The ERC Advanced Grants (AdG) funding line is aimed at established leading scientists, regardless of nationality, who have an outstanding scientific track record and wish to explore new areas of research. The ten years preceding the application are relevant for the scientific performance evaluation.
As a basis for the evaluation, the ERC takes the applicant’s publications as first author in leading international journals, monographs, patents, presentations at international conferences, research expeditions, the organization of international conferences as well as national and international science awards and academy memberships into account. The weight of these within the evaluation depend on the specific research domain. The exact requirements are explained in the respective call’s Guide for Applicants.
Funding can be applied for up to five years and awarded up to a maximum budget of 2.5 million euro. An additional budget up to 1 million euro can be requested to cover eligible "start-up" costs for researchers moving to the EU or to an associated country from a third country, for example for the purchase of larger equipment, to gain access to large-scale facilities or for major costs for experiments and field research. The ERC Grant can cover 100% of the project’s total eligible direct costs as well as an overhead contribution of a flat 25percent of the total eligible direct costs.
While conducting an Advanced Grant project, researchers must spend at least 30 percent of their working time on the ERC project and at least 50 percent of their working time within the EU or Associated States. This must be proven at a later time.
As of 2024, Advanced Grants are funded via lump sums. Planning and implementation of the projects remain unaffected. Further information on lump sum funding can be found here NCP ERC Project Management “Changes to Advanced Grants - Lump Sum Pilot”
Further application requirements can be found here.
Results of past calls
Information on past calls listed by funding line, year, domain and country can be found on the ERC page.
All results of Advanced Grant calls since 2007 are briefly summarised here. The compositions of the review panels can be found on our documents page.
Horizon Europe
Advanced Grant 2024 (seventeenth Call)
- Submitted 2.534 proposals (38.8 percent more then Call 2023)
- Number of applications, selected by discipline
- Physical Sciences and Engineering: 1.068
- Life sciences: 730
- Social Science and Humanities: 736
- Women submitted 590 proposals (23.3 percent)
- Press release (2. September 2024)
Advanced Grant 2023 (sixteenth Call)
- Submitted 1.829 applications (255 funded = 13,9 percent)
- Number of applications submitted and (fundes), selcted by discipline:
Physical Sciences and Engineering: 787 (107)
Life Sciences: 517 (75)
Social Sciences and Humanities: 525 (73) - Proportion of women: 24,6 percent
- Budget 597 Millionen Euro for 255 Grants.
- Press release (30. May 2023)
- Press release (11 April 2024)
- Statistics (11.April 2024)
Advanced Grant 2022 (fifteenth Call)
- Submitted 1.647 applications (218 funded)
- Number of applications (submitted) and funded, selected by discipline:
Physical Sciences and Engineering: 716
Life Sciences: 460
Social Sciences and Humanities: 471 - Proportion of women: 23 percent of appliction
- Budget 597 million Euro for 255 Grants.
- Press release (2. May 2022)
- Examples of projects
- Press release (30. March 2023)
Advanced Grants 2021 (fourteenth Call)
- Submitted: 1,735 applications (35% less than in the previous call)
- Number of applications (submitted) and funded, selected by discipline:
- Physical Sciences and Engineering: 764
Life Sciences: 499
Social Sciences and Humanities: 472 - funding rate: 8 percent.
- Proportion of women: 20.8 percent of all applications, (1.5 percent less than in the previous call)
- Budget 626 million euro
- Statistics (3. September 2021)
Horizon 2020
Advanced Grants 2020 (thirteenth Call)
- Submitted: 2,678 applications, 209 projects are funded.
- Number of applications (submitted) and funded, selected by discipline:
Physical Sciences and Engineering: (1.175) 92
Life Sciences: (757) 55
Social Sciences and Humanities: (634) 77 - funding rate: 8 percent
- Female applicants submitted 597 proposals (22%) - an increase of 19% over the previous call.
- 40 grants went to German host institutions
- Budget: 507 million euro.
Advanced Grants 2019 (twelfth Call)
- Submitted: 1881 applications, 185 projects are funded.
- Number of applications (submitted) and funded, selected by discipline:
Physical Sciences and Engineering: (839) 82
Life Sciences: (542) 55
Social Sciences and Humanities: (500) 48 - funding rate: 9.8 percent.
- Female applicants submitted 19 percent (funded 38 (21 percent)).
- 35 grants went to German host institutions
- Budget: 450 million euro
- List of Funded Projects
- Statistics
- Press release (31. March 2020)
Advanced Grants 2018 (eleventh Call)
Advanced Grants 2017 (tenth Call)
Advanced Grants 2016 (ninth Call)
Advanced Grants 2015 (eighth Call)
Advanced Grants 2014 (seventh Call)
7th Research Framework Programme
Advanced Grants 2013 (sixth Call)
- Submitted: 2.408, 284 projects are funded (12 percent)
- Budget 660 million euro
- The proportion of women was 13% and the average age of Principal Investigators (PI) was 53.
- 41 grants went to German host institutions
- 42 of the PIs held German nationality
- List of funded Projects
- Statistics
- Press Release (26. September 2013)
Advanced Grants 2012 (fifth Call)
- 302 projects are funded (13 percent)
- Budget 680 million euro
- The proportion of women was 15% and the average age of Principal Investigators (PI) was 51.
- 38 grants went to German host institutions
- 46 of the PIs held German nationality
- List of funded Projects
- Statistics
- Press Release (22. January 2013)
Advanced Grants 2011 (fourth Call)
Advanced Grants 2010 (third Call)
- Submitted: 2.009, 266 projects are funded (13 percent)
- Number of applications (submitted) and funded, selected by discipline:
Physical Sciences and Engineering: (902) 123
Life Sciences: (621) 99
Social Sciences and Humanities: (486) 44 - 45 grants went to German host institutions (17 percent)
- 49 of the PIs held German nationality
- List of funded Projects
- Statistics
- Press Release (20. January 2011)
Advanced Grants 2009 (second Call)
- Submitted: 1.584, 236 projects are funded (15 percent)
- Number of applications (submitted), selected by discipline:
Physical Sciences and Engineering: (736)
Life Sciences: (513)
Social Sciences and Humanities: (335) - 31 grants went to German host institutions (17 percent)
- 31 of the PIs held German nationality
- The proportion of women was 15% and the average age of Principal Investigators (PI) was 53.
- List of funded Projects
- Statistics
Advanced Grants 2008 (first call)
- Submitted: 2.167, 282 projects are funded (13 percent)
- The proportion of women was 12% and the average age of Principal Investigators (PI) was 51
- List of funded Projects
- Statistics
