ERC Starting grants 2026: €705 million for 421 winners; Germany hosts the most award-winning projects

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded 421 early-career researchers Starting Grants.

The ERC announced on 03/09/2026 the names of the 421 winners who will receive a total of €705 million. These grants, which average €1.5m over five years, support cutting-edge research across a broad range of disciplines. They enable early-career researchers to launch their own projects, build research teams and pursue their most promising ideas.

Despite a record total of 4,807 project submissions (up 22% from last year’s call of 3,928), the success rate in 2026 stood at 8.8% (12.2% in 2025). This year, the ERC will award €56m less than in 2025, with 57 fewer successful applicants.

Twenty-one researchers based outside Europe, including 20 in the US, won ERC Starting Grants this year, representing 5…