The European Research Council (ERC) has announced changes to its grant eligibility criteria for the 2027 calls for proposals, with scholars able to apply for a starting grant directly after finishing their PhD.

“The career trajectories in academic research and the demands placed on researchers have been changing, and the road to research independence for a significant share of early-career researchers has become longer,” said ERC president Maria Leptin in a .

Academic careers “vary considerably” between countries and research areas, Leptin said.

The ERC Scientific Council “concluded that to offer all early-career researchers, whatever their trajectory, the possibility to obtain funding for novel and ambitious ideas, the current eligibility periods had to be adapted”.

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From 2027, researchers will be eligible to apply for a starting grant immediately after receiving their PhD and for up to 10 years afterwards. Currently, the eligibility criteria require applicants to have two to seven years of experience since their PhD completion.

The eligibility window for consolidator grants will also shift from seven to 12 years after successful PhD defence to five to 15 years. “This should give enough flexibility to fit most career paths in Europe, and the overlap between the eligibility periods is necessary to ensure that flexibility,” Leptin said.

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The new overlap, the ERC president explained, means applicants will need to decide whether to apply for a starting or consolidator grant; however, she said, “that decision will likely be guided by their career trajectory up to that point”.

2027 will also see the introduction of new restrictions on repeat awardees, with researchers limited to one starting grant and one consolidator grant. Advanced grants, meanwhile, will not be restricted.

The change is unlikely to impact many scholars, Leptin noted, with only seven to date winning two starting grants and 12 receiving two consolidator grants.

Changes to the project proposal format will be introduced in 2026, the ERC announced, with the aim of reducing the workload of evaluation panels while improving the assessment of feasibility. While the scientific council discussed changing the two-part proposal structure, Leptin said, they ultimately elected to preserve it, with the purpose of each part “redefined”.

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The first part of the proposal, Leptin said, “should allow the panels to answer the question: ‘Is this a great idea that would be worth pursuing?’”

Evaluators will also read the applicant’s CV and academic track record. If a candidate is rejected at this stage, they will no longer receive qualitative feedback from the panel.

If the panel decides the proposal is worth further evaluation, they will proceed to the second part, which should address feasibility; or, in Leptin’s words, it should answer the question, “Can that idea be pursued realistically, and if so, in the manner and with the approach that the applicant proposes?”

Earlier this month, the ERC announced that it had awarded €761 million (£659 million) in starting grants to 478 researchers, representing 25 host countries across Europe and 51 nationalities. Germany was the most successful host country, with 99 awardees based in the country, while the UK came in second with 60.  

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emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com