This initiative, unveiled by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her speech at the “Choose Europe for Science” conference at the Sorbonne—alongside French President Emmanuel Macron—introduces a new ERC funding instrument offering significantly larger and longer-term grants, often referred to as “super grants.”
These upcoming grants will maintain the ERC’s core principle: funding will be awarded solely based on scientific excellence. Open to researchers from all disciplines and of any nationality, the grants are intended for individuals working in, or planning to relocate to, institutions in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation framework programme.
In a further effort to attract top global talent, the ERC Scientific Council recently decided to double the relocation support available for researchers moving to Europe. Since its inception in 2007, the ERC has offered up to €1 million in additional funding for researchers relocating from outside Europe. Starting this May, that figure will rise to €2 million, a move also referenced by President von der Leyen in her address.
About the ERC
Established in 2007 by the European Union, the ERC is Europe’s leading funding body for pioneering research across all fields. Its mission is to support outstanding researchers of any nationality and age, based in Europe, through competitive funding grounded in scientific excellence.
The ERC is governed by the independent Scientific Council, which sets its strategic direction. Since November 2021, the ERC has been led by President Maria Leptin. The organisation operates under Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, with an overall budget of over €16 billion for the 2021–2027 period, managed by European Commissioner for Start ups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva.
The ERC offers several core grant schemes:
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Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, and Advanced Grants for individual researchers;
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Synergy Grants for collaborative projects;
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Proof of Concept Grants to help bridge the gap between research outcomes and their commercial or societal application.
Opportunities for Global Researchers
The ERC strongly encourages applications from researchers based outside Europe. With expanded relocation support and the introduction of the new ‘super grants’, Europe is reinforcing its position as a global hub for scientific excellence.