What is an ERC Starting Grant?
The European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC StG) supports outstanding early-career principal investigators who are ready to establish their independence and develop their own research team or programme.
The grant enables researchers to pursue ambitious, investigator-driven research projects across all areas of science and engineering. ERC funding is based solely on excellence and offers the freedom, flexibility and scope to develop high-impact research.
At The University of Manchester, ERC Starting Grant holders join a vibrant research environment with access to leading facilities, interdisciplinary expertise and tailored proposal development support.
Key information
Status: Currently closed.
Next call: Likely to be October 2026.
Eligibility:
- From 2027, applicants may apply immediately after successfully defending their PhD and at any time within the following ten-year period
- Applicants must not have previously held an ERC Starting Grant
Funding:
- Up to €1.5 million for 5 years
- An additional up to €1 million may be requested where justified (e.g. start-up costs, major equipment, access to large facilities, major experimental or fieldwork costs)
- For Principal Investigators relocating from a non-associated third country to the EU or an Associated Country, additional funding of up to €2 million may be available.
Before you apply: We strongly encourage prospective applicants to contact us well ahead of the funder’s deadline. Early conversations can:
- Confirm eligibility and readiness for the scheme
- Identify a suitable host department and academic support
- Ensure alignment with Faculty and departmental research priorities.
Benefits of the ERC Starting Grant
The ERC Starting Grant provides substantial and flexible funding to enable early-career researchers to establish independence and pursue ambitious research ideas.
At Manchester, we support researchers at all career stages and are committed to fostering inclusive, supportive and internationally competitive research environments.
As an ERC Starting Grant holder at Manchester, you’ll benefit from:
- Freedom to pursue investigator-driven, original research
- Resources to establish an independent research programme or team
- Access to leading facilities and interdisciplinary expertise
- Tailored support for proposal development, interviews and grant management
- A collaborative research culture across science and engineering.
Manchester also supports researchers at all career stages, ensuring equality of opportunity and providing advice on funding applications and support for childcare or other responsibilities.
Application process
Confirm that you meet the ERC Starting Grant eligibility criteria before preparing an application.
To apply:
- You must meet the ERC career-stage requirements (including changes effective from 2027)
- Demonstrate excellent research potential and readiness for independence
- Propose an ambitious, original research project
- Meet ERC time-commitment and location requirements.
- Applicants must not have previously held an ERC Starting Grant
- 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).
We invite expressions of interest from researchers wishing to apply for an ERC Starting Grant within the Faculty of Science & Engineering.
You must contact a department well in advance of the ERC deadline to discuss your proposal and confirm support.
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 engagement, you should be prepared to discuss:
- Your research vision and long-term plans
- Your readiness to establish independence
- Alignment with departmental research priorities.
You may be asked to provide:
- A CV
- A summary of 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
- Justification for any additional funding requested.
Further details about the programme and eligibility are available via ERC Starting Grant web page.
Please note that Manchester’s internal review and support processes may require materials well in advance of the ERC deadline.
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
“The strong support provided by the ERC Starting Grant allowed me to build a team spanning interrelated research areas which require different interdisciplinary techniques; and, more importantly, the grant provides the time and space for the group to develop new ideas and high-risk, high-reward advancement.”
Dr Conrad Goodwin / The University of Manchester
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.
Eligibility criteria vary between funding schemes. Most require a strong academic track record commensurate to your career stage and circumstances. Check the scheme's criteria.
Further questions? Contact us
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.