The ERC has just announced the winners of its latest Starting Grant competition (ERC-2026-StG). The funding, worth €705 million in total, will go to 421 early-career researchers across Europe. The grants will help researchers develop ambitious ideas, build their own teams and establish their independence at a pivotal stage in their careers.
The selected projects will cover a broad spectrum of research fields from life sciences and engineering to social sciences and humanities. For example, a researcher moving from the US to Germany aims to understand how brains turn information from the world into actions. Another grantee in Poland will explore how inheritance laws can better reflect the realities of modern families, and a scientist in Spain will study how deadly fungi adapt, spread and resist antifungal drugs.
Facts and figures
A record of 4,807 proposals were submitted to this competition, up 22% from 3,928 in last year’s call. Of these, only 8.8% could be funded.
The new grantees will be based at universities and research centres in 25 EU Member States and associated countries, notably in Germany (89 grants), the UK (47 grants), France (38), Switzerland (36), and the Netherlands (33).
Estimates show that the grants are likely to create more than 2,700 jobs in the teams of the new grantees.
See more statistics and the full list of researchers selected for funding
Interested in applying for an ERC Starting Grant?
A Starting Grant provides up to €1.5 million over a maximum period of five years. Researchers may also apply for additional funding to cover further eligible costs.
As part of the Choose Europe initiative to attract and retain scientific talent, applicants moving to Europe can request up to €2 million to support the creation of new laboratories or research teams in Europe.
The 2027 funding round is now open for applications, with the deadline set for 14 October 2026.
Watch our latest webinar on the upcoming ERC-2026-StG