Zaharieva says US applications to ERC calls increase fivefold

The European Commission says that applications from non-EU researchers to the latest European Research Council (ERC European Research Council ) calls have doubled, with the number of applicants from the United States increasing fivefold.

Ekaterina Zaharieva Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation @ European Commission
, the European Commissioner for Start-ups and R&I Research & Innovation , speaking in the European Parliament on 04/03/2026, said that the numbers "prove that in times of uncertainty, global researchers are looking to Europe as an anchor. This is our competitive advantage".

Zaharieva was speaking at the annual conference of the EP's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA Panel for the Future of Science and Technology ) on academic freedom.

In May 2025, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, launched the Choose Europe for Science programme with a budget of €500 million for 2025 to 2027, to attract top global researchers. With additional initiatives, total funding has increased to €874m to strengthen the EU’s appeal for scientific talent.

Since then, the European Research Council (ERC) has launched three grant competitions for individual research at different career stages, each with additional funding of €1m for applicants currently based outside the EU and countries that participate in the Horizon Europe programme and who are willing to move to Europe. This new funding is part of the Choose Europe for Science initiative.

The calls include:
• ERC Advanced Grants: 114 researchers based in the US applied, compared to 23 in the previous competition;
• ERC Starting Grants: 169 US-based researchers applied, compared to 116 previously.
• ERC Consolidator Grants: 64 applications from researchers based in the US, compared to 19 last year.