ERC-PT A-Projects

Encouragement to improve the conditions for a future application to the ERC, by funding the initial development of research projects already evaluated with the top classifications not selected for funding by the ERC.

In addition to ERC-PT A Projects, the ERC-Portugal program includes two other axes: the ERC-PT Pre-assessment and ERC PT - Careers.

Objectives and Scope

Every year, the European Research Council (ERC) launches funding opportunities for researchers with highly demanding and rigorous evaluation and selection processes. Many applications are considered to be of high scientific quality and are recommended for funding, but fail to receive it due to the budget allocated to the Call being exhausted. In this context, there are proposals with an "A-Reserve List" rating that are not subsequently selected for funding, or "A-Beyond Budget" proposals.

This funding is intended as an incentive for SNCT institutions, and their researchers, to enable applications submitted to the ERC that have obtained an 'A' rating after the last evaluation phase, and have been recommended for funding, but ended up not being funded.

The program will foster the development of the innovation ecosystem, with a focus on supporting basic research, promoting knowledge transfer or strengthening cross-sector collaboration. The ERC-PT A-Projects Program will contribute to the goal of raising and consolidating the level of excellence of research carried out in Portugal, while at the same time promoting the training of innovative lines of research and their responsible researchers.

The ERC-PT A-Projects Program falls under the resilience dimension of the PRR, and in particular the "RE-C06-i06 - Science Plus Capacity Building" component, helping to modernize and deepen the production and transfer of knowledge in all its various cycles.

Characterization of financing

ERC-PT A-Projects will act as a support instrument for researchers and their research institutions whose ERC applications, in the Starting, Consolidator, Advanced or Synergy typologies, have obtained an 'A' rating after the last evaluation phase, but have been left without funding.

According to the types of applications submitted to the ERC, the funding to be allocated will be as follows:

Starting, Consolidator or Advanced typologies: funding will correspond to an incentive of 250,000 euros.
Type Synergy:
1. Applications with 1 Principal Investigator affiliated to an SNCT institution: funding will result from the application of the formula '150.000€ + f.100.000€', where f corresponds to the percentage to be received by the PI of the total budget submitted in the ERC application rated 'A'.
2. Applications with more than 1 Principal Investigator affiliated to an SNCT institution: the funding formula to be awarded to each of the PI's will be '150.000€/x + f.100.000€', where x corresponds to the number of PI's involved in the application, with f corresponding to the percentage to be received by each PI from the total budget submitted in the ERC application assessed with an 'A' rating.

Final beneficiaries

They are the final beneficiaries:

R&D units with legal personality.
In the case of R&D Units without legal personality, applications must be submitted by the institution with legal personality in which they are integrated and by the head of the same institution.

Application Period

The period for submitting applications to this Call is from September 26, 2024, until 5 p.m. Lisbon time on December 31, 2025 or until the program's maximum allocation is completed, whichever comes first. Monthly eligibility checks are carried out on the applications submitted.

In the event that the maximum allocation is completed in one of the monthly application selection periods, funding will be awarded using the criterion of the date of submission.