ERC ADVANCED GRANTS

The ERC Advanced Grant 2025 is a funding opportunity offered by the European Research Council under the Horizon Europe program, specifically aimed at established research leaders, known as Principal Investigators (PIs), who have a proven track record in their fields. This grant provides substantial financial support for ambitious and innovative research projects across all scientific disciplines. The call opens on May 22, 2025, and the submission deadline is August 28, 2025, with an overall budget of €682,500,000 expected to support approximately 276 grants.

Eligible applicants are researchers of any nationality who will conduct their research in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. PIs must commit to spending at least 50% of their working time in the institution where the research will take place. The Host Institution must also be situated in an EU or associated country, and proposals can be submitted by a single PI. However, PIs can work with teams hosted by the institution.

The funding amount can go up to €2,500,000 for a period of five years, with the possibility of securing additional funds ranging from €1,000,000 to €2,000,000 for specific costs like start-up costs or major equipment. The grant is structured as a lump sum contribution, intended to cover the project's estimated costs.

The application process involves a single-stage submission followed by a two-step evaluation, focusing exclusively on scientific excellence. The proposals should include various elements, such as an administrative form, an extended synopsis, a curriculum vitae, and a detailed scientific proposal. The evaluation will assess the groundbreaking nature and feasibility of the projects, along with the intellectual capacities of the PIs.

Open science principles are emphasized within the grant framework, requiring beneficiaries to ensure immediate open access to publications and manage research data according to FAIR principles, which promote findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability.

Overall, the ERC Advanced Grant 2025 seeks to support exceptional researchers to drive transformative projects that push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation across different fields, fostering a competitive and collaborative research environment within Europe.

The ERC Advanced Grant 2025 call (ERC-2025-ADG) under the Horizon Europe program offers substantial funding to established research leaders. The grants aim to support Principal Investigators (PIs) with a recognized track record of research achievements, enabling them to pursue groundbreaking, ambitious, and feasible research projects.

The call opens on 22 May 2025, with a deadline for submissions on 28 August 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget allocated for this call is EUR 682,500,000, and it is anticipated that approximately 276 grants will be awarded.

Funding Details:

The maximum grant amount is EUR 2,500,000 for a period of 5 years. This amount is reduced pro rata temporis for projects with a shorter duration.
Additional Funding: PIs can request up to EUR 1,000,000 in addition to the standard grant to cover:
Eligible "start-up" costs for PIs moving to the EU or an Associated Country.
Purchase of major equipment.
Access to large facilities.
Other major experimental and field work costs.
For PIs moving to the EU or an associated country from non-associated third countries, the maximum additional funding is doubled to EUR 2,000,000.
The grant is awarded as a single lump sum contribution to cover the project's estimated costs.

Eligibility and Admissibility:

The call is open to researchers of any nationality.
PIs must conduct their research activity in an EU Member State or Associated Country.
PIs must commit a minimum of 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country and at least 30% of their working time to the ERC project.
The Host Institution must be in an EU Member State or Associated Country and engage the PI for the project's duration.
Proposals must be complete, readable, and accessible, submitted before the deadline, and aligned with the call's objectives.

Proposal Submission:

A complete proposal includes:
Administrative form (Part A) with Ethics and Security Issues Tables and Budget Section.
Extended Synopsis (5 pages, Part B1).
Curriculum Vitae and Track Record (4 pages max, Part B1).
Scientific Proposal (14 pages, Part B2).
Budget (Part A, Section 3) and Time Commitment (Part A, Section 5).
Equipment table.
Host Institution Binding Statement of Support.
Proposals must be submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Evaluation Process:

A single submission is followed by a two-step evaluation conducted by high-level peer review panels.
Scientific excellence is the sole evaluation criterion, based on the ground-breaking nature, ambition, and feasibility of the research project, as well as the intellectual capacity, creativity, and commitment of the PI.

Open Science:

The ERC is committed to open access to research publications and data.
Beneficiaries must ensure immediate open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications with full re-use rights.
Research data must be managed according to the FAIR principles (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability), and a data management plan must be established within six months of project implementation.

Important Notes:

Application form templates are available for the ERC-2025-ADG Call.
There are known issues with the submission system, specifically with the budget table displaying irrelevant numbers for multiple beneficiaries.
Personnel costs are eligible under the Advanced Grant 2025 call, even though the guiding text might suggest otherwise.
The submission link and application forms templates will be available soon.

Key Documents:

ERC Work Programme 2025
Information for Applicants to the Advanced Grant 2025 call
Standard application form (HE ERC ADG)
ERC Guide for Peer Reviewers (Advanced Grant 2025 call)
ERC Historical Data on Personnel Costs for Lump Sum Evaluations
ERC Rules of Submission
Multi & Mono Grant Agreement for Lump Sum Grants
HE General MGA
EU Financial Regulation
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe

Support:

ERC 2025 Advanced Grant Applicants' Mailbox for call-related queries.
Online Manual for procedures from submission to grant management.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for frequently asked questions.
Research Enquiry Service for general questions about European research.
National Contact Points (NCPs) for guidance and practical information.
IT Helpdesk for technical issues.
European IPR Helpdesk for intellectual property issues.
European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for researchers' roles and responsibilities.

In summary, this ERC Advanced Grant call provides substantial funding for established researchers to conduct ambitious and groundbreaking projects. The application process involves a single-stage submission with a two-step evaluation based on scientific excellence. The grant supports a wide range of research costs and encourages open science practices. Principal Investigators of any nationality are eligible, provided they conduct their research in an EU Member State or Associated Country and commit a significant portion of their time to the project. The call aims to foster high-impact research and innovation across various scientific domains.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicants are Principal Investigators who are already established research leaders with a recognized track record of research achievements. The Host Institution (Applicant Legal Entity) must be established in an EU Member State or Associated Country, or be an international European research organisation or the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) or any other entity created under EU law. Any type of legal entity, public or private, including universities, research organisations, and undertakings can host Principal Investigators and their teams.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically an ERC Advanced Grant, awarded as a single lump sum contribution for the entirety of the project.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity is primarily aimed at a single Principal Investigator, although they can have teams hosted by the Host Institution. Therefore, the requirement is effectively single, with the possibility of a team under the leadership of the PI.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility extends to any nationality, but the research activity must be conducted in an EU Member State or Associated Country. The Host Institution must also be established in an EU Member State or Associated Country.

Target Sector: This program targets all sectors of research as it is open to excellent Principal Investigators across all fields of science, with scientific excellence being the sole criterion for evaluation.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, Associated Countries, Switzerland (from 1 January 2025) and United States.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is advanced, requiring Principal Investigators to demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition, and feasibility of their research proposal, implying a move towards validation, demonstration, or potentially commercialization depending on the field.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is up to EUR 2,500,000 for a period of 5 years. An additional EUR 1,000,000 or EUR 2,000,000 can be requested to cover specific costs like start-up costs, major equipment, access to large facilities, or major experimental and field work costs.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission followed by a two-step evaluation.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant to cover their estimated project costs.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single submission followed by a two-step evaluation process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but the indicative number of grants is 276, with a budget of EUR 682,500,000, which suggests a competitive environment.

Co-funding Requirement: There is no explicit mention of a co-funding requirement. The grant covers the beneficiaries' estimated costs for the project.

Summary:

The ERC Advanced Grant 2025 (ERC-2025-ADG) is a funding opportunity provided by the European Research Council (ERC) under the Horizon Europe program. It aims to support excellent, established research leaders, known as Principal Investigators (PIs), to conduct ground-breaking, high-impact research within any field of science. The grant provides up to EUR 2,500,000 for a period of 5 years, with potential for additional funding up to EUR 1,000,000 or EUR 2,000,000 to cover specific costs.

Researchers of any nationality are eligible to apply, but their research activity must be hosted by an institution in an EU Member State or Associated Country. The selection process involves a single-stage submission and a two-step evaluation based solely on scientific excellence. The grant is awarded as a lump sum, providing flexibility in budget allocation. The call emphasizes open science principles, requiring beneficiaries to ensure open access to publications and manage research data according to FAIR principles. The call opened on May 22, 2025, and closes on August 28, 2025.