ERC ADVANCED GRANTS

ERC Advanced Grant 2026 ERC-2026-ADG funds individual Principal Investigators who are established research leaders to carry out ground‑breaking, high‑risk frontier research hosted at institutions in EU Member States or Associated Countries. Maximum standard EU contribution is €2,500,000 for up to 60 months with up to €1,000,000 additional funding (or €2,000,000 for qualifying relocations), implemented as a lump‑sum covering eligible direct costs plus a 25% flat rate for indirect costs. Eligible PIs of any nationality must commit at least 30% of their working time to the project and spend at least 50% of their working time in the EU/Associated Country; applications are evaluated solely on scientific excellence through a two‑step peer review with Step 2 interviews. Submit a complete proposal via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by the call deadline 27 August 2026 and follow the ERC Work Programme 2026 and Information for Applicants for required templates and page limits.

What it funds

Frontier, high‑risk/high‑gain research led by an individual Principal Investigator (PI) to pursue ambitious ground‑breaking projects across all scientific fields.

Grant format:Lump‑sum contribution for the whole project; payment based on a realistic estimate of actual project costs. Open access and research‑data obligations apply ¹.

Award size and duration

Who can apply

The call is PI‑led:applicants are individual researchers (any nationality) proposing to carry out the research in an EU Member State or an Associated Country hosted by an eligible legal entity (university, research organisation, company, international research organisation, etc.).

Eligibility highlights:Open to researchers of any age or nationality residing anywhere at time of application provided the Host Institution is established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country; PI must spend minimum 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country and minimum 30% of their working time on the ERC project (Advanced Grant) during the grant period.

1. 1Established research leaders with a track record of significant achievements (Advanced Grant profile).
2. 2Host Institution (applicant legal entity) must commit to host PI for project duration.
3. 3Applications submitted by the PI on behalf of the Host Institution via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Selection and evaluation

Excellence is the sole evaluation criterion. Two‑step peer review with interviews at Step 2. Panels assess the research project (ground‑breaking nature, ambition, methodology, resources) and the PI (intellectual capacity, creativity, track record).

Deadlines and practical info

1. 1Call deadline: 27 August 2026.
2. 2Submission: single full proposal via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (register first).
3. 3Call documents, templates and rules: ERC Work Programme 2026 and Information for Applicants on the Portal.

Quick checklist for applicants

1. 1Prepare Part A (administrative form, budget and resources) and Parts B1 (Part I + CV/track record) and B2 (Part II) within page limits.
2. 2Host Institution Support Letter signed and uploaded at submission.
3. 3Complete ethics and security tables as required; justify any additional funding request.

Apply and find full call details on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal:EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Open access to peer‑reviewed publications and research data management rules apply as set out in the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement and the ERC Work Programme 2026.

Call identifier:ERC-2026-ADG. Deadline: 27 August 2026. Programme: Horizon Europe (ERC Work Programme 2026). This is a bottom-up, investigator-driven single-beneficiary Principal Investigator (PI)-led frontier research grant. The Advanced Grant supports established research leaders to carry out ambitious, ground-breaking frontier research projects.

Key Funding Features

Maximum EU Contribution:Standard maximum grant: €2,500,000 for up to 60 months (lump sum). Additional funding: up to €1,000,000 may be requested and justified for major items (start-up costs, major equipment, access to large facilities, major experimental and field work costs). Additional funding is not subject to pro rata temporis reduction for shorter-duration projects. Exception: PIs relocating to the EU or an Associated Country from elsewhere for Starting, Consolidator or Advanced Grants may request up to €2,000,000 additional funding. The Advanced Grant is paid as a single lump-sum contribution covering the entirety of the project.

Funding model and budgeting:Advanced Grants use the lump-sum funding model. Applicants must prepare a realistic estimate of actual eligible costs (direct costs and the 25% flat-rate indirect cost equivalent) to justify the lump sum. Equipment is normally budgeted as depreciation costs; in exceptional and justified cases applicants may request full capitalised costs for assets needed specifically for the action. Requests for additional funding must be clearly justified in the proposal and included in the budget table. The grant amount awarded is determined by evaluation and available budget.

Grant duration:Maximum duration: 60 months. The maximum amount of €2,500,000 is reduced pro rata temporis for projects of shorter duration (except for additional funding, which is not reduced pro rata temporis).

Who can apply and host requirements

Eligible Principal Investigator(s):Open to researchers of any age and nationality, residing anywhere in the world at the time of application, who wish to carry out the research in a Host Institution established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. Advanced Grant PIs are expected to be established research leaders with a track record of significant research achievements. PIs must devote a minimum of 30% of their working time to the ERC Advanced Grant project and a minimum of 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. PIs may be employed by the Host Institution or arrangements accommodating other employment situations may be clarified and approved during granting.

Eligible Host Institution (Applicant Legal Entity):Any legal entity (public or private) can be Host Institution: university, research organisation, enterprise, or international European research organisation. It must be established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country (see ERC Work Programme Annex 3 for Associated Country list) or be an international organisation created under EU law. The Host Institution must commit to engage and host the PI for the project duration and provide appropriate facilities and conditions. For public bodies, research organisations and higher education institutions established in an EU Member State or Associated Country, a Gender Equality Plan (or equivalent strategic document) is required at the time of grant signature.

Eligibility, admissibility and restrictions

Admissibility:the proposal must be complete, readable and submitted electronically before the deadline by an eligible PI and must include a Host Institution Support Letter. Eligibility: content must relate to the Advanced Grant objectives as set out in the ERC Work Programme 2026. All scientific fields are eligible, including interdisciplinary proposals. The PI must spend the mandated minimum percentages of working time on the project and in the EU/Associated Country. Resubmission and application restrictions apply and are specified in the ERC Work Programme (e.g. restrictions following previous call outcomes). Proposals that do not meet admissibility or eligibility criteria may be declared inadmissible/ineligible and rejected.

Host Institution Support Letter:A mandatory signed institutional letter must be uploaded at submission. The template is provided in the Information for Applicants. The letter commits the institution to engage and host the PI, to support research independence and to provide administrative and research support during the grant period.

Evaluation procedure and timeline

The evaluation is a peer-review process focused solely on excellence. For Advanced Grants the evaluation is two-step with interviews at Step 2. Step 1 assesses Part I of the Scientific Proposal and the PI's CV and Track Record. Step 2 assesses the complete proposal (Part I, Part II, Resources and Time Commitment, Budget) and includes a ca. 30-minute interview. Panels are organised into 28 disciplines across three domains (Physical Sciences & Engineering; Life Sciences; Social Sciences & Humanities). Panels are assisted by remote reviewers and external experts where needed.

1. 1Step 1 (remote assessment and panel meeting): Part I (up to 5 pages) and CV/Track Record (up to 4 pages). Outcome scores: A invited, A not invited, B or C.
2. 2Step 2 (remote assessment, interviews, panel meeting): full proposal assessed; outcome scores: A (recommended for funding) or B (meets some but not all excellence elements and will not be funded).

Indicative call milestones (ERC Work Programme 2026):Opening: 28 May 2026. Deadline: 27 August 2026. Step 1 notifications (indicative): July 2026. Step 2 notifications (indicative): June 2027. Estimated number of grants: 294. Indicative call budget (2026): €746,700,000 for ERC Advanced Grants overall budget line. Exact timeline and dates are reported in the Work Programme and topic page.

Evaluation criterion and elements

Excellence is the sole evaluation criterion and comprises two interconnected elements:(1) Research Project: ground-breaking nature, ambition, clarity of the research question, appropriateness of methodology, feasibility and justification of timescales and resources. (2) Principal Investigator: intellectual capacity, creativity, track record and capacity to execute the project. Detailed evaluation elements differ for Step 1 and Step 2 and are set out in the ERC Work Programme 2026. Panels may request remote additional expert reviews for cross-panel or highly specialised proposals.

Evaluation outputs and feedback:At the end of each evaluation step applicants receive an Evaluation Report containing the panel score and ranking range, a panel comment explaining the decision, and individual reviewer comments. Applicants selected as 'A invited' are invited to Step 2 interviews. Proposals recommended for funding receive score A at Step 2 and are invited to grant preparation subject to available budget.

What to include in the application (documents, page limits and templates)

The complete proposal package consists of:Part A (Administrative form, including online Budget table and Resources and Time Commitment text boxes, Ethics Issues Table and Security Issues Table), Part B1 (Part I of the Scientific Proposal — up to 5 pages — and CV/Track Record — up to 4 pages), Part B2 (Part II of the Scientific Proposal — up to 7 pages — and Funding ID appendix), Host Institution Support Letter (signed PDF), and an Equipment Table (Excel). Page limits are strict. Part B templates and Budget/Equipment templates are provided in the Submission System. Only material within page limits will be evaluated.

Part I requirements:Part I (max 5 pages) must present state-of-the-art background, research question, objectives and overall strategy. It is the key document for Step 1 and must stand alone to justify passing to Step 2. Include references (which do not count to the page limit).

Part II requirements:Part II (max 7 pages) should describe detailed implementation: methodology, work plan, milestones, risk assessment and mitigation, and other details not in Part I. Budget justification must be placed in the Part A Resources sections (online) and in the Equipment Table (Excel).

Budget, Eligible Costs and Additional Funding

Advanced Grants are lump-sum grants. Applicants prepare a realistic estimate of eligible actual costs following the rules used for actual cost grants (project eligible direct costs plus a 25% flat rate for indirect costs, excluding costs such as subcontracting and internally invoiced goods and services which are excluded from the indirect cost calculation). Equipment must normally be budgeted as depreciation costs (equipment table required). Exceptionally and with justification, full capitalised costs may be requested for assets needed specifically for the action. Additional funding up to €1,000,000 (€2,000,000 in specific relocation cases) can be requested to cover further eligible costs when necessary to carry out the work. All budget requests are assessed during evaluation and may be adjusted by the panel with justification.

Ethics, Security and Research Integrity

All proposals must comply with ethical principles and relevant EU and national legislation. An ethics self-assessment and Ethics Issues Table are mandatory in the submission form. If ethics issues are identified, an ethics review may be conducted and further documentation requested before signature of grant. Security scrutiny is applied where relevant and applicants must complete the Security Issues Table. Research integrity breaches (e.g., fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or attempts to influence peer reviewers) may lead to rejection at any stage. Beneficiaries must comply with open science and FAIR data requirements set out in the Model Grant Agreement and associated Work Programme provisions.

Open Access and Data Management:Under Horizon Europe, beneficiaries must ensure immediate open access to peer-reviewed publications with full reuse rights and must manage research data according to the FAIR principles. Publishing costs are eligible if the venue is fully open access.

Administrative, legal and operational checks

Before grant signature, ERCEA will perform legal entity validation, and financial capacity checks where required. Applicants must not be subject to exclusion grounds (e.g., administrative sanctions under the EU Financial Regulation). Selected proposals may be subject to ethics clearance and security appraisal before grant signature. PIs and Host Institutions must provide required documents and supplementary agreement before signature.

Support and resources

1. 1Submission and Evaluation System (SEP) and information available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. 2Call-specific Information for Applicants document and ERC Work Programme 2026 (full legal framework).
3. 3ERC Helpdesk and Advanced Grant Applicants' mailbox: ERC-2026-ADG-APPLICANTS@ec.europa.eu.
4. 4ERC National Contact Points (NCPs) in Member States and many third countries for local support.
5. 5Guide for Peer Reviewers and application templates available in the Submission System.

Application process and submission

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal submission tool. Register early, assemble documents, complete the online Part A, upload Part B1 and Part B2 as PDF files and the Equipment Table as an Excel file. Allow time for validation and upload; make submissions well before the deadline to avoid technical problems. The last valid submission before the deadline is the only one considered.

Evaluation redress and appeals

Applicants receiving an evaluation outcome may request an admissibility, eligibility or evaluation review (means of redress) if they consider applicable procedures were not correctly applied. Requests must be submitted within the deadline stated in the information letter (normally 30 calendar days). ERCEA’s redress committee examines complaints and may recommend remedial action including re-evaluation if procedural shortcomings affected the outcome. Other legal remedies (Article 22 requests or actions for annulment) remain available.

Key risks and strategic advice for applicants

• Make Part I self-contained: it is the basis for the Step 1 decision. It must clearly explain the ground-breaking idea and why only an ERC Advanced Grant can deliver it.
• Use the CV/Track Record (4 pages) to highlight ten outputs that show originality and leadership; explain the PI’s role in each.
• Justify additional funding requests meticulously and explain necessity for success of the proposal.
• Follow formatting and page limits strictly; evaluators are instructed to review only material within limits.
• Be explicit about time commitment and presence in the EU/Associated Country (declare percentages in Part A).
• Address ethical and security issues fully in the Ethics and Security self-assessments to avoid delays in grant preparation.
• Anticipate panel questions at Step 2 interview: be ready to discuss the budget, risk mitigation and the feasibility of the plan.

Answers to the developer's structured questions

Eligible Applicant Types:Eligible applicants: Principal Investigator (individual researcher) must apply on behalf of a Host Institution. Host Institutions (applicant legal entities) may be: universities, research organisations, public bodies, private companies (including SMEs and large enterprises), non-profit organisations, international European research organisations, or other legal entities established under national law in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. Team members may be hosted by other legal entities (including third countries) when they add scientific value. Individuals may apply only as PIs through an eligible Host Institution (the grant is awarded to the Host Institution).

Funding Type:Primary funding mechanism: Lump-sum grant (HORIZON-AG-LS Multi & Mono Grant Agreement for Lump Sum Grants). The grant is a single lump sum paid to cover the entirety of the project work.

Consortium Requirement:Model: Typically single beneficiary (single legal entity = Host Institution) supporting a PI-led team. Synergy Grants (different scheme) are multi-PI/multi-beneficiary; Advanced Grant principally supports individual PI-led teams hosted by a single Host Institution. Additional team members may be hosted elsewhere as subgroups but the grant is managed under the single Host Institution.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligible Host Institutions must be established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country (see ERC Work Programme Annex 3). PIs may be of any nationality and resident anywhere at application time but must commit to spend minimum 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country if funded. Associated Countries list is provided in the ERC Work Programme and on the Portal; third-country entities may participate in defined circumstances and typically without EU funding unless exceptional eligibility is indicated in the Work Programme.

Target Sector:All research fields are eligible (bottom-up Frontier Research). The ERC funds frontier research across the full range of disciplines including physical sciences & engineering, life sciences, social sciences and humanities; interdisciplinary and cross-domain proposals are welcomed.

Mentioned Countries:No specific country restriction is listed in the topic text. Host Institutions must be in EU Member States or Associated Countries. A list of Associated Countries is in the ERC Work Programme 2026 (Annex 3) and on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Third-country participation rules are addressed in the Work Programme.

Project Stage:Expected project maturity: frontier research at the idea, research and development stages up to demonstration and early-stage validation where scientifically appropriate. The ERC supports high-risk, high-gain fundamental and frontier research rather than primarily development or commercialisation projects. Proof of Concept grants exist as a separate scheme to explore innovation/commercial potential of ERC-funded results.

Funding Amount:Typical funding range: up to €2,500,000 for the main Advanced Grant contribution for up to 5 years, plus additional funding up to €1,000,000 (or €2,000,000 for qualifying relocation cases) when justified.

Application Type:Full Open Call (single-stage submission of full proposal) via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Two-step evaluation (panel invitation to Step 2). Electronic submission only through the Portal.

Nature of Support:Money (EU lump-sum grant contribution) provided to the Host Institution. Additionally, the ERC offers non-monetary services such as review, evaluation, monitoring and support channels (NCPs, Helpdesk) but the award is direct funding.

Application Stages:Two main evaluation stages: Step 1 and Step 2 (with an interview at Step 2). There may be subsequent grant preparation and administrative, legal, financial and ethics checks prior to signature.

Success Rates:Success rates vary by panel, year and budget. In 2026 the estimated number of Advanced Grants is 294 across panels from the indicated call budget; historically ERC Advanced Grants are highly competitive with success rates typically in the low single-digit percentages across applications for main grant calls, depending on the panel and year. Exact success rates depend on number of submissions and available budget.

Co-funding Requirement:No mandatory co-funding from the Host Institution is required as a general rule because the grant is a lump-sum EU contribution. However, Host Institutions usually provide substantial in-kind support (infrastructure, administrative services, complementary resources). If the requested total eligible costs differ from the requested EU contribution, applicants should indicate funding from other sources in the Resources section.

Templates and Application Forms:Application templates are available in the Submission System (Part A administrative form, Part B1 and Part B2 Word templates and Equipment Table Excel template). Required uploaded documents are: Part B1 (Part I + CV/Track Record), Part B2 (Part II + Funding ID appendix), Host Institution Support Letter (signed PDF), Equipment Table (Excel), and any relevant ethics/security supporting documents. Part A (online) contains budget tables, justification text boxes and time commitment declarations. Follow the precise page and format limits.

Detailed applicant requirements and science & technology specifics

Scientific scope:any domain of research; proposal must be frontier research: novel, ambitious, high-risk/high-gain, and capable of advancing the frontier of knowledge. Interdisciplinary proposals are welcomed and should clearly explain the cross-disciplinary methodology and how different domains contribute to the central research question. PIs must demonstrate a track record proportionate to career stage (Advanced: established leaders). Science & technology details to be provided in Part I and Part II: background state-of-the-art, significance, novelty, hypotheses, approach, methodology, experimental design, theoretical framework, data collection and analysis plans, required facilities, major equipment needs (justified in Resources), field work plans, timelines, milestones, deliverables, risks and mitigation, team composition and roles. Identify resources requested and justify essentiality. Include all relevant ethical, biosafety and security considerations in Part A self-assessments.

1. 1Science and Technology Information to include in proposal: hypothesis, ground-breaking aspects, interdisciplinarity justification, detailed methodology, experimental/fieldwork plans, major facility access, equipment needs, data management approach (FAIR), expected outputs and research dissemination, open access plan.
2. 2Applicant Requirements: PI CV and Track Record (4 pages), list of up to 10 outputs demonstrating contribution to the field, explanation of PI role in outputs, list of significant peer recognitions, statement of time commitment (percentage), indication of Host Institution support.
3. 3Host Institution Requirements: signed support letter (templated), commitment to provide conditions for PI independence, administrative and financial support, insurance, space and facilities, support for compliance with open science and gender equality obligations.

Peer reviewers assess both the scientific proposal and the PI’s capacity. Evaluation concerns only the information included in the allowed pages and the proposal sections delivered via the Submission System. The budget will be assessed for adequacy and justification and may be reduced by the panel if not justified. Panels provide a panel comment explaining decisions. Applicants may request a review if they consider the peer review procedure was not correctly applied.

Useful references and documentation:Main documents: ERC Work Programme 2026, ERC Information for Applicants to the Advanced Grant 2026 Call, ERC Rules of Submission and Evaluation under Horizon Europe, ERC Guide for Peer Reviewers (Advanced Grant 2026 call), Model Grant Agreements (Multi & Mono Lump Sum), application templates and online Submission Service. All are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the ERC website. See the call topic page for link: ec.europa.eu ¹

Contact and support:use the Advanced Grant applicant mailbox ERC-2026-ADG-APPLICANTS@ec.europa.eu and the Funding & Tenders Portal Helpdesk for technical submission problems. ERC National Contact Points (NCPs) provide national-level support and advice in local languages for participation and proposal preparation.

This summary extracts and condenses the essential provisions of the ERC Advanced Grant call documentation and the ERC Work Programme 2026. Users should consult the official ERC Work Programme 2026, the full Information for Applicants to the Advanced Grant 2026 call and the submission templates and call topic page for legal and procedural details before preparing a proposal ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary source and official call details: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS ERC-2026-ADG — EU Funding & Tenders Portal topic page: ec.europa.eu and ERC Work Programme 2026 available at ec.europa.eu.

Overview and Objectives

The ERC Advanced Grant supports excellent Principal Investigators (PIs) who are established research leaders with a track record of significant research achievements. The grant aims to fund ground-breaking, high-risk, and ambitious frontier research projects at any host institution in an EU Member State or Associated Country [[1]][[2]].

Funding Amount and Duration

Standard Grant:Up to **€2,500,000** for a period of **5 years** (reduced pro rata temporis for shorter durations) [[1]][[2]].

Additional Funding:Up to **€1,000,000** for start-up costs, major equipment, large facilities, or field work. For PIs relocating from non-associated third countries to the EU, this increases to **€2,000,000** [[1]][[6]].

Funding Model:Implemented as a **single lump sum contribution** covering 100% of eligible direct costs plus 25% for indirect costs [[1]][[4]].

Eligibility Criteria

1. 1Open to researchers of **any age and nationality** residing anywhere in the world at the time of application [[1]][[3]]
2. 2No PhD-based eligibility window; targets senior researchers with a sustained track record of excellence [[3]][[6]]
3. 3Host Institution must be established in an **EU Member State or Associated Country** [[1]][[3]]
4. 4PI must dedicate **≥30%** of working time to the project and spend **≥50%** of total working time in the EU/Associated Country [[3]][[6]]
5. 5Single PI only; no consortium co-investigators allowed [[3]][[6]]

Key Dates and Deadlines

Evaluation Procedure

Evaluation is based solely on **scientific excellence** [[3]][[6]]. The process involves two steps: Step 1 assesses Part I of the proposal and the PI's CV/Track Record; Step 2 involves a full proposal review and an **interview** with the panel [[1]][[3]].

Estimated Number of Grants:Approximately **294** grants expected in 2026 [[1]][[2]].

Application Requirements

1. 1Part I of Scientific Proposal (up to 5 pages)
2. 2Part II of Scientific Proposal (up to 7 pages)
3. 3CV and Track Record (up to 4 pages)
4. 4Resources and Time Commitment (up to 2 pages)
5. 5Host Institution Support Letter
6. 6Ethics Issues Table
7. 7Equipment Depreciation Table

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the **EU Funding & Tenders Portal** [[1]][[5]]. Application templates are available in the submission system [[2]][[5]].

Footnotes

1. 1Official ERC Work Programme 2026 and Application Guide: ERC Work Programme 2026
2. 2Information for Applicants to the Advanced Grant 2026: Applicants Guide