Step by Step

ERC grant applications can be submitted only in response to a 'Call for Proposals'. Calls for the ERC funding schemes are published on the ERC website, the Participants Portal and in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Each call covers one specific funding scheme.

In the ERC, there are two types of calls:

In addition, ERC grant holders can also apply for additional funding through a Coordination and Support Action called:

  • Proof of Concept call

Once the Call is published on the Participant Portal, official documents are available, providing decisive information (deadlines, budget, etc.).

Check out these three steps:

Before the call is published

Are you interested in applying for a call? Before the call is published on the Participants Portal check out the following points:

  1. Find out which ERC grant and which call is made for you
  2. Identify in which host institution you would like to do your research project and with whom
  3. Get in touch with the National Contact Point (NCP) of your country. They will support you during the whole submission process

Once the call is open

Once the call you are interested in is published on the Participants Portal, check out these following points:

  1. Read carefully the Guide for Applicants (see under documents)
  2. Contact your future host institution and gather all the concrete details on your future journey there
  3. Start writing your proposal early enough to submit it to external opinions. Your NCP might be able to do some "pre-screening" of your application and gives you a helpful feedback
  4. Make yourself familiar with EPSS, the Electronic Proposal Submission Service. Proposals must be submitted electronically, via EPSS. Do not wait until the last minute to get familiar with EPSS! Once you have submitted your project, you can still modify it until the deadline by submitting a new version which will overwrite the old one.
  5. Do not miss the call deadline for submission! Call deadlines are absolutely firm and are strictly enforced!

After the call for submission deadline

Now that you have submitted your proposal in time, what will happen next?

  1. You will get an "acknowledgement of receipt" by e-mail, confirming that your proposal has been successfully submitted
  2. The ERC will first check whether your proposal meets the eligibility criteria that apply to the call
  3. External experts will then evaluate all the proposals
  4. About 4-5 months after the call deadline, you will receive from the ERC a letter giving you "initial information" on the evaluation of your proposal

To be kept informed on the evaluation process of your proposal you can have a look at the timeframe of the ongoing calls.