Overview
Where ERC stands on contributorship and open research
ERC open-science guidance encourages structured contributorship statements as part of its broader Open Science framework. Not a contractual requirement of the ERC grant agreement. The ERC CV invites CRediT-style description in its 10 representative-publications block.
CRediT status: Encouraged - Guidance or programme calls reference CRediT, but formal policy text is silent.
Open access
Horizon Europe Open Access mandate (2021, ERC inherits)
All peer-reviewed publications resulting from ERC grants must be immediately open access under CC BY (or equivalent). Pre-prints encouraged. Long-form scholarly outputs are addressed under separate Horizon Europe guidance.
Research data management
Data sharing requirements
Horizon Europe Data Management Plan; aligned with the FAIR principles.
Submission and reporting
How ERC researchers apply and report
| Primary submission system | EU Funding and Tenders Portal (Horizon Europe submission system) |
| Biosketch / CV format | ERC Curriculum Vitae format (10 most representative publications) + funding ID |
| Reporting cycle | Periodic + final reports via the EU F&T Portal |
ERC PIs use a dedicated ERC Curriculum Vitae format that highlights the 10 most representative publications (any type - papers, datasets, software, monographs) with a brief justification per item, plus a funding ID. ORCID is strongly recommended. A Horizon Europe Data Management Plan is mandatory under the grant agreement. ERC PIs of any nationality are eligible but must conduct the research at a host institution in an EU Member State or Associated Country. Adherence to the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA) is a grant condition.
Contributorship guidance
How ERC handles contributor attribution
ERC does not contractually require CRediT. Its open-science guidance encourages contributorship transparency through whichever vocabulary the receiving journal uses, and the ERC CV format invites applicants to describe their role on multi-author works.
For authors
Publishing from ERC funding
When publishing from an ERC grant, deposit your accepted manuscript or version of record in a public repository (Zenodo, Europe PMC, an institutional repository, or Open Research Europe) with a CC BY licence at the time of publication. The ERC grant agreement requires acknowledgement of EU funding using a specific wording that includes the call identifier and grant number. Pre-prints are explicitly encouraged. Maintain and update your Data Management Plan throughout the project life cycle. Include a CRediT statement at the publisher's request.
For general CRediT submission guidance across publishers, see CRediT for authors.
Notable initiatives
ERC programmes and infrastructure
- ERC Starting / Consolidator / Advanced / Synergy grants
- ERC Proof of Concept programme
- cOAlition S co-founder
- Open Research Europe publishing platform
Notes
Caveats and context
ERC and Horizon Europe operate in close alignment on open science; for OA and DMP compliance you can treat them as a single policy regime.
Frequently asked
Common questions about ERC
- Does ERC require CRediT?
- ERC does not require CRediT at the policy-text level, but guidance and programme materials reference it. ERC open-science guidance encourages structured contributorship statements as part of its broader Open Science framework. Not a contractual requirement of the ERC grant agreement. The ERC CV invites CRediT-style description in its 10 representative-publications block.
- What is ERC's open access policy?
- Horizon Europe Open Access mandate (2021, ERC inherits). All peer-reviewed publications resulting from ERC grants must be immediately open access under CC BY (or equivalent). Pre-prints encouraged. Long-form scholarly outputs are addressed under separate Horizon Europe guidance.
- How do I report contributorship to ERC?
- ERC does not contractually require CRediT. Its open-science guidance encourages contributorship transparency through whichever vocabulary the receiving journal uses, and the ERC CV format invites applicants to describe their role on multi-author works.
- Where do I submit a ERC application?
- ERC applications are submitted through EU Funding and Tenders Portal (Horizon Europe submission system). ERC PIs use a dedicated ERC Curriculum Vitae format that highlights the 10 most representative publications (any type - papers, datasets, software, monographs) with a brief justification per item, plus a funding ID. ORCID is strongly recommended. A Horizon Europe Data Management Plan is mandatory under the grant agreement. ERC PIs of any nationality are eligible but must conduct the research at a host institution in an EU Member State or Associated Country. Adherence to the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA) is a grant condition.
- What is ERC's data sharing requirement?
- Horizon Europe Data Management Plan; aligned with the FAIR principles. Researchers should follow the data-management plan submitted with the application and deposit data in a recognised repository where appropriate.
References
Sources
- ERC Work Programme
- Horizon Europe Annotated Model Grant Agreement
- European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA)
