Bold truth: Europe is investing heavily to attract the world’s best researchers, and the ERC’s latest Consolidator Grants proof that this ambition is real. The European Research Council has named 349 mid-career researchers as recipients of these grants, totaling €728 million to fund frontier science across disciplines.
Ekaterina Zaharieva, the European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, congratulated the winners and emphasized that the substantial budget underscores the EU’s commitment to making the continent a magnet for top scientific talent.
Maria Leptin, President of the ERC, described the scene as both inspiring and consequential. She noted that Europe’s ability to nurture bold, world-class ideas could spark new industries, improve lives, and reinforce Europe’s standing globally. Yet she also warned that competition remains fierce: demand outpaced funding, leaving many excellent proposals unfunded and highlighting the urgent need for sustained EU investment in frontier research.
What these grants support
The funded Consolidator Grants empower researchers to pursue their own innovative ideas across a wide array of fields. Examples include: a Slovenian chemist developing powered protein motors; a Netherlands-based researcher at the biology-chemistry interface applying quantum sensing to detect sepsis at an early stage; a Spanish materials scientist designing nanoparticles to target tumor cells; an Italian psychotherapist creating an algorithm to tailor mental health interventions for children; and a Polish historian examining the late Roman Empire’s decline in its provinces.
For more details and project examples, see the ERC’s project highlights linked here: https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/consolidator-grants-2025-examples-projects
Facts and figures
Grantees will conduct their work at universities and research centers across 25 countries, with the United Kingdom (65 grants), Germany (58), the Netherlands (40), and Spain (26) among the top destinations. The cohort includes researchers from 44 nationalities, with the largest groups hailing from Germany (48), Italy (37), and the United Kingdom (33). Women represent about 38% of the recipients, a share that has stayed steady in recent years.
This call drew 3,121 applications, marking a 35% rise from the previous round.
About the ERC
Established by the European Union in 2007, the ERC funds outstanding frontier research across Europe, supporting researchers of any nationality and age. It offers four main grant schemes—Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants, and Synergy Grants—plus the Proof of Concept grant to help translate research into early-stage commercialization. The ERC operates under a Scientific Council, led by President Maria Leptin since 2021. The Horizon Europe program, with a total ERC budget exceeding €16 billion for 2021–2027, oversees these efforts, under the aegis of the European Commission's research portfolio managed by Ekaterina Zaharieva.
