To win an ERC grant, you need to meet several criteria. Below we discuss the eligibility criteria for ERC Starting Grant.
Formal eligibility criteria for ERC Starting Grant (StG)
ERC Starting Grant formal eligibility criteria:
- Individual researchers with 2-7 years experience since PhD, importantly:
- You can check extension possibilities in case of maternity, paternity, illness, national service, training, natural disasters, or asylum in the ERC Work Programme 2024.
- The date of PhD refers to the date of successful PhD defence.
- Work needs to be performed at a public or private research organisation (confirmed in a HI letter).
Informal criteria / criteria to win
Beyond eligibility, there is competitiveness. Do you have what it takes to win an ERC StG?
- Have you performed ground-breaking research independent of your PhD Supervisor?
- Do you have evidence of your research excellence (e.g. at least one publications in a high-impact journals)?
- Do you have a rounded profile that shows scientific leadership?
We offer dedicated support for ERC StG candidates via our ERC Starting Grant grant writing services. If you are seeking support to assess whether you have what it takes to win an ERC Starting Grant? Book a meeting below.
UPDATE: Unfortunately our capacity for the 2026 deadlines has been completely filled.
We’ll let you know when things change!