Introduction
The European Research Council (ERC) is a flagship funding body of the European Union, supporting investigator-driven frontier research across all fields. The ERC Synergy Grant scheme is designed to enable a small group of Principal Investigators (PIs) to jointly address ambitious research questions that could not be tackled by individual researchers or by a single institution.

General Description
The ERC Synergy Grant 2026 aims to support collaborative research projects carried out by 2 to 4 Principal Investigators. These projects must demonstrate that the proposed research can only be achieved through the synergy of the group, bringing together complementary skills, knowledge, and resources.

The scheme is open to all scientific disciplines, including life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities. The ERC encourages proposals that cross disciplinary boundaries and pioneer new areas of research.

Projects funded under this call are expected to be high-risk/high-gain, pushing the frontiers of knowledge and potentially leading to major scientific breakthroughs. The duration of the projects is up to 6 years, and the funding can reach up to €10 million, with an additional €4 million available under specific circumstances (e.g., for equipment or access to large facilities).

Objectives

• To promote substantial advances at the frontiers of knowledge.
• To support collaborative, interdisciplinary research.
• To enable transformative research that could not be achieved by individual PIs working alone.
• To strengthen the European research landscape through ambitious and synergistic scientific efforts.

• Proposals must be submitted by 2 to 4 Principal Investigators, with one acting as the corresponding PI.
• PIs can be based in the same or different institutions, and institutions can be located in one or more EU Member States or Associated Countries.
• There are no restrictions on nationality of the PIs.
• PIs must demonstrate scientific excellence, and the synergy between them must be essential to achieve the research goals.
• The host institutions must be capable of supporting the PIs and the proposed research.
• The call text does not specify additional eligibility criteria beyond those outlined in the ERC Work Programme 2026.

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