About the program
The Consolidator Grant is the ERC’s mid-rung: for PIs 7–12 years past the PhD who have started an independent line and need the resources to consolidate a group around it. The format matches the Starting Grant — single PI, any topic, excellence-only evaluation, two-step panel review with interview — with the bar shifted from promise toward demonstrated independence.
Panels read the CV for evidence that your work has already opened a distinct direction: independent publications, funding, students supervised, invited talks. The project must then be a step change from that trajectory, not its linear continuation — "more of my good work" is the characteristic Consolidator rejection.
Who can apply
- PhD awarded 7–12 years before the call’s reference date (same codified extensions as the Starting Grant).
- Any nationality; European host institution; substantial PI working-time commitment.
- Single PI with a demonstrated independent track record.
Writing a competitive application
- Draw the line between what your group has shown and what only this grant makes possible — the delta is what panels fund.
- Use the budget to justify scale: new methodology, a bigger team, an instrument — something structurally beyond your current means.
- As with all ERC calls, the B1 synopsis and the interview carry disproportionate weight; invest accordingly.