European Research Council (AHSS)

The ERC’s mission is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support investigator-driven frontier research across all fields, on the basis of scientific excellence.

Being ‘investigator-driven’, or ‘bottom-up’, in nature, the ERC approach allows researchers to identify new opportunities and directions in any field of research, rather than being led by priorities set by politicians.

ERC grants support projects carried out by an individual researcher who can employ researchers of any nationality as team members. It is also possible to have one or more team members located in a non-European country.

Indicative summary of calls: 2023 - 2024 Deadlines

Starting Grant Consolidator Grant Advanced GrantAdvanced Grant
Call identifier ERC-2024-StGERC-2024-CoGERC-2024-AdGERC-2024-SyG
Call opens 11 July 202312 September 202329 May 202412 July 2023
Call deadline 24 October 202312 December 202329 August 20248 November 2024

Proof of Concept

The ERC Proof of Concept is a top-up grant for existing ERC awardees (€150K), meant to explore the commercial or societal potential of their project.

This opportunity is open to ERC PI from all panels and disciplines.

In the video below, Professor Anna Davies talks about this opportunity in relation to SSH and Social innovation.

Proof of Concept 2024 Timeframe

Principal Investigators in an ongoing main grant, or Principal Investigators in a main grant that has ended after 1 January 2023, are eligible to apply.

Deadline No:Deadline dateExpected outcome datesGrant Agreement date*
114 March 2024June 202425 October 2024
217 September 2024January 202514 May 2025

* Dates are indicative. Project start dates must be after the Grant Agreement has been signed.

Useful links

ERC official website: https://erc.europa.eu/

ERC Work Programme 2024: ERC Work Programme 2024 (europa.eu)

Patrick Lansley (patrick.lansley@iua.ie) is the European Research Council National Contact Point (SSH) based at the Irish Universities Association.

The Irish Research Council holds the national support roles for ERC (SSH). The NCP service is carried out by the IUA under a partnership with the IRC, the national support agency for Horizon Europe Cluster 2 and joint NCP for ERC.

Dr Maria Nash is the ERC National Delegate and ERC National Contact Point (Life Sciences and Physical Sciences & Engineering), based in SFI.