European Research Council announces new Call typology Call new eligibility windows for 2026-2027

The European Research Council (ERC) recently announced significant updates to its 2026 and 2027 Work Programs, highlighting the launch of a new type of Call : ERC Plus. Previously referred to as"Super Grants"and part of the European Commission's "Choose Europe for Science"initiative, they aim to offer substantial funding to researchers for a period of up to seven years, with a maximum amount of €7 million, reinforcing Europe's attractiveness as a global destination for science excellence. The operational details and modalities of this new funding scheme will be presented to the community in a dedicated webinar, scheduled for next Friday, November 28, between 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (Mainland Portugal), in live streaming format.

For the 2027 Work Program, the ERC will implement a structural reform of the eligibility windows, seeking to better accommodate the diversity of current academic trajectories and the specificities of the various scientific areas. In this future Work Program and for the respective Calls will take place in the second half of 2026, researchers will be eligible for a Starting Grant immediately after defending their PhD, with eligibility extending up to ten years after the degree (0-10 years). Consequently, the window for Consolidator Grants will be adjusted to cover the period between five and 15 years after the PhD (5-15 years). More details on these measures will be presented in the second quarter of 2026.

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) will continue to support the national scientific community in preparing competitive applications for these new instruments through the ERC-Portugal program and its core programs, which are fundamental for increasing participation levels and enhancing national success in thisbottom-up research funding program for frontier research without thematic preconditions.