European Research Council 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 scientific proposal.

The main guiding principles of the ERC Starting Grants are as follows:

  • Scientific excellence is the sole criterion on the basis of which ERC frontier research grants are awarded.
  • Applications can be made in any field of research.
  • Principal Investigators from anywhere in the world can apply for an ERC grant.
  • The ERC's frontier research grants aim to empower individual researchers and provide the best settings to foster their creativity.
  • Grants are awarded to the host institution that engages and hosts the PI.
  • Host institutions must provide conditions for the PI to independently direct the research and manage its funding.

Even with the result of the recent referendum, it is very much business as usual for UK organisations and EU research funding. The UK’s status is unchanged, the UK Government has already confirmed that ongoing projects at the time of leaving the EU will be honoured and all key parties have reassured us that UK applicants will be treated as before. It is an excellent year to apply for the ERC, which has received a significant increase in budget and so we would strongly encourage you to fully consider applying.

To be eligible for a Starting Grant, the Principal Investigator shall have been awarded his/her first PhD ≥ 2 and ≤ 7 years prior to 1 January 2017 (Cut-off dates: PhD from 1 January 2010 to 1 January 2015 (inclusive)). The effective elapsed time since the award of the first PhD can be reduced in certain properly documented circumstances which you should discuss with the EU Team.

Interested in this opportunity or simply want more information?

The EU Team provides a significant level of support to ERC Applicants. Please contact the EU Team at:

rso-eufunding@glasgow.ac.uk

or speak to your usual contact within the team.

First published: 9 August 2016

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