ERC Plus Grants

ERC Plus Grants, is planned to support outstanding researchers from Europe and anywhere in the world with bold ideas and a vision for transformative research that goes beyond the scope of existing ERC programmes.

Who should apply

ERC grant schemes are open to researchers of any age and nationality, residing anywhere in the world at the time of application, and wishing to carry out their research in Host Institutions based in the EU or associated country.

Scholars at all career stages can apply for an ERC Plus Grant if they have an outstanding record of scientific achievement at the forefront of their field. Their intellectual leadership will be evaluated in accordance with their career stage. A researcher will be allowed to hold only one ERC Plus Grant in their lifetime.

How it works

ERC grants support projects carried out by an individual researcher who can employ researchers of any nationality as team members. It is also possible to have one or more team members located in a non-European country.

The Principal Investigator of an ERC Plus Grant must commit to dedicate at least 30% of their working time to the project and spend minimum 50% of their working time in the EU or an associated country.

What is funded

Research, in any field, conducted in a public or private research organisation in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries.

ERC Plus Grants are awarded for a minimum of four years (48 months) and up to seven years (84 months) with no reduction for projects that are shorter than seven years. The maximum grant size is €7 million with no possibility to request additional funding.

How we can support you

We are the UK National Contact Point for ERC. You can email us for free information and advice.

You can attend our regular free events about ERC calls. Every event is recorded, so you can catch up on past recordings too.

Additional support

The ERC National Contact Point is available to advise on general questions about proposals, and whilst we cannot read proposals and comment on them directly, we can share resources to help with proposal writing.

Next steps

  1. Find out if you are eligible to apply, read about ERC Plus Grants and what the funding covers by visiting the ERC website.
  2. Read about the financial support available in the current Work Programme to see if this is right for you.
  3. Look at what the ERC has funded in the past and see if your project fits the scale and ambition of an ERC grant.
  4. Familiarise yourself with the panels so that you can pick the right one for you. Note that all research areas are eligible.
  5. Speak to your host institution as early as possible.
  6. Apply on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
    If you do not already have an account, you need to register on the portal
    If your host institution needs a Participant Identification Code (PIC), register for one on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Contact us if you have any questions.

Jobs in ERC teams

ERC Principal Investigators (PIs) can use their grant to recruit researchers and team members for their projects. If you are interested in applying for one of these jobs, search on the EURAXESS portal using the ERC as a keyword. ERC jobs may also be advertised on other websites and journals.

If you find a job that interests you, apply directly to the PI and their host institution.

Last updated: 22 January 2026