Increased ERC funding for top global researchers moving to Europe now confirmed
The European Research Council (ERC) decision to increase its support for leading researchers moving to Europe has today been formally adopted. On top of its standard grants, the ERC offers additional 'start-up' funding to help new grantees establish their laboratories or research team in Europe. This funding is now being doubled from up to €1 million to up to €2 million(see the updated work programme - page 18). This will apply already in the ERC Advanced Grant competition, which is due to open on 22 May 2025.
The increased funding aims to further help outstanding scientists from around the world by easing their transition and establishment in Europe. For example, a new ERC Advanced Grant recipient relocating from the United States, whose main grant can total up to €2.5 million, can now apply for up to €2 million in addition. These funding can be used to set up a laboratory or research team in the European Union or countries associated to Horizon Europe and/or purchase equipment needed to carry out their research for the grant.
ERC President Maria Leptin said: 'The ERC Scientific Council raised this "start-up" funding to try to help researchers based in the US in their current situation, but it is of course open to everyone worldwide moving to Europe. Our goals remain unchanged, however. The ERC has, from the outset, offered attractive opportunities for top scientists, regardless of nationality, to carry out research in Europe. This goes hand in hand with the European tradition of openness and scientific freedom, and the support for independent researchers following their scientific curiosity.'
As in the past, scientific excellence remains the only evaluation criterion at the ERC and researchers from outside Europe will compete on the same terms as other applicants. The additional funding can be granted provided it is scientifically justified.
The Scientific Council is introducing the increased funding in the upcoming competition for ERC Advanced Grants, which is scheduled to open on 22 May with the deadline for submissions on 28 August. It also intends to maintain this amount for all grant competitions in 2026 and 2027.
This measure comes in parallel with the European Commission proposal for substantial additional budget for the development of a new ERC funding instrument offering larger, longer-term grants. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced these ‘super grants’ on 5 May at the 'Choose Europe for Science' conference at the Sorbonne, Paris. The ERC Scientific Council welcomed this initiative and is currently defining the operational details.
Background
The boosted additional funding announced today is an amendment of the already approved ERC funding plan for this year, the 2025 Work Programme. ERC Work Programmes are drafted and endorsed by the ERC Scientific Council, after which they are formally adopted by the European Commission.
The increase will mean that an ERC Starting Grant can be worth up to €3.5 million, an ERC Consolidator Grant up to €4 million and an ERC Advanced Grant up to €4.5 million for researchers relocating to Europe.
The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The projects are selected on the sole criterion of scientific excellence.
The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants and Advanced Grants for individual researchers. The funding offers flexibility, requiring grantees to spend at least 50% of their working time in Europe, whilst allowing them to maintain an affiliation overseas. In addition, the Synergy Grants (with 2-4 researchers working together) encourage international collaboration by enabling one grantee (and their team) to remain based outside Europe.
The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council, which sets its strategy. Since November 2021, Maria Leptin is the President of the ERC. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than €16 billion, as part of the Horizon Europe programme, under the responsibility of European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva.
