European Research Council

ERC Advanced Investigators Grant

Aim

The ERC Advanced Investigator Grant (ERC Advanced Grant) funding scheme complements the ERC Starting Grant funding scheme by targeting researchers who have already established themselves as independent research leaders in their own right. ERC Advanced Grants allow exceptional established research leaders in any field of science, engineering and scholarship to pursue frontier research of their choice.

They aim to encourage risk-taking and interdisciplinarity, and supports pioneering frontier research projects.

Projects being highly ambitious, pioneering and unconventional

Research proposed for funding to the ERC should aim high, both with regard to the ambition of the envisaged scientific achievements as well as to the creativity and originality of proposed approaches, including unconventional methodologies and investigations at the interface between established disciplines. Proposals should rise to pioneering and far-reaching challenges at the frontiers of the field(s) addressed, and involve new, ground-breaking or unconventional methodologies, whose risky outlook is justified by the possibility of a major breakthrough with an impact beyond a specific research domain/discipline.

For exceptional research leaders only

Applicants for the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant are expected to be active researchers who have a track-record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years. Although there are no restrictions regarding age, nationality, or current place of residence, the Principal Investigators should be exceptional leaders in terms of originality and significance of their research contributions. Principal Investigators of Advanced Grant proposals will be expected to demonstrate a record of achievements appropriate to their field(s) of research. Potential Principal Investigators may include leading scientists in Europe and those of the European community overseas or non-Europeans wishing to establish themselves in Europe to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk research that opens new directions in their respective research fields or other domains.

Attractive long-term funding

Depending on the nature of the proposed research, which must be carried out in any EU Member State or associated country, it may be supported with up to € 3.5 M for a duration of up to 5 years (covering up to 100% of the direct project costs and a contribution corresponding to 20% of the direct costs towards indirect costs).

How will proposals be assessed?

Scientific excellence, being the sole criterion to assess and select proposals, will be applied to the evaluation of both the Principal Investigator and the research project. The evaluation of proposals lies in the hands of 25 peer review panels covering all fields of science, engineering and scholarship (the Panel Structure is shown here). Each of these panels is composed of 10-15 distinguished researchers acting as independent experts in the subject area of the panel. They will be supported in the individual assessment of proposals by additional experts who will act as remote referees.

In assembling pools of experts, the ERC seeks to ensure the highest level of scientific and technical expertise.

The names of the corresponding Panel Chairs and Panel Members are published annually by the ERC Scientific Council.

In order to reduce the workload in the Advanced Grant evaluations, A and B panels have been set up. Both panels are active in turns and are appointed every year for a maximum of 3 active calls.

List of Panel A Chairs
List of Panel A members
List of Panel B Chairs

More information

For a full explanation of this grant scheme as well as the preparation and submission of an ERC Grant proposal, please consult the Guide for Applicants - Grant Schemes. For a full explanation of the evaluation and selection process, please consult the Guide for Peer Reviewers - Advanced Grant scheme.