The European Research Council (ERC) has launched the Consolidator Grant 2027 call. Researchers of any nationality who defended their doctoral thesis between 5 and 15 years ago are eligible to apply for the grant. The call supports ambitious and pioneering projects in any field of research led by a principal investigator who has already demonstrated scientific autonomy and is now consolidating their research independence whilst establishing or further developing their own independent research team or research programme. The deadline for submitting applications is 12 January 2027.
The ERC does not set thematic priorities; applications may be submitted from all scientific disciplines. Proposals are assessed by international evaluation panels, and according to the ERC’s rules , the sole criterion is excellence—both of the project and its principal investigator.
Researchers of any nationality may apply, provided that between 5 and 15 years have elapsed since the defence of their doctoral thesis. The decisive factor is the documented date of the successful defence, not the date the degree was awarded. For the 2027 call for proposals, this means a defence taking place between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021. The deadline may be extended, for example, due to maternity or parental leave, illness, clinical training or military service. The 2027 work programme has expanded the eligibility windows for Starting and Consolidator grants so that they partially overlap. Applicants who meet the conditions for both calls may submit an application to only one of them.
The research must take place at a host institution based in an EU Member State or in a country associated with the Horizon Europe programme. The principal investigator does not need to be an employee of the host institution at the time of application; however, if the application is successful, a mutual agreement is required.
Up to 2 million euros can be obtained for a project over a five-year period; for shorter projects, the amount is reduced proportionally. If required by the planned work, applicants may request up to a further 1 million euros for justified eligible costs. This may include, for example, the purchase of sophisticated equipment or extensive field research. Principal investigators who are currently based in a non-associated third country and who will relocate to the EU or an associated country to carry out the grant may receive additional funding of up to 2 million euros. The grant covers up to 100 per cent of eligible direct costs and a 25 per cent contribution towards indirect costs. The total budget for the call is 618 million euros; the ERC expects to support approximately 296 projects.
Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders portal (call identifier ERC-2027-COG).
In connection with the institutional approval of project applications at Palacký University, we would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the application must include a Host Institution Letter, which is signed by the Rector on behalf of Palacký University. It is therefore necessary to submit all the documentation required to secure the Rector’s signature on the Host Institution Letter by 5 January 2027 at the latest. Given the short time remaining before the call deadline, we cannot guarantee that the Rector’s signature will be secured in time for the call deadline for any documentation received after this date.
If you are interested in a consultation or support with the preparation and submission of a project application, please contact the staff at the UP Project Service. We will be happy to provide you with both methodological and administrative support.
The ERC portfolio falls within the remit of: Mgr. Ondřej Němčák
ondrej.nemcak@upol.cz
58 563 1441 | 736 501 763
Source: ERC