Starting Grants are for researchers 2-7 years after having completed their PhDs. Extensions are granted for things like parental leave, clinical specialisations and illnesses, etc. Consolidator Grants are for researchers 7-12 years after having completed their PhDs. Advanced Grants are for established researchers with important track records over the past 10 years. The ERC also funds collaborative projects for 2-4 researchers, called Synergy Grants. There are no restrictions relating to the age or nationality of researchers, but ERC project host institutions must be in the EU or an associated country such as Norway.
Projects more important than CVs
“The ERC has always placed emphasis on high quality (excellence) from both projects and researchers. ERC-funded projects shall be innovative, ambitious and of high quality, so that they are feasible. ERC projects may also contain some degree of risk and uncertainty about their results (high risk, high gain). Researchers (Principal Investigators) must have a CV that shows intellectual capacity and creativity and be someone who is a credible implementer of a project concept. Some researchers, especially in Norway maybe, are modest and have doubts about whether or not their CVs are good enough for being successful in competitions," says EU adviser Hilde Henriksen. However, it is important to note that the quality of a project has always been equally important for success. The ERC has recently indicated that greater importance will be placed on projects during the evaluation process. This will apply to all advertised grants with effect from the autumn of 2023 when, during evaluation, greater explicit importance will be placed on project proposals than the CVs of researchers. A new CV template will provide applicants with the opportunity to present and explain any "unconventional" career paths and breaks in their research.
Don't wait, start now!
If you are considering applying to the ERC, there is no reason to wait until just before the application deadline. There is often a need allow your ideas to mature. “We recommend discussing your application with several of your peers, both in your field, but also with others who are not too closely related to your research. The Faculty's EU advisers would be happy to read through your application and it is also possible to have it proofed by external consultants with whom the UiO has a framework agreement," says Ms. Henriksen.
The Faculty’s EU advisers can help you to assess whether or not you are qualified and to prepare plans leading up to the application deadline.
The expected deadline for the ERC Starting Grant is 24 October, and the expected deadline for the ERC Synergy grant is 8 November. The expected deadline for the Consolidator Grant is in February next year.
The Research Council of Norway and UiO will arrange courses on how to write a successful ERC StG application on 2 June. The course is also relevant for Consolidator Grant applicants.
Read more:
- More about Horizon Europe and Collaborative Grants in the following article:
Prepare yourself for Horizon Europe - Apply for an ERC grant
- Contact the Faculty's EU advisers