ERC-PT extended to the ERC Plus call for proposals

The ERC-PT , an FCT service designed to support national applications to Calls European Research Council (ERC) Calls , will now be extended to the ERC Plus call, the ERC’s new funding category.

Researchers wishing to submit proposals to ERC Plus with a national host institution can benefit from the support of this FCT service starting with the first call, regardless of whether they are currently affiliated with a Portuguese institution. The ERC-PT is conducted by an Annual Panel of Evaluators covering the ERC’s 28 panels and scientific fields. This panel consists exclusively of former panel members with experience across multiple rounds.

ERC Plus was introduced in the ERC’s 2026 Call for Proposals and is aimed at researchers at any stage of their career and of any nationality, funding individual projects that, due to their scale and scientific ambition, do not fit into the ERC’s traditional categories —7 million euros over 7 years. More information about this call can be obtained by watching the webinar “The new ERC Plus Grants”, recently organized by the ERC.

The extension of ERC-PT to ERC Plus retains the Step 1 and Step 2 procedures, with Step 2 including the submission of three non-consensus reports, as well as up to three online meetings with the members of the Panel. The deadline for submitting ERC Plus proposals to the ERC-PT is June 12, with reports subsequently sent to applicants by July 17.

Please note that the deadline for submitting proposals for the ERC Advanced Grant 2026 is June 1.

The ERC-PT is one of ERC-Portugal’s national tools designed to help increase the participation and competitiveness of Portuguese proposals submitted to the ERC. It has already supported the national scientific community by producing 318 reports and facilitating 71 online meetings between applicants and College Members, which currently consists of 82 members covering all 28 ERC panels.