The ERC Advanced Grant call for 2026 under the Horizon Europe Work Programme is now open to support established, leading Principal Investigators (PIs) who wish to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk/high-gain, and ambitious frontier research projects.

Operating on a 'bottom-up' basis across all scientific fields without predetermined priorities, the grant targets exceptional leaders recognized for the originality and significance of their research contributions.

Scientific excellence is the sole evaluation criterion, applied in conjunction to both the research project and the intellectual capacity of the Principal Investigator. As a legal requirement, each proposal selected for funding must undergo a mandatory multi-stage ethics review process.

📅 Call Timeline

• Opening Date: 28 May 2026
• Deadline Date: 27 August 2026 (13.00)
• Step 1 Results Notification: 29 January 2027
• Step 2 Results Notification: 11 June 2027
• Grant Agreement Signature Date: 16 November 2027

✅ Eligibility

• Open to active researchers of any age or nationality with a track record of significant scientific achievements. No specific academic requirements are mandated.
• The PI must commit a minimum of 30% of their working time to the ERC project and spend at least 50% of their total working time in an EU Member State or an Associated Country (including Türkiye).
• The project must be hosted by a legal entity (public or private, such as a university or research center) established in an EU Member State or an Associated Country. PIs do not need to be employed by the HI at the time of submission, but a mutual agreement and commitment are necessary if successful.
• PIs can recruit team members of any nationality, and certain members can exceptionally be located in non-European countries.
• Applicants who received a score of B or C at Step 1 of the 2025 call, or a score of C at Step 1 of the 2024 call, are ineligible to apply to the 2026 call. PIs serving as panel members for the Advanced Grant call under the Work Programme 2026 are also restricted from applying.

📂 Support Scope and Duration

• Project Duration: Up to 5 years (60 months).
• Advanced Grants are implemented as a single lump-sum contribution covering 100% of direct eligible costs plus a 25% flat-rate for indirect costs. Payments are based on the reported work carried out rather than actual verified project costs or successful outcomes.

💶 Funding Opportunities

• Maximum Base Grant: Up to €2,500,000 per project.
• Up to €1,000,000 can be requested to cover major equipment, large facility access, major field work, or start-up costs for researchers moving from a third country.

📌 Useful Links

• EU Funding & Tenders Portal
• ERC Dashboard
• ERIS