Applications for a leading EU scheme for early-career researchers have jumped to 7,710 proposals, up 60.4% on the previous year.
The European Research Council said its latest Starting Grant call, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research funding programme, drew its third consecutive annual rise in demand, after increases of 22% and 13% in the two preceding calls, the European Commission reported on Tuesday.
The 2027 Starting Grant call had a budget of €594 million and closed on 14 October. It is expected to fund roughly one in 20 applicants.
The ERC funds investigator-driven “frontier research” — projects proposed by researchers themselves across all scientific fields — and said its latest figures reflect growing demand for its grants.
Rising numbers across multiple grant schemes
Applications for Advanced Grants, which support more established researchers, increased 37% between 2024 and 2026, rising from 2,534 to 3,458 proposals, the ERC said.
Synergy Grants, which fund small groups of researchers working together, received 957 proposals in 2026, up 34%. The figure followed a 30% rise in 2025.
The Consolidator Grant call for mid-career researchers attracted 3,060 proposals, slightly fewer than in 2025 but still 32% above the 2024 level.
This year the ERC Scientific Council widened the eligibility windows for Starting and Consolidator Grants to better reflect different career paths across disciplines and allow more researchers to apply.
Demand has also increased in other EU funding schemes, with the 2026 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships receiving a record 21,627 applications — the highest number ever submitted to any funding action in the history of EU research and innovation programmes.
Research backed by the ERC has been recognised with major scientific honours, including Nobel Prizes awarded to 16 ERC grantees.
