ERC

The European Research Council (ERC) is an EU-based grant program that funds frontier scientific research based solely on scientific excellence criteria. The program supports Principal Investigators who submit exploratory research projects in partnership with host institutions, allowing them to build custom research teams. ERC grants enable top researchers across Europe to pursue cutting-edge, knowledge-advancing projects at the forefront of their fields.

The ERC funds scientific excellence at the frontier of knowledge. It is a scientific program dedicated to exploratory research, whose sole selection criterion is scientific excellence in order to mobilize the best researchers and their teams.
The project leader (or PI, ie Principal Investigator) submits his project in conjunction with a host institution (or HI, ieHost Institution) which supports him on the administrative aspects. He builds around him a team of his choice, selected to best meet the scientific and technical needs of the project. What proposals are eligible?

Criteria

Applications can be made in any field of research
The ERC's grants operate on a 'bottom-up' basis without predetermined priorities.

Location

Research must be conducted in a public or private research organisation (known as a Host Institution/HI). It could be the HI where the applicant already works, or any other HI located in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries


Host Institution

Applications for an ERC grant must be submitted by a single Principal Investigator (PI) in conjunction with and on behalf of their Host Institution, called the applicant legal entity.

Grants are awarded to the Host Institution with the explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for the Principal Investigator independently to direct the research and manage its funding for the duration of the project.

Any type of legal entity, including universities, research centres and undertakings can host the PI and his/her team. Legally the host institution must be based in one of the EU Member States, or one of the associated countries.

The PI does not necessarily need to be working at the host institution at the time when the proposal is submitted. However, a mutual agreement and the host institution’s commitment on how the relationship will be established are necessary, should the proposal be successful.