ERC ADVANCED GRANTS

The ERC Advanced Grant supports outstanding Principal Investigators who are established research leaders. The grant aims to enable active researchers with a track record of significant research achievements to pursue ambitious, groundbreaking research in any field of science. Grants may be awarded up to a maximum of EUR 2,500,000 for a period of 5 years, with the potential for an additional EUR 1,000,000 (or up to EUR 2,000,000 in special cases) to cover eligible costs such as start-up, major equipment, or relocation. All proposals are evaluated solely on excellence.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	28 May 2026
End date	27 Aug 2026
Max funding	Up to EUR 2,500,000 for a period of 5 years., Additional funding up to EUR 1,000,000 for eligible costs (e.g., start-up, major equipment) can be requested, or up to EUR 2,000,000 for Principal Investigators relocating to the EU or Associated Country.
Budget	EUR 746,700,000 (planned for 2026 call)
Coverage	Grant is awarded as a single lump sum contribution covering the entirety of the project.

Grant application conditions

Principal Investigator Eligibility	Researchers of any age and nationality, residing anywhere in the world, are eligible if they will conduct their research at an EU Member State or associated country Host Institution.
Investigator Requirements	The Principal Investigator must spend at least 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country and at least 30% of their working time on the ERC project.
Host Institution Type	Any legal entity (public or private), such as a university, research organization, or undertaking, established in an EU Member State or Associated Country, or an international European research organization (e.g., CERN, EMBL).
Research Field	Applications in any field of science, including interdisciplinary research, are eligible.
Proposal Completeness	The proposal must include all required administrative forms, scientific proposal parts, Curriculum Vitae, Track Record, Host Institution Support Letter, Equipment Table, Ethics Issues Table, and Budget, submitted by the call deadline.
Application Restrictions	Restrictions on applications apply (e.g., re-submission rules), as detailed in the ERC Work Programme 2026.
Exclusion Criteria	Applicants subject to exclusion situations (administrative sanctions, financial exclusion per EU Financial Regulation) cannot participate.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/ERC-2026-ADG

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements