• H2020
• Excellent Science
• European Research Council

The European Research Council (ERC) has published the 2017 Consolidator Grant call, with an expected budget of €575m, worth up to €2m per grant.

Aiming to fund approximately 320 researchers with next year’s call, the ERC has a budget of over €13bn for the years 2014-2020 and is part of the EU research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, for which European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Carlos Moedas is responsible.

Speaking at the European Economic and Social Committee’s plenary assembly, Moedas said: “President Juncker’s top priority is jobs and growth and today, if you think about jobs and growth, you think about innovation in science. There is no way that Europe can get better and create more jobs without innovation in science. That is the only way that you can create better products that companies can sell for better prices and create better-paid jobs.”

ERC Consolidator Grants are awarded to outstanding researchers of any nationality and age, with at least seven and up to 12 years of experience after PhD. They must also have a track record showing great scientific promise.

Research must be conducted in a public or private research organisation located in an EU member states or associated country.

ERC President Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon (pictured) said: “The ERC is very much about giving researchers the opportunity to pursue the most ambitious idea you have, but this does not come out of the blue.”

The submission deadline for the 2017 Consolidator Grant call is 9 February 2017.