Access over EUR 25 billion to push the frontiers of knowledge through Horizon Europe Pillar I

Pillar I takes a bottom-up approach to research funding. Researchers themselves define the topics and directions of their projects, with scientific excellence as the sole criterion for funding. It is structured around three complementary instruments:

The ERC supports top researchers from anywhere in the world working in Europe to push the frontiers of knowledge. There are no predefined research topics. Researchers identify their own questions and directions, ensuring that funding flows to the newest and most promising scientific endeavours.

Key benefits for Luxembourg-based researchers and institutions:

• ERC grants provide long-term financial stability for ambitious, self-defined research projects
• Each ERC grantee builds their own research team, creating employment and knowledge in Luxembourg
• ERC funding raises the international visibility of Luxembourg-based researchers and institutions
• Over 10,000 top researchers have been funded to date, with some 80% of projects leading to scientific breakthroughs or major advances
• ERC grantees have won 15 Nobel Prizes, 7 Fields Medals and 11 Wolf Prizes

The ERC offers grants at different career stages, from early-career researchers (Starting Grants) to established leaders (Advanced Grants), as well as Synergy Grants for small groups of researchers tackling shared challenges.

The  MSCA support researchers from all over the world, with a focus on training, skills development and international mobility, being the European reference program for doctoral education and postdoctoral training.

Key MSCA instruments include:

• Doctoral Networks — funding for joint doctoral programmes between universities, research organisations and companies
• Postdoctoral Fellowships — individual mobility grants for experienced researchers
• Staff Exchanges — short-term international and inter-sectoral secondments
• COFUND — co-funding of regional, national and international doctoral and postdoctoral programmes

The MSCA explicitly foster cooperation between academia and industry, including SMEs. Under Horizon 2020, the MSCA involved over 4,700 companies and nearly 2,200 SMEs, and supported over 65,000 researchers including 25,000 PhD candidates.

Research Infrastructures (RI) are integrated and interconnected pan-European facilities that provide resources and services for research and innovation.

• developing and upgrading excellent pan-European research facilities
• optimising access and use to address major scientific and societal challenges
• supporting the European Open Science Cloud and digital research resources
• enabling trans-national and open access to top scientific tools for researchers and industry

Over 50 pan-European Research infrastructures have been established and upgraded through this policy framework, mobilising close to EUR 20 billion in investment over almost 20 years.

Pillar I instruments are open to:

• Individual researchers at any career stage, from doctoral candidates to senior scientists
• Research organisations, universities and public institutions established in an eligible country
• Companies and SMEs participating in MSCA collaborative programmes
• Consortia of academic and non-academic organisations for MSCA Doctoral Networks and Staff Exchanges

The ERC is open to researchers of any nationality to run projects based in Europe. The MSCA welcome researchers from anywhere in the world and encourage international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility.