Does ERC require CRediT in the grant agreement?

No. ERC's open-science guidance encourages structured contributorship, and the ERC CV format invites CRediT-aligned articulation in the 10-representative-publications block, but CRediT is not a contractual requirement of the grant agreement.

Where in the ERC application is CRediT most useful?

The 10-representative-publications justification block is the most natural location - it explicitly invites a brief account of your role per work, and CRediT vocabulary makes that articulation precise.

How does CRediT interact with the Horizon Europe Data Management Plan?

They operate at different layers. The DMP describes how research data will be managed; CRediT describes who contributed what to the resulting publications. Both are expected and neither substitutes for the other.

Does Open Research Europe require CRediT?

Yes - Open Research Europe (the Commission's in-house publishing platform) captures CRediT as a structured submission field, similarly to Wellcome Open Research and Gates Open Research.

CRediT statement guide

ERC - using CRediT in your application

ERC does not contractually require a CRediT statement, but its open-science guidance encourages structured contributorship. The ERC CV (10 representative publications) is a natural place to articulate your role on cited multi-author works in CRediT-aligned terms.

EncouragedPolicy year 2021European UnionBack to ERC funder mandate

At application stage

What ERC asks for in proposals

ERC applications submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal use a dedicated ERC Curriculum Vitae format: a structured CV plus 10 representative publications with a brief justification per item. The justification field for each representative publication invites contributorship description, and CRediT vocabulary is the recognised way to articulate it.

Where to embed a CRediT statement

In the 10-representative-publications justification block, naming your CRediT roles for each cited work is the cleanest way to convey what you actually did on a multi-author paper. The Track Record and Scientific Profile sections also welcome CRediT-aligned description of your contribution to the field. The B1 Research Proposal and B2 Scientific Proposal documents do not require CRediT.

Sample wording

In a representative-publication justification: "I led Conceptualization, Methodology, and Writing - original draft on this paper; co-led Formal analysis with the senior author." This format gives ERC reviewers an unambiguous account of your role in 30-40 words.

At final-report stage

How CRediT figures in ERC progress and final reports

ERC periodic and final reports submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal catalogue publications, datasets, and other outputs from the grant. Reporting follows the Horizon Europe Annotated Model Grant Agreement (AGA).

Does ERC ingest CRediT as structured metadata?

ERC does not currently ingest CRediT as structured grant-reporting metadata. The chain runs through the immediate-OA publication route: journal records CRediT in JATS, article is openly available under CC BY in a trusted repository (Zenodo, Europe PMC, Open Research Europe, or an institutional repository), and CRediT travels with the article record.

Common pitfalls

Things to avoid

Underusing the representative-publications justification block; reviewers explicitly look for precise contribution articulation here.
Omitting the precise EU funding-acknowledgement wording (which includes the call identifier and grant number) - required by the grant agreement.
Treating CRediT as a substitute for ERC's mandatory Data Management Plan; DMPs and CRediT statements operate at different layers and are both required for full compliance.
Publishing in a hybrid OA journal without CC BY deposit in a trusted repository, which fails Horizon Europe Plan S compliance.
Assuming CRediT is required by ERC at the policy layer when it is encouraged through open-science guidance rather than contractual obligation.

Worked example

Sample CRediT statement for a ERC proposal

Illustrative wording (names invented) - adapt to your team and confirm the ERC-specific funding-acknowledgement format current at time of submission.

Conceptualization: A. Kowalski, M. Dubois. Methodology: A. Kowalski, M. Dubois, S. Costa. Software: S. Costa, J. van der Berg. Investigation: A. Kowalski, S. Costa, J. van der Berg. Formal analysis: M. Dubois, S. Costa. Data curation: J. van der Berg. Writing - original draft: A. Kowalski. Writing - review & editing: all authors. Funding acquisition: A. Kowalski. Project administration: M. Dubois. Supervision: A. Kowalski. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (grant agreement No XXXXXX).

Frequently asked

ERC + CRediT - common questions

Does ERC require CRediT in the grant agreement?: No. ERC's open-science guidance encourages structured contributorship, and the ERC CV format invites CRediT-aligned articulation in the 10-representative-publications block, but CRediT is not a contractual requirement of the grant agreement.
Where in the ERC application is CRediT most useful?: The 10-representative-publications justification block is the most natural location - it explicitly invites a brief account of your role per work, and CRediT vocabulary makes that articulation precise.
How does CRediT interact with the Horizon Europe Data Management Plan?: They operate at different layers. The DMP describes how research data will be managed; CRediT describes who contributed what to the resulting publications. Both are expected and neither substitutes for the other.
Does Open Research Europe require CRediT?: Yes - Open Research Europe (the Commission's in-house publishing platform) captures CRediT as a structured submission field, similarly to Wellcome Open Research and Gates Open Research.

Related guidance