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ERC Runner-Up Projects – FWO

Description

The ERC Runner-Up Projects programme of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) provides alternative funding for the five highest-ranked ERC Starting Grant and Consolidator Grant proposals from Flanders that were evaluated as excellent but not funded by the European Research Council (ERC) due to budget limitations.

The programme aims to support outstanding researchers whose ERC proposals received a top evaluation score (“A”) after the second stage of the ERC evaluation procedure, allowing them to further develop their research and strengthen a future ERC application. Projects are funded for a limited period and must be hosted by an eligible Flemish research institution.

Funding Amount

The funding depends on the type of ERC grant the proposal was originally submitted for.

  • Starting Grant Runner-Up Project
    • Budget: €77,000 per year
    • Total funding: up to €308,000 for 4 years
  • Consolidator Grant Runner-Up Project
    • Budget: €100,000 per year
    • Total funding: up to €400,000 for 4 years

Funding must support at least one full-time equivalent (FTE) scientific staff member, with the remaining budget used for consumables and/or equipment.

  • Project duration:
    • Minimum 2 years.
    • Maximum 4 years (minimum 2 years)
    • Not renewable.

Submission Deadlines

  • Starting Grant Runner-Up Projects
    • Invitation expected: early October 2025
    • Submission deadline: 6 January 2026 (17:00 CET)
    • Indicative result announcement: after 12 February 2026
    • Indicative project start: 1 March 2026
  • Consolidator Grant Runner-Up Projects
    • Invitation expected: end of January 2026
    • Submission deadline: 31 March 2026 (17:00 CET)
    • Indicative result announcement: after 21 May 2026
    • Indicative project start: 1 July 2026.

Eligible Types of Applicants

Eligible applicants are researchers who applied for an ERC Starting Grant or ERC Consolidator Grant and meet the following criteria:

  • The ERC proposal received an “A” score after step 2 of the ERC evaluation process in the relevant ERC call.
  • The proposal was not funded due to budget limitations.
  • The ERC proposal was submitted with a Flemish main host institution eligible under FWO regulations, or affiliated with the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB).
  • The researcher must hold an eligible academic appointment or research fellowship at the start and throughout the project.

Eligible Countries

  • Belgium (Flanders) must host the project at an eligible Flemish research institution.

Submission Conditions

  • Only candidates invited by FWO after the ERC evaluation results may submit an application.
  • Applicants must submit:
    • The full ERC proposal originally submitted to the ERC.
    • The ERC evaluation summary report.
    • The ERC decision letter from the ERC Executive Agency.
    • A short project description (maximum 3 pages) describing the research to be carried out with FWO funding.
  • Applications must be submitted by email to FWO.
  • The ERC ranking order is followed, meaning the FWO does not conduct an additional peer-review evaluation.
  • The final decision is made by the FWO Board of Trustees.

Expected Outcome

The programme aims to:

  • Support excellent frontier research proposals originating from ERC calls.
  • Enable researchers to further develop their research projects and strengthen a future ERC application.
  • Retain and support high-quality researchers within Flemish research institutions.
  • Maintain Flanders’ competitiveness in European frontier research funding.

Scope

The programme supports research projects based on ERC Starting Grant or Consolidator Grant proposals that were highly ranked but not funded.

Key characteristics include:

  • Projects are derived from the original ERC proposal submitted to the ERC call.
  • The research must be conducted at an eligible Flemish host institution.
  • The funding supports staff, consumables, and equipment necessary to continue the research idea.
  • The aim is to maintain research momentum and prepare a stronger ERC resubmission.

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