Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
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.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
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.
Detailed Call Description
Starting Grants may be awarded up to a maximum of EUR 1 500 000 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 EUR 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 Starting Grant Principal Investigator
The Principal Investigators shall have successfully defended their first PhD at least 2 and up to 7 years prior to 1 January 2024. Cut-off dates: Successful defence of PhD between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021 (inclusive).
The eligibility period can be extended beyond 7 years in certain properly documented circumstances. See section Admissibility and eligibility criteria of the ERC Work Programme 2024.
A competitive Starting Grant Principal Investigator should have already shown evidence of the potential for research independence, for example by having produced at least one important publication as main author or without the participation of their PhD supervisor. When submitting their proposal, the CV and a Track Record should include personal details, education, key qualifications, current position(s) and relevant previous positions, a list of up to ten research outputs that demonstrate how the applicant has advanced knowledge in their field, with an emphasis on more recent achievements, and a list of selected examples of significant peer recognition.
For further information, please see the ERC Work Programme 2024.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
Funding rate 100% / 25% for indirect costs.
All Principal Investigators funded through an ERC Starting Grant must spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country and a minimum of 50% of their working time on the ERC project.
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
Eligibility For Participation Notes
They must be submitted by eligible Principal Investigators before the relevant call deadline.
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.
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 Starting Grants based on the date of the successful defence of their first PhD degree (or equivalent doctoral degree).
Eligible Host Institution: The Applicant Legal Entity must either be established in an EU Member State or Associated Country as a legal entity created under national law, or it may be an international European research organisation 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.
Eligible countries: 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.
Further details in the ERC Work Programme 2024.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
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
EU Contact Point
Starting Grants: ERC-2024-STG-APPLICANTS@ec.europa.eu