If you have taken a break from your scientific career to care for your child as a parent, you may be concerned about how this affects your eligibility to apply for ERC grants.
The ERC Scientific Council recognizes the importance of promoting diversity and work-life balance in science and has accordingly implemented generous extension regulations for parental leave.
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The ERC extension rules for parental leave explained
What are the rules?
The eligibility period can be extended beyond 7 and 12 years, after the defence of the PhD, for the Starting and Consolidator Grants, respectively.
For Advanced Grants the track record considered can be extended.
This extension is only applicable if the parental leave is properly documented and started before the call deadline.
Maternity leave:
An 18-month flat-rate extension per child born before or after the date of the successful defence of the PhD degree.
If an applicant can demonstrate a longer period of leave (i.e. maternity leave or maternity leave combined with parental leave), the eligibility period will be extended by the total duration of actual leave taken.
The extension to the eligibility period shall be calculated based either on the flat-rate or on the actual duration, whichever is longest; thus, where an extension is requested for several children, the calculation will be based either on the flat-rate or the total duration of actual leave taken.
Paternity leave:
Extension by the documented time of paternity leave taken before the call deadline for each child born before or after the date of the successful defence of the PhD degree.
Parental leave:
- Extension by the documented time of parental leave taken before the call deadline for each child born before or after the date of the successful defence of the PhD degree.
What to submit and when?
You can apply for an extension of the eligibility window by indicating your request for extension in Part A of the application form (Section 5 – Other Questions) and uploading the supporting documents along with your application.
Maternity leave:
- A birth certificate is sufficient.
Paternity leave:
- An official document that shows the exact amount of leave you've taken for each of your children before the call deadline.
- This document can come from your employer or state welfare office.
Parental leave:
- An official document that shows the exact amount of leave you've taken for each of your children before the call deadline.
- This document can come from your employer or state welfare office.
Further instructions and guidance are provided in the Information for Applicants to the Starting and Consolidator Grant Calls
Some testimonials
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Grantee Kinga Kamieniarz-Gdula shares her experience with ERC's parental leave extension rules
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Grantee Christian Müller shares his experience with ERC's generous parental leave extension rules
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Grantee Anna Laura Pisello shares her experience with ERC's generous parental leave extension rules
More questions?
If have questions about your specific situation, please send an email through this contact form to the functional mailbox that relates to the call that you are applying to.
