Deadline: 31 August 2017
The European Commission is currently seeking proposals for European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants designed to support excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they are already established research leaders with a recognised track record of research achievements.
Applicant Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground breaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their scientific proposal. This action is open to researchers of any nationality who intend to conduct their research activity in any EU Member State or Associated Country.
Actions can be made in any field of research with particular emphasis on the frontiers of science, scholarship and engineering. In particular, proposals of an interdisciplinary nature, which cross the boundaries between different fields of research, pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging fields of research or proposals introducing unconventional, innovative approaches and scientific inventions are encouraged.
Guiding Principles
- Scientific excellence is the sole criterion on the basis of which ERC frontier research grants are awarded.
- Applications can be made in any field of research.
- Individual research teams led by a single PI can apply for funding.
- Principal Investigators from anywhere in the world can apply for an ERC grant.
- The ERC’s frontier research grants aim to empower individual researchers and provide the best settings to foster their creativity.
- Grants are awarded to the host institution that engages and hosts the PI. The PI will be employed by the host institution.
- Host institutions must provide conditions for the PI’s independence to direct the research and manage its funding.
- Host institutions must be established in an EU Member State4 or Associated Country.
Size of Grants
- Advanced Grants can be up to a maximum of EUR 2 500 000 for a period of 5 years (pro rata for projects of shorter duration).
- However, up to an additional EUR 1 000 000 can be requested in the proposal to cover:
- eligible “start-up” costs for Principal Investigators moving to the EU or an Associated Country from elsewhere as a consequence of receiving the ERC grant
- and/or the purchase of major equipment and/or
- access to large facilities.
Eligibility Criteria
- Principal Investigators for the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant are expected to be active researchers and to have a track record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years which must be presented in the application.
- Furthermore, Principal Investigators of Advanced Grant proposals will be expected to demonstrate a record of achievements appropriate to the field.
How to Apply
Interested investigators must submit proposals online via given website.
Eligible Countries
- EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom.
- Associated Members: Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Israel, Moldova, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Ukraine, Tunisia, Georgia, Armenia
For more information, please visit EU Call for Proposals.