The ERC Work Programme 2026 has been published and includes a number of new features in the following areas:
- Structure of the Grant Application: The overall structure of the application form for the ERC calls will remain the same; however, applicants will be asked to structure their project proposal as follows:
- Part I – Scientific Proposal (5 pages): formerly called the Extended Synopsis should cover the overall idea of the project, current state of knowledge in the field, contribution of the research to the field, key scientific questions, project objectives and the research strategy.
- Part II – Scientific Proposal: detailed implementation of the project, including research methodology, work plan, risk assessment and mitigation measures, budget justification (no page limit for this part), additional necessary background
for Synergy Grants: Explanation of collaborative arrangements, page limits: 7 pages for Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced Grants, 10 pages for Synergy Grants
- evaluation:
- Part I of the Scientific Proposal along with the applicant’s CV and Track Record (i.e. Part B1 of the application form) will be assessed at Step 1, whereas both parts of the Scientific Proposal, the CV and Track Record, as well as the Resources and Time Commitment will be assessed at Step 2 of the evaluation. First and foremost, applicants will be assessed on the ambition of their idea in advancing present-day knowledge in the field based on Part I of the Scientific Proposal. Only those who have presented a convincing proposal at Step 1 will advance to the next stage of the evaluation.
- Feasibility will no longer be assessed at Step 1. All aspects relating to feasibility should be covered in Part II of the Scientific Proposal.
- additional funding:
- Researchers currently based outside Europe and applying for a Starting, Consolidator or Advanced Grant will be able to request up to € 2 million in additional funding to facilitate the relocation of their laboratory or team to the European Union or a country associated to the ERC part of the Horizon Europe programme. Please consult the updated list of Horizon Europe associated countries.
- EU Member State Applicants will remain eligible for up to € 1 million. The maximum amount of additional funding that can be requested by Synergy Grant applicants remains the same (up to € 4 million).
- As of 2026, additional funding may also be used for personnel costs, and, as before, applicants are requested to define and justify the need for additional funding in their proposal.
For further information please refer to the ERC’s press release.
