The call for ERC Consolidator Grants 2020 closed for applications on 5 February 2020.

These are the preliminary data on the submitted proposals:

The ERC received 2,506 proposals for Consolidator Grants, an increase of 2.2% compared to the 2019 call when 2,452 applications were submitted. Physical Sciences and Engineering attracted the highest number of applications (1,102), followed by Life Sciences (710), and Social Science and Humanities (694).

Women submitted 34% proposals, an increase from 32% in the previous call.

The ERC Work Programme earmarked €657 million for an estimated 343 Consolidator Grants in 2020.

The ERC is now starting evaluation of the proposals. The selected projects will be announced at the end of 2020.

ERC Consolidator Grants are designed to support excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they may still be consolidating their own independent research team or programme. Applicant Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their scientific proposal.