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Funding callLife sciences · International

ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 (ERC-2027-COG)

The ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 (ERC-2027-COG) provides up to EUR 2,000,000 over 60 months for researchers of any nationality with a PhD defended between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021, with a deadline of 12 January 2027. This guide covers life science research areas consistent with the scheme, eligibility checks, project ideas and points to confirm in the ERC Work Programme.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
12 January 2027
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
European Research Council
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
12 January 2027
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
European Research Council
Country
International
Scheme type
Project grant
Funding
Up to EUR 2,000,000 for 60 months (call budget about EUR 618 million)
Eligibility
Researchers of any nationality with a PhD defended between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021, hosted in an EU Member State or Associated Country, in any field including life sciences.
Scope
Life sciences

Topics consistent with the call

  • Molecular and structural biology of fundamental cellular processes
  • Genetics, genomics and epigenetic regulation of gene expression
  • Neuroscience and the biology of neural circuits
  • Immunology, infection biology and host–pathogen interactions in disease
  • Developmental biology, stem cells and regeneration
  • Ecology, evolution and environmental biology of living systems

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. The PhD was defended between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021, subject to any extensions allowed.
  2. The host institution is in an EU Member State or Associated Country.
  3. The project is ambitious, investigator-driven frontier research led by the applicant.
  4. The applicant’s track record shows emerging independence and a consolidating programme.
  5. A complete, institutionally approved application is submitted before 12 January 2027.

Why This Funding Call Matters

The Consolidator Grant supports researchers at the stage where they are consolidating their own independent team and research programme. ERC funding is awarded on scientific excellence alone, without thematic priorities, giving applicants freedom to pursue high-risk, high-gain questions. For life scientists, a five-year grant of this scale can support a team large enough to tackle ambitious problems and establish a distinctive research direction.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Molecular and cell biology
  • Genetics and genomics
  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Ecology and evolution

Institutions and sectors

  • European universities
  • Public research organisations
  • Independent research institutes
  • University hospitals

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. Ground-breaking research questions that go beyond the current state of the art.
  2. A feasible methodology that justifies the high-risk, high-gain nature of the project.
  3. Evidence that the applicant has the independence and creativity to lead the work.
  4. A coherent project that could open new directions in the field.

Ideas You Could Develop

Organelle communicationA project mapping contact sites between organelles and their role in metabolic adaptation using advanced imaging.
Neural circuits of decision-makingA project combining recording and perturbation methods to define circuits underlying flexible behaviour.
Evolution of immune diversityA project examining how immune gene diversity evolves in natural populations under pathogen pressure.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 12 January 2027. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 17 Nov 2026

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 1 Dec 2026

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 15 Dec 2026

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 29 Dec 2026

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 7 Jan 2027

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 12 Jan 2027

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The European Research Council is looking for excellent researchers proposing ambitious, investigator-driven frontier research, with scientific excellence as the sole evaluation criterion. Consolidator Grant applicants are expected to show a record of achievement appropriate to their career stage and a project with the potential for significant advances. Applicants should confirm eligibility windows, extensions, host requirements and proposal structure in the official ERC Work Programme and guidance.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 12 January 2027. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

The standard eligibility window covers PhDs defended between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021, though extensions may apply for certain circumstances such as parental leave. Applicants should confirm their eligibility in the official ERC Work Programme.

Researchers of any nationality with a PhD defended between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021, hosted in an EU Member State or Associated Country, in any field including life sciences. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. European Research Council. (2026). ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 (ERC-2027-COG). Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/consolidator-grant

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 (ERC-2027-COG). Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/erc-consolidator-grant-2027-erc-2027-cog/

  • ERC
  • Consolidator Grant
  • Horizon Europe
  • Frontier research
  • Life sciences

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ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 (ERC-2027-COG)Next deadline 12 January 2027

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