ERC Consolidator Grant 2027: up to €2 million for researchers, deadline 12 January 2027

The European Research Council (ERC) opened the Consolidator Grant 2027 call (ERC-2027-COG), funded through Horizon Europe, on 24 September 2026. The budget is 618.5 million euro and should reach roughly 296 grants. Each grant can reach 2 million euro over 5 years. Researchers of any nationality who defended their PhD between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021 and who will work at a host institution in an EU Member State or an associated country can apply. The submission deadline is 12 January 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time).

In brief

• Programme: Horizon Europe – ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 (ERC-2027-COG), ERC Work Programme 2027
• Authority: European Research Council (ERC), through the European Commission's Executive Agency ERCEA
• Beneficiaries: principal investigators (PIs) who defended their PhD between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021, hosted by a public or private research organisation in the EU or an associated country
• Total budget: €618.5 million, approximately 296 grants
• Value per project: up to €2,000,000 for 60 months, plus up to €1,000,000 additional for justified costs (up to €2,000,000 additional for PIs moving from non-associated countries)
• Funding rate: up to 100% of eligible direct costs, plus 25% for indirect costs
• Submission period: 24 September 2026 – 12 January 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time)
• Status: call open

Who can apply?

The grant is awarded to a single researcher, the Principal Investigator (PI), for a frontier research project that they propose themselves. No partnerships or consortia are required. The conditions published on the Commission's portal are:

• a PhD defended between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021 inclusive, i.e. 5–15 years of post-PhD experience. What counts is the certified date of the public defence of the thesis, not the date on which the degree was awarded;
• the period can be extended beyond 15 years in documented situations, for example maternity or paternity leave, illness or clinical training, in accordance with section 1.4 of the ERC Work Programme 2027;
• the host institution must be a legal entity in an EU Member State or an associated country. The PI does not have to be its employee at the time of submission, but needs the institution's agreement and commitment if the project is selected;
• the PI spends at least 50% of their time in a Member State or an associated country and at least 40% of their time on the ERC project;
• those who have already received a Starting Grant or a Consolidator Grant cannot apply again for the same type of grant. There are further restrictions for those who received certain scores in previous evaluations (section 1.4.3 of the Work Programme).

What is funded and how much?

The core grant can reach 2 million euro for 60 months. For shorter projects, the amount is reduced proportionally. In addition, you can request up to 1 million euro for project-justified costs, for example major equipment, access to research infrastructures or the setting-up costs of a PI coming from another country. For researchers moving to the EU or an associated country from a non-associated country, the additional amount can reach 2 million euro.

The ERC covers up to 100% of eligible direct costs (personnel, equipment, consumables, travel, publication) and adds 25% of eligible costs for the host institution's indirect costs. No co-financing is required.

How are proposals evaluated?

The only criterion is scientific excellence, of both the project and the researcher. Proposals are evaluated in 28 panels, grouped into three domains: physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, and social sciences and humanities. The evaluation has two steps:

1. Step 1: the panel reads the extended synopsis and the CV and gives one of the ratings A (invited to step 2), A (not invited), B or C;
2. Step 2: the full proposal is evaluated and the candidate is interviewed by the panel. The final result is A (recommended for funding) or B (rejected).

The proposal is submitted exclusively online, on the European Commission's Funding & Tenders portal. In addition to the scientific document, the application includes a letter of support from the host institution.

How and by when do you apply?

The deadline is Tuesday, 12 January 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time), i.e. 18:00 in Romania. Each researcher can submit only one ERC proposal in the same call year. We recommend submitting a few days before the deadline, as the portal is very busy in the final hours.

What this means for your business

ERC Consolidator is not a programme for SMEs. The target clients are universities, national research and development institutes and their researchers. However, a company with its own research department can be a host institution if it is a legal entity in a Member State and provides the required conditions. Our recommendations:

• For universities and institutes: identify now the researchers who defended their PhD in 2012–2021 and have solid independent publications, and prepare the institution's letter of support. Also think about how you will manage a €2 million grant (procurement, hiring, financial reporting).
• For researchers: check the exact date of your PhD defence. A date outside the range rules your proposal out of the competition, unless you have a documented extension.
• Common pitfall: the project must be frontier research, with accepted risk and high potential, not a continuation of research already carried out. ERC evaluators penalise overly cautious proposals.
• Realistic timeline: 3 months is short for a competitive ERC proposal. Start with the extended synopsis and ask colleagues who have already been through the interview to read it.

For companies seeking funding for applied research and innovation, other programmes are more suitable, for example EIC Accelerator or PoCIDIF 1.1.2. You can also find out what suits you with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for the ERC Consolidator Grant 2027?

Researchers of any nationality who defended their PhD between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021 can apply, with a frontier research project and a host institution in an EU Member State or an associated country. The period can be extended in documented situations, such as maternity leave or illness.

How much can an ERC Consolidator project receive?

Up to 2 million euro for 5 years, plus up to 1 million euro for justified costs, for example major equipment. For researchers moving from non-associated countries, the additional amount can reach 2 million euro. 100% of eligible direct costs are funded, plus 25% for indirect costs.

What is the submission deadline?

Proposals are submitted on the European Commission's Funding & Tenders portal by Tuesday, 12 January 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time), i.e. 18:00 in Romania.

Do I have to be employed at the host institution when I apply?

No. The researcher does not have to be employed at the time of submission, but the host institution must give its agreement through a letter of support and employ them if the project is selected. The researcher must spend at least 40% of their time on the project.

Can I apply if I already have an ERC Starting Grant?

Yes. The ban applies only to the same type of grant: whoever has already received a Starting Grant cannot apply for another Starting Grant, and whoever has received a Consolidator Grant cannot apply for another Consolidator Grant. If your Starting Grant is still running, you can apply only if the project ends less than two years after the call deadline, and a researcher can hold only one main ERC grant at a time. For the other restrictions, including those linked to scores in previous evaluations, check section 1.4.3 of the ERC Work Programme 2027.

Official sources

• Funding & Tenders portal – call ERC-2027-COG
• European Research Council – Consolidator Grant page
• EURAXESS – announcement of the opening of the ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 call

Information checked on 2 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.