What is an ERC Consolidator Grant?
The European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant supports outstanding mid-career researchers who are ready to consolidate their research independence and strengthen their leadership by establishing or expanding a research team capable of delivering ambitious, original research.
The grant enables investigators to pursue high-risk, high-gain ambitious research projects across all areas of science and engineering. ERC funding is investigator-driven and supports excellence as the sole evaluation criterion.
At The University of Manchester, ERC Consolidator Grant holders join a vibrant, internationally recognised research environment with access to world-leading facilities, expertise and professional support.
Key information
Status: Currently closed. Next deadline expected January 2026.
Next call: The ERC runs annual calls for proposals across all scientific fields.
Eligibility:
- Only hold one ERC Consolidator Grant in a lifetime
- Spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country
- Spend a minimum of 40% of their working time on the ERC project
- From 2027, applicants may apply for consolidator grants between 5 and 15 years after defending their PhD.
Funding:
- Up to €2 million
- Up to 5 years duration.
Before you apply: Early discussion is particularly important for ERC applications due to their scale, competitiveness and internal support requirements. To help you develop a competitive proposal, we encourage prospective applicants to contact us well ahead of the funder’s deadline. Early conversations can:
- Confirm eligibility and suitability for the scheme
- Identify potential academic sponsors
- Ensure alignment with Faculty and departmental research priorities.
Benefits of the ERC Consolidator Grant
The ERC Consolidator Grant provides substantial, flexible funding to enable researchers to realise ambitious and transformative research ideas.
At Manchester, we support researchers at all career stages and are committed to fostering inclusive, internationally competitive research environments.
As a grant holder at Manchester, you’ll benefit from:
- Freedom to pursue investigator-driven frontier research
- Resources to establish or expand an independent research team
- Access to world-leading facilities and technical expertise
- Tailored support for proposal development and grant management
- A collaborative research culture across science and engineering.
Application process
Confirm that you meet the ERC Consolidator Grant eligibility criteria before preparing an application.
To apply, you must:
- Be within 5–15 years of PhD defence (from 2027)
- Demonstrate research independence and an excellent track record
- Propose an ambitious frontier research project
- Meet ERC time-commitment and location requirements
- You must not be under resubmisson restrictions (that is, having received a score C at step 1 in either of the past 2 years, or a score B in the previous year).
You must contact a department well in advance of the funder deadline to confirm support and understand any internal requirements.
Some departments and institutes operate additional internal processes or provide tailored support for applicants. These arrangements may affect how and when you apply and, in some cases, require an Expression of Interest (EOI) or internal selection before submission to the funder.
Contact:
- For advice on departmental fit and internal processes, contact a potential supervisor in the first instance by searching Research Explorer.
If, after carefully reviewing Research Explorer, you are unable to identify a suitable supervisor whose expertise aligns with your proposal, you may contact the Department\’s Head of Research for further guidance. - For all other queries, including application development support, please contact the FSE Research Development and Innovation team.
As part of this initial engagement, you should be prepared to discuss:
- Your research vision and long-term programme
- Your readiness to consolidate independence
- Alignment with departmental research priorities.
You may be asked to provide:
- A CV
- A summary of your research achievements
- A brief outline of your proposed ERC project.
Once departmental support is confirmed, you can prepare your application for submission.
Applications are submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.
A typical application includes:
- An extended scientific proposal
- CV and track record
- Host institution commitment statement.
Please note that Manchester’s internal review and support processes may require materials well in advance of the ERC deadline.
Further details about the scheme are available via ERC Consolidator Grant: Funding for Emerging Research Leaders.
After submission, applications are assessed by the ERC through a two-stage evaluation process.
This typically includes:
- Panel-based peer review
- Interviews for shortlisted candidates.
Final funding decisions are made by the ERC. Successful applicants will then agree start dates and arrangements with their host institution.
What our award holders say
“I was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant to develop new methods for imaging solid–liquid interfaces at the atomic scale, which is important for the development of new clean energy technologies. I work at The University of Manchester’s Department of Materials, benefiting from access to the Faculty’s world-leading transmission electron microscopy facilities.”
Professor Sarah Haigh / Professor of Materials, Materials Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Search Research Explorer to identify a potential supervisor whose expertise aligns with your proposed project, then contact them directly to discuss your application.
Prospective applicants receive support identifying an academic sponsor, refining their research proposal and navigating internal review. You’ll also have access to guidance on developing a competitive application, feedback from senior academics, and information about facilities and research groups you can incorporate into your proposal.
For guidance on eligibility, departmental processes, or preparing your application, contact your prospective supervisor or the department’s Head of Research. If you are unsure who to contact, the Fellowship Development team at The University of Manchester can direct your enquiry to the appropriate department.
Further questions? Get in touch
Grant scheme questions
- For questions about ERC processes or eligibility, contact:
Manchester-specific queries
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Departmental fit and internal processes
- For advice on departmental fit and internal requirements, contact a potential supervisor in the first instance by searching Research Explorer. If, after carefully reviewing Research Explorer, you are unable to identify a suitable supervisor whose expertise aligns with your proposal, you may contact the Department’s Head of Research for further guidance.
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Application development and other Faculty queries
- For all other queries, including application development support, please contact the FSE Research Development and Innovation team.