ERC WP 2027: Changes to eligibility rules
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced substantial changes to its eligibility and application rules for the 2027 Work Programme. The new rules apply to all five main funding schemes — Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant, Synergy Grant, and ERC Plus — and aim to ease the growing pressure on an evaluation system overwhelmed by rising application numbers. The calls are expected to open between July 2026 (ERC StG 2027) and June 2027.
Starting Grant and Consolidator Grant: Revised eligibility windows
The 2027 Work Programme introduces new PhD-based eligibility windows for the two career-stage grants:
ERC Starting Grant 2027: PhD awarded no more than 10 years before 1 January 2027.
ERC Consolidator Grant 2027: PhD awarded 5 to 15 years before 1 January 2027.
Eligibility windows may still be extended in documented cases (e.g. parental leave, clinical training). In addition, a new lifetime rule applies: researchers may hold only one Starting Grant and one Consolidator Grant during their career. Reapplications to the same scheme after holding the grant are no longer allowed.
These adjustments reflect the ERC’s acknowledgment that career trajectories vary widely across disciplines and countries.
New Application Restrictions Across ERC Grants
For the 2027 calls, the following rules apply (unless stated otherwise):
- Only one proposal under evaluation at a time (Proof of Concept excluded)
- One submission per 2027 Work Programme
(a second submission is allowed only if the first is declared ineligible) - PIs who applied for an Advanced Grant or ERC Plus in 2026 may not apply for a Synergy Grant 2027
- For Synergy Grants, if one PI is ineligible, the entire proposal becomes ineligible
(previously, the group could continue without that PI)
New resubmission restrictions for ERC Synergy Grants
To deal with the sharp increase in application numbers, the ERC initially announced that they will introduce stricter resubmission rules for the 2027 calls. Following backlash from the research community, it was decided to only implement more restrictions for the ERC Synergy call.
For ERC Synergy, researchers cannot applyto the 2027 call if they:
- Recieved a C score at Step 1 in any 2025 or 2026 Synergy or main grant calls
- Recieved a B score at Step 1 in the 2026 Synergy or main grant calls
Recommendation for Applicants
Given the possibility of additional restrictions in future calls, submitting a weak or premature proposal in 2027 could cost applicants multiple funding cycles. Applicants are therefore strongly advised not to rush their submission, but to apply only once the project is fully developed and clearly aligned with the chosen funding scheme and evaluation criteria.