Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
The 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. Principal Investigators must demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their research proposal.
A competitive Consolidator Grant Principal Investigator should have already shown evidence of research independence.
Size of ERC Consolidator Grants: Consolidator Grants may be awarded up to a maximum of €2.000.000 for a period of 5 years. The maximum size of the grants is reduced pro rata temporis for projects of a shorter duration. (This does not apply to ongoing projects).
Additional funding up to €1.000.000 can be requested in the proposal to cover the following eligible costs when these are necessary to carry out the proposed work: (a) “start-up” costs for Principal Investigators moving to the EU or an Associated Country from elsewhere as a consequence of receiving the ERC grant, and/or (b) the purchase of major equipment, and/or (c) access to large facilities, and/or (d) other major experimental and field work costs, excluding personnel costs.
Additional funding is not subject to pro rata temporis reduction for projects of shorter duration.
All funding requested is assessed during evaluation.
Profile of the ERC Consolidator Grant Principal Investigator: The Principal Investigators shall have successfully defended their first PhD at least 7 and up to 12 years prior to 1 January 2025. Cut-off dates: Successful defence of PhD between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2017 (inclusive).
Eligible Principal Investigators: The ERC actions are open to researchers of any nationality who intend to conduct their research activity in any EU Member State or Associated Country (see Annex 3 of the ERC Work Programme 2025). Principal Investigators may be of any age and nationality, and may reside in any country in the world at the time of the application.
There are specific eligibility criteria for a Principal Investigator applying to the Consolidator Grants based on the date of the successful defence of their first PhD degree (or equivalent doctoral degree) as described in the ERC Work Programme 2025 (see also Annex 2 ‘ERC policy on PhD and equivalent doctoral degrees’ and specific provisions for applicants holding a degree in medicine).
All Principal Investigators funded through an ERC Consolidator Grant must spend a minimum of 40% of their working time in a Member State or Associated Country and a minimum of 50% of their working time on the ERC project.
Eligible Host Institution: The host institution (Applicant Legal Entity) must engage and host the Principal Investigator for at least the duration of the project, as defined in the grant agreement. It must either be established in a Member State or Associated Country (see Annex 3 of the ERC Work Programme 2025) as a legal entity created under national law, or it may be an international European research organisation (such as CERN, EMBL, etc.), or any other entity created under EU law. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country will be deemed to be established in that Member State or Associated Country.
Any type of legal entity, public or private, including universities, research organisations and undertakings can host Principal Investigators and their teams.
Research and Innovation Foundation
Address: 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Dr Kalypso Sepou
Head of European Programmes Department
Telephone: +357 22 205 066
Email: kalypso@research.org.cy
Dr Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
Katerina Karakasidou
Scientific Officer
Email: kkarakasidou@research.org.cy