The European Research Council’s decision (ERC) to increase its support for prominent researchers in Europe has been officially adopted. In addition to its standard subsidies, the ERC offers additional “start-up” funding to help new beneficiaries establish their laboratories or their research team in Europe. This funding is now doubled, going to 1 million euros to 2 million euros (see update work program – page 18).
The increase in financing aims to help more exceptional scientists from around the world by softening their transition and their establishment in Europe. For example, a new beneficiary of advanced ERC subsidies from the United States, the main subsidy of which can total up to 2.5 million euros, can now request up to 2 million euros more. These funding can be used to set up a laboratory or research team in the European Union or the countries associated with Horizon Europe and / or with the purchase equipment necessary to carry out their research for the subsidy.
ERC president Maria Leptin said: “The ERC scientific council has raised this” start-up “funding to try to help researchers based in the United States in their current situation, but it is of course open to everyone around the world in Europe. Our objectives remain unchanged, however. For independent researchers according to their scientific curiosity. »»
As in the past, scientific excellence remains the only evaluation criterion at the ERC and researchers outside Europe will compete with the same terms as other candidates. Additional financing can be granted provided that it is scientifically justified.
The scientific council introduces the increase in funding for the next competition for the ERC Advanced Grants, which is expected to open on May 22 with the deadline for submission on August 28. He also intends to maintain this amount for all subsidy competitions in 2026 and 2027.
This measure is in parallel with the European Commission’s proposal for a substantial additional budget for the development of a new ERC financing instrument offering larger and longer term subsidies. The president of the Ursula von der Leyen commission announced these ‘Super Grants’ On May 5 at the “Choose Europe for Science” conference at the Sorbonne, Paris. The ERC scientific council has welcomed this initiative and currently defines operational details.
Background
The additional stimulated funding announced today is an amendment to the ERC financing plan already approved for this year, the 2025 work program. ERC’s work programs are written and approved by the ERC Scientific Council, after which they are officially adopted by the European Commission.
The increase means that an ERC’s starting subsidy can be worth up to 3.5 million euros, a subsidy of ERC consolidator up to 4 million euros and an advanced subsidy from the ERC Pouces up to 4.5 million euros for researchers moving to Europe.
The ERC, created by the European Union in 2007, is the first European financial organization for excellent research on the border. He finances creative researchers of all nationality and age, to manage projects based across Europe. The projects are selected on the only criterion of scientific excellence.
The ERC offers four basic subsidy patterns: Start -up subsidies,, Concessions of conolidators And Advanced grants For individual researchers. Funding provides flexibility, forcing beneficiaries to spend at least 50% of their working time in Europe, while allowing them to maintain affiliation abroad. In addition, the Synergy grants (With 2-4 researchers working together) Encourage international collaboration by allowing a beneficiary (and their team) to remain based outside Europe.
The ERC is led by an independent leader body, the Scientific councilwhich establishes its strategy. Since November 2021, Maria Leptin has been the president of the ERC. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than 16 billion euros, as part of the Horizon Europe Program, under the responsibility of the European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zahariva.