The European Research Council (ERC) programs will change in 2027

New resubmission restrictions for ERC Synergy:

As part of the ERC’s 2027 Work Program, resubmission restrictions are being tightened to reduce pressure on the evaluation system.

Specifically, for ERC Synergy: applicants who received a C score in Stage 1 of the 2025 or 2026 Synergy, Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced calls, or a B score in Stage 1 of the 2026 Synergy, Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced calls, are not eligible to apply for the 2027 Synergy call.

Change to the ERC Synergy Call Timeline:

The Synergy 2027 call will open in February 2027, rather than in June 2026. The evaluation period will last between 9 months and 1 year, which means that projects will begin in the first quarter of 2028.

New ERC:

The European Commission is proposing additional funding through a program called ERC Plus. The objectives of this call (ERC Plus Call Overview Page) are to support visionary research, encourage scientific independence and leadership, and promote projects with transformative potential and global impact.

This new program, designed to support approximately 30 grants annually (compared to the 1,000 grants awarded under other ERC programs), is intended for bold projects that aim to transform a field or open new avenues of research that cannot be pursued under any other ERC program. Applicants must demonstrate exceptional scientific achievements, creativity, and intellectual leadership.

This grant, awarded as a lump sum, may reach up to seven million euros over a period of four to seven years.

This call will open on June 2, 2026, with a submission deadline of September 2, 2026.

Holders of a current ERC grant (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, Synergy) are not eligible for the ERC Plus call.

Reminder:

The CNRS and Insmi assist with the preparation and submission of ERC applications through:

• the SPVs, for the administrative, legal, and financial structuring of the proposal, project monitoring, and the dissemination of scientific results;
• the Institute for reviewing the scientific sections of the project and preparing for the oral defense in collaboration with the Institute’s European project engineer, Pierre Ortolan, who can be contacted for any information regarding European Union programs.