ERC Starting Grant: €1.5M over 5 years for early-career frontier research

ERC is the only EU funder that explicitly excludes applied/policy considerations from the scoring. The single criterion is scientific excellence: is the PI excellent, is the idea ground-breaking, is the host environment adequate. The Council values risk - safe incremental projects are penalised. The phrase 'high-risk/high-gain' appears in every panel briefing.

PhD defence date determines the 2-7 year window, measured against the call's reference date (1 January of submission year). Parental leave extends by 18 months per child; certified illness, military service, and non-research professional positions also extend. Calculate carefully and document - PhDs defended too early or too late get rejected at admin check.

Part B1 is what reviewers see first - it's the only part of Step 1. Three sections: state of the art and objectives, methodology, ambition and feasibility. Reviewers spend ~30 minutes on it. Lead with the question, not the literature; the first paragraph must make the panel want to read on. About 25-30% of applicants are invited to Step 2 based on B1. If you are at an earlier career stage, the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship is a more accessible first step.

Step 2: 30 minutes total - 10-minute slide pitch + 20-minute Q&A with a panel of 12-15 senior scientists from your broader field. Questions test depth (sub-discipline experts go deep) and breadth (out-of-field panel members ask about implications). About 50% of interviewed applicants are funded. Practice with at least three mock panels before the real one. For project-based funding without an interview process, see DFG Sachbeihilfe.