ERC Grants Compared: 4 Schemes

Compare ERC Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, and Synergy Grants: PhD-year eligibility, funding caps, duration, and PI requirements.

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How do Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant, Synergy Grant compare side by side?

The table below compares Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant, Synergy Grant across 9 procurement-relevant dimensions, from eligibility (years since phd, 2026 calls) through evaluation criterion.

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	Starting Grant	Consolidator Grant	Advanced Grant	Synergy Grant
Eligibility (years since PhD, 2026 calls)	2-7 years	7-12 years	No limit -- track record over ~10 years assessed	No fixed PhD-year rule -- assessed per PI's career stage
Number of PIs	1 (single PI)	1 (single PI)	1 (single PI)	2 to 4 PIs (one corresponding PI)
Maximum base funding	€1.5 million	€2 million	€2.5 million	€10 million
Additional funding available	Up to €1M (up to €2M if relocating from a non-associated third country)	Up to €1M (up to €2M if relocating from a non-associated third country)	Up to €1M (up to €2M if relocating from a non-associated third country)	Up to €4 million
Maximum duration	5 years	5 years	5 years	6 years
Primary applicant profile	Early-career researcher forming an independent team	Researcher consolidating an already-independent team	Established, senior research leader	Team of PIs whose combined expertise creates work no single PI could do alone
Host institution requirement	Public/private research org in an EU Member State or associated country	Same	Same	Same, per participating PI
Cost reimbursement	Up to 100% direct costs + 25% indirect	Up to 100% direct costs + 25% indirect	Up to 100% direct costs + 25% indirect	Up to 100% direct costs + 25% indirect
Evaluation criterion	Scientific excellence only	Scientific excellence only	Scientific excellence only	Scientific excellence, incl. demonstrated synergetic effect

Common questions

Common questions about Starting Grant vs Consolidator Grant vs Advanced Grant vs Synergy Grant

Can a researcher apply to more than one ERC scheme in the same year?

The ERC restricts which combinations of grant type and prior-application history a PI may submit in a given call, including resubmission cooling-off periods for previously rejected proposals. These rules vary by Work Programme year, so confirm the exact restrictions against the current call documents.

What is an ERC Proof of Concept grant?

A separate, smaller top-up funding line open only to existing or former ERC grant holders, intended to help explore the commercial or societal application potential of results already generated under an ERC-funded project. It is not one of the four investigator-driven schemes compared here.