Horizon Europe | ERC Starting Grant 2026
The ERC Starting Grants are designed to support excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they are starting their own independent research team or programme. Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition, and feasibility of their research proposal.
Starting Grants may be awarded up to EUR 1.5 million for a period of 5 years (pro rata for projects of shorter duration). However, an additional EUR 1 million can be made available to cover further eligible costs (e.g. start-up costs, major equipment, access to large facilities, major experimental and field work costs) when these are necessary to carry out the proposed work.
Eligible to apply are researchers of any nationality with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal can apply.
Further information: https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/starting-grant