Facts and Figures

The European Research Council (ERC) – the first pan-European funding body for frontier research - was set up in 2007 under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7, the EU's main instrument for funding research in Europe, running from 2007-2013).

It aims to enhance the dynamic character, creativity and excellence of European research at the frontiers of knowledge. Through peer reviewed competitions the best researchers are funded to perform their research in Europe.

The total budget allocated to the ERC for the period 2007 to 2013 is € 7.5 billion.

Annual Budget Evolution 2007 - 2013

  • The ERC represents 15% of the overall FP7 budget (€ 7.51 billion of € 50.5 billion)

  • The call budgets are gradually increased each year and from 2010 on, the ERC has a total annual budget of over € 1 billion (growing from approximately € 300 million in 2007 to € 1.7 billion in 2013).

  • Since 2007, more than 3,400 projects have been selected for funding from more than 32,000 applications. 

  • By the end of FP7 in 2013, the ERC will have awarded approximately 5,000 grants.

  • The ERC counts five Nobel laureates and three Fields Medallists among its grant holders (see also Prizes and Awards).

  • Over 5,000 articles acknowledging ERC-funding have appeared in peer-reviewed high impact journals between 2008 and 2011.

  • Each ERC grantee employs on average four other researchers, which contributes to the training of a new generation of excellent researchers. By the end of FP7, the ERC should therefore have provided support to more than 10,000 doctoral students and more than 5,000 postdocs.