ERC Advanced Grants (deadline: 30th Aug 2018)

European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants are 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.

Level of funding

Advanced Grants may be awarded up to a maximum of EUR 2. 5m for a period of 5 years. The maximum award is reduced pro rata temporis for projects of a shorter duration. This does not apply to ongoing projects.

 Eligibility

Principal Investigators may be of any age and nationality and may reside in any country in the world at the time of the application. All Principal Investigators funded through an ERC grants shall spend a minimum of 50% of their total working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country and a minimum of 30% of their total working time on the ERC project.

Profile of the ERC Advanced Grants Principal Investigator

ERC Advanced Grant Principal Investigators 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. There is little prospect of an application succeeding in the absence of such a record, which identifies investigators as exceptional leaders in terms of originality and significance of their research contributions.

Thus, in most fields, Principal Investigators of Advanced Grant proposals will be expected to demonstrate a record of achievements appropriate to the field and at least matching one or more of the following benchmarks:

  • 10 publications as main author (or in those fields where alphabetic order of authorship is the norm, joint author) in major international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journals, and/or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals and peer-reviewed conferences proceedings of their respective field;
  • 3 major research monographs, of which at least one is translated into another language. This benchmark is relevant to research fields where publication of monographs is the norm (e.g. humanities and social sciences).

Other alternative benchmarks that may be considered (individually or in combination) as indicative of an exceptional record and recognition in the last 10 years:

  • 5 granted patents;
  • 10 invited presentations in well-established internationally organised conferences and advanced schools;
  • 3 research expeditions led by the applicant Principal Investigator;
  • 3 well-established international conferences or congresses where the applicant was involved in their organisation as a member of the steering and/or organising committee;
  • International recognition through scientific or artistic prizes/awards or membership in well-regarded Academies or artefact with documented use (for example, architectural or engineering design, methods or tools);
  • Major contributions to launching the careers of outstanding researchers;
  • Recognised leadership in industrial innovation.

For further information please see the European Commission Research & Innovation portal.