ERC Plus Grant

Deadline: 2 September 2026

ERC Plus Grants support exceptional Principal Investigators addressing major scientific challenges through projects that cannot be carried out with a regular ERC grant.

Who can apply

Applications are open to people from any:

• nationality
• field of research
• career stage

Applicants can be based anywhere in the world at the time of application, but research must be carried out at a Host Institution in the EU or an associated country.

Applicants must clearly explain how their project goes beyond a standard ERC project and aims to transform a field, or opens entirely new avenues of research. They must demonstrate: 

• an outstanding record of scientific achievement at the forefront of their field
• intellectual leadership, assessed in line with career stage

Researchers can only be awarded one ERC Plus Grant during their career.

Competitiveness

Only around 30 ERC Plus Grants are awarded each year across all fields and career stages. 

This compares with approximately 1,000 Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced Grants. 

Applicants should carefully consider the exceptionally high level of competition before applying.

PI time commitment

PIs are required to spend of 50% of their working time in an EU Member State (or Associated Country) and a minimum of 30% of their working time on their ERC project

How the application is assessed

The evaluation panel is distinct than other ERC main grants: 

Step 1 is evaluated by by AdG panel members. They look at:

• the short form of the scientific proposal (Part 1)
• the Principal Investigator's CV and track record
• the Statement of Vision

Step 2 is evaluated by a new interdisciplinary panel, assisted by independent external experts working remotely. They will assess the complete research proposal.

Funding available

Grant duration: 4 to 7 years (48–84 months; no reduction in funding for shorter projects)

Maximum funding: €7 million (lump sum)

No additional funding may be requested beyond the maximum amount.