Hello all !

 

Please find below some current news on the ERC funding. Should you need any further information, please feel free to contact me.

 

Renewed ERC Eligibility Windows for Starting and Consolidator Grants

The ERC Work Programme 2027 will introduce significant changes to the eligibility windows of the Starting and Consolidator Grants. In the future, researchers may apply for the Starting Grant immediately after completing their PhD and up to 10 years after the defence, and for the Consolidator Grant 5–15 years after the defence. These changes enable researchers to begin preparing ERC applications earlier and give them more flexibility to choose the funding scheme that best matches their career stage.

Other ERC funding schemes (Advanced, Plus, and Synergy) do not include eligibility windows based on academic age. If you have not applied for ERC funding before – especially if you have obtained your PhD recently – we recommend joining our ERC Accelerator Programme.

 

Preliminary deadlines for the calls opening in 2026

(PI should have already shown evidence of the potential for research independence, for example by having produced at least one important publication as main author or without the participation of their PhD supervisor )

 

More information on the ERC funding schemes: https://erc.europa.eu/homepage

 

ERC support at the university of Oulu

Creating a high-quality ERC application takes time, and we encourage you to start preparing it at least six months before the call deadline. The University of Oulu’s comprehensive ERC support process includes monthly meetings with research funding specialists, access to graphic design support, internal review and commenting, assessments by ERC consultants, and ERC online trainings. 

Register for our ERC support process.

ERC in Patio

 

 

ERC TRAINING & EVENTS IN SPRING 2026

 

ERC Accelerator Programme 2026

The programme is designed to inspire and support early-career researchers in developing innovative research concepts suitable for ERC calls, but it is also open to more advanced researchers who have not yet applied for ERC funding.

24.2.2026 at 13:00 – 16:00 Session 1 – Let’s Get Started:  Participants will learn about ERC grants, watch inspiring ERC grantee videos, and engage in warm-up exercises and creativity-boosting activities.

10.3.2026 at 13:00 – 16:00 Session 2 – What Are ERC-Level Ideas?: The session features an inspirational speech by Lotte Jaspers from Yellow Research, who discusses the ambition required for ERC applications and the concept of blue skies research.

24.3.2026 at 13:00 – 16:00 Session 3-  Working on Your Idea/Concept: In the final session, participants will work on developing their individual research ideas, whether imaginative or real, into ERC-level application concepts.

 

More information and registration:  https://patio.oulu.fi/en/news/erc-accelerator-programme-2026

 

 

Online ERC Training  13.-14. April 2026 (Zoom)

The experienced ERC consultancy company Yellow Research will provide a two-part online training for the University of Oulu on 13–14 April 2026 (9:30–12:00), covering how to create a strong ERC grant application.

The training provides a roadmap to submission, tackling stumbling blocks that you, as Principal Investigator (PI), may have when writing your ERC grant application. The training will focus on creating the right mindset for submitting a proposal, covering the ERC objectives and evaluation criteria, what the panels expect, how to strategically approach the design of the project, and how to generate a convincing argumentation that will allow the reviewers to understand the feasibility of your ambitious research project. The training will guide participants systematically through the different parts of the proposal writing, addressing the critical elements for writing the CV part, part B1 and B2.

 

A recording of the sessions will also be available afterwards. 

Register in Mondo

 

 

Sign up: Successful ERC applications reading day 27.5.2026

The University of Oulu will host a reading event for successful ERC proposals on Wednesday, 27.5.2025. Only a limited number of participants can be admitted to the event. To register for the event, please click here (register for one session only):

Wed 27 May at 9-12: https://events.aka.fi/event/LPad3
Wed 27 May at 13-16: https://events.aka.fi/event/1EqX8

The event is organised in cooperation with the Research Council of Finland and will be held on the Linnanmaa campus.

Please note:
These Proposal Reading Days (PRD) are on-site events, aimed for researchers planning to apply for an ERC grant. PRD is an opportunity to read successful ERC grant proposals to see how a proposal might be formulated. ERC has changed the proposal structure and evaluation starting from the Work Programme 2026 calls (StG 2026 onwards) and the available proposals still follow the old format. However, we believe they still offer interesting reading for those planning to apply. Each PRD contains two 3-hours reading sessions (9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00).

 

Best regards

Päivi

 

Päivi Tomperi

Tutkimusrahoitusasiantuntija |  Research Funding Specialist

Oulun yliopisto | University of Oulu

Tutkimus -ja projektipalvelut | Research and project services

Tel.  +358 294 483972

PO Box 8000, FI-90014 OULUN YLIOPISTO

www.oulu.fi

Oulun yliopisto.

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