop a clearer long-term research strategy.

Even if your first application is not successful, the process can still be valuable. Applicants receive feedback from international experts, and ERC re-applicants often improve their chances by using previous evaluations to strengthen their proposal.

When should you start preparing?

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The short answer is: as early as possible.

ERC applications require careful thinking, not just careful writing. You need time to refine your central idea, test whether it is ambitious enough, assess feasibility, discuss it with trusted colleagues and gather all administrative documents.

The ERC calls usually open several months before the deadline, but you should not wait until the call is open to start preparing. At an early stage, you can already:

read the ERC Work Programme and Information for Applicants;
identify the most suitable grant type;
discuss your plans with your host institution;
check your eligibility window, if relevant;
think carefully about the best evaluation panel;
start shaping the core scientific idea.

A common mistake is to wait until the last possible year of eligibility for a Starting or Consolidator Grant. This can be risky. Applicants do not necessarily have a higher success rate simply because they are later in their eligibility window, and waiting too long may reduce your chance to reapply after receiving useful feedback.

Which ERC grant should you apply for?

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The main ERC frontier research grants are:

Starting Grant → for researchers who are building independence after their PhD.

Consolidator Grant → for researchers who are consolidating their own independent research line.

Advanced Grant → for established research leaders with a strong recent track record.

Synergy Grant → for groups of 2 to 4 Principal Investigators who want to address an ambitious research question together.

For Starting and Consolidator Grants, eligibility depends on the date of PhD defence, calculated according to the rules of the relevant call. Extensions may be possible for specific life events, including maternity, paternity, parental leave, long-term illness, disability, medical training, national service, asylum-seeking, major disasters or violence that affected the applicant’s ability to work.

Applicants should always check the current Work Programme and Information for Applicants, as rules and descriptors can change from year to year.

How ambitious should your ERC idea be?

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A successful ERC project must be ambitious, but not unrealistic.

This balance is one of the hardest parts of proposal preparation.
If the project is too safe, reviewers may see it as incremental. If it is too speculative, they may question whether it can be delivered.

A strong ERC idea should:

address an important scientific question;
have the potential to generate new knowledge or open a new direction;
be timely, with a clear reason why the project should be done now;
be feasible within the timeframe and resources of the grant;
include a credible approach to risk and alternatives.

You do not necessarily need extensive preliminary data. However, you do need to convince reviewers that your idea rests on a solid foundation, whether through previous findings, relevant literature, methodological readiness or a persuasive conceptual argument.

Choosing your host institution

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Your host institution must be located in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe. The ERC makes clear that the reputation of the host institution is not an evaluation criterion. What matters is whether the institution can provide the conditions needed to carry out the project.

Before applying, you should clarify:

your position during the grant;
the infrastructure and facilities available to you;
administrative and financial support;
access to equipment, data, platforms or specialist services;
the institution’s expectations and commitments;
the host institution support letter.

The support letter is part of the application, so it should not be left until the final days before submission. Early communication with your grants office is essential.

How to choose the right ERC panel

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Panel choice matters because it determines the main audience for your proposal. Applicants should choose the panel where the proposed research is most likely to be understood, appreciated and evaluated fairly.

ERC panels include descriptors and keywords that help applicants identify the best fit. These descriptors are used to describe the expertise covered by the panel and to help allocate proposals to reviewers. The panel descriptors can change from year to year; for this reason, applicants who are resubmitting are advised to check the updated descriptors carefully. In case of doubts, applicants can consult the ERC Project Database to learn which projects were selected from a specific panel in past calls.

When choosing a panel, ask yourself:

Which panel is most likely to be excited by my idea?
Which descriptors best reflect my project?
Would my proposal benefit from indicating a secondary panel?
Does the project have a genuinely interdisciplinary dimension?
Are my keywords precise enough to guide reviewer allocation?

Applicants sometimes try to choose panels strategically, assuming that some panels are easier than others. The ERC guidance explicitly discourages this. Success rates are designed to be broadly balanced across panels, so the best strategy is to choose the panel that fits your science.

What documents should you prepare early?

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The administrative side of the application can be time-consuming. It is not something to complete at the last minute.

Applicants should prepare:

the host institution support letter;
proof of PhD defence date, where relevant;
documents supporting any eligibility extension request;
information on ethical or security issues;
Part B1;
Part B2;
the administrative form, known as Part A.

A key point is that evaluators assess the scientific proposal through Part B1 and Part B2. Annexes are not a substitute for including important scientific information in the proposal itself. If reviewers need to assess something, it should be clearly presented in the relevant proposal section.

Practical checklist before you start writing

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Before drafting the proposal, make sure you can answer these questions clearly:

What is the central research question?
Why is this question important now?
What makes the idea ambitious and potentially groundbreaking?
Why are you the right person to lead the project?
What makes the project feasible?
Which ERC grant type fits your career stage and project?
Which panel is the best fit?
What support will your host institution provide?
What documents do you need to collect?
Who can give you useful feedback before submission?

If any of these points are unclear, it is better to address them before writing the full proposal.

Common mistakes to avoid

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Many ERC applicants weaken their proposals before the scientific evaluation even begins. Common mistakes include:

starting too late;
choosing a panel based on perceived success rates rather than scientific fit;
waiting until the final year of eligibility without a clear reason;
underestimating the administrative forms;
requesting the host institution letter too late;
using vague descriptors or generic keywords;
assuming reviewers will infer key information;
making the project either too safe or too unrealistic;
not discussing the idea with trusted peers early enough.

Avoiding these mistakes will not guarantee success, but it will make the application stronger, clearer and easier to evaluate.

Ready to start?

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Go to the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, look for “ERC” and select the call you want to apply to.
Note: Calls are usually published around three months before the closing date. If you cannot find the call you are looking for, please double-check the expected dates.
Scroll down until the section “Topic conditions and documents”: here you will find detailed guidance on how to fill out the forms, write the proposal, and complete your submission, together with the downloadable “Information for Applicants” PDF file.
Register on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
To create a draft of your proposal, go to the call’s page and click on the “Start submission” button.
Open the Administrative form and click on “Edit” to start completing the 15 pages.
Download the Proposal Templates, available as a .zip file from a link in the Submission page.
Contact the Grant Office at your institution to get support for your application, as well as the signed documentation (Host letter)
Find your National Contact Point (NCP) name and contact details in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
If needed, contact the ERC directly through the call’s dedicated mailbox.

FAQ: Getting started with an ERC proposal

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When should I start preparing an ERC proposal?

Ideally, several months before the deadline. The scientific idea, panel choice, host institution arrangements and administrative documents all require time.

Should I wait until the final year of my eligibility window?

Not necessarily. Waiting can be risky, especially for Starting and Consolidator Grant applicants, because it may reduce the opportunity to reapply after receiving feedback.

Does the reputation of the host institution affect my chances?

No. The host institution itself is not an evaluation criterion. What matters is whether it can provide the support and environment needed for the project.

Can I choose a panel strategically to increase my chances?

This is not advisable. The best approach is to choose the panel that best fits your research. ERC success rates are designed to be balanced across panels.

Do I need preliminary data?

Not always. However, you need to show that your idea is credible, timely and feasible. Supporting evidence can come from preliminary results, literature, methodological expertise or a strong conceptual foundation.

Need help reshaping your proposal? Or tips on nailing Part I’s narrative punch? Reach out. We are happy to help! Explore our dedicated pages for each ERC call:

Curious how we work? Check out our workflow for ERC consulting. Or get in touch directly!

How to Get Started with Your ERC Proposal: Practical Advice for Applicants