The timetable for the ERC calls for proposals has been published. 1.9 billion is earmarked for the 2021 calls.
Starting Grants: launch on 25 February, deadline on 8 April
Consolidator Grants: launch on 1 March, deadline on 20 April
Advanced Grants: launch on 20 May, deadline on 31 August
No Synergies and PoC calls this year
What is the European Research Council?
The ERC funds scientific excellence at the frontiers of knowledge. It is a "white science" programme dedicated to exploratory research, for which the sole selection criterion is scientific excellence.
All areas of knowledge are eligible, although new ideas at the interface of traditional disciplinary fields are particularly sought after.
The calls for projects are divided into 25 thematic panels covering the physical sciences and engineering, the humanities and social sciences, and the life sciences.
Which programme for which researcher?
Type of ERC
Conditions of participation
Purpose of the call
Financing period
Selection criteria
Maximum amount
Starting grant
2 to 7 years after thesis
Enabling young scientists to build their research teams around an original theme
5 years
Scientific excellence
Up to €2 million
Consolidator grant
7 to 12 years after thesis
Consolidate their independence by setting up a research team
5 years
Scientific excellence
Up to €2.75 million
Advanced grant
Experienced researchers
The research proposed by the researcher must open up new perspectives. It must not be an exact continuation of what has been done to date.
5 years
Scientific excellence
Up to 3.5 million euros
Filing and then what?
Although success rates for ERC calls for proposals are not very high, it is nevertheless possible to capitalise on the writing work by participating in other calls for proposals. Aware of the value of this source of funding, some organisations offer to support a second ERC submission by awarding a grant. Projects submitted to the ERC can also be "recycled" with the ANR.
ANR generic call for proposals
The main call for proposals issued by the French National Research Agency (ANR), the Generic Call for Proposals is aimed at all scientific communities and all public or private players involved in French research. It is designed to give researchers in different scientific fields access to co-financing for a wide range of research topics, whether targeted or not, in addition to the recurrent funding allocated to them.
Tremplin-ERC instrument set up by the ANR
Tremplin-ERC is aimed at French or foreign researchers attached to a French public research and knowledge dissemination organisation or institution who have not obtained funding under the ERC Starting Grant call, despite the quality of their project (ranked A at the end of the second selection stage). This funding instrument should help them to improve their proposal so that they can submit a new application with the best chances of success. Researchers from all scientific fields and research disciplines are welcome to apply. Selected projects will receive funding of up to €120k for a 24-month period.
Booster" scheme set up by the South Region
The ERC Booster scheme is aimed at young researchers who were not selected by the ERC jury despite the quality of their application, in order to improve their dossier with a view to resubmission. The conditions for participation are as follows:
- Starting Grant projects (2 to 7 years after the thesis) and Consolidator Grant projects (7 to 12 years after the thesis);
Of which :
- Projects ranked A or B in the second evaluation stage but not selected by the ERC programme, and which undertake to resubmit their application to a call for ERC projects within 18 months of notification of the grant. Regional funding is planned at 80% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of €50,000 per project.
Where can I find more information?
On the programme website