The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the recipients of its 2025 ERC Advanced Grants, awarding €838m to 319 established researchers to support ambitious scientific projects across Europe.
The funding enables leading investigators to pursue high-risk, high-reward research with the potential to transform scientific understanding and drive future innovation.
Funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, the latest ERC Advanced Grants will finance five-year research projects spanning disciplines including medicine, neuroscience, mathematics, quantum physics, and engineering.
Researchers based at universities and research institutions in 24 EU Member States and associated countries will receive support to develop pioneering ideas that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs.
The competition attracted unprecedented interest, with applications rising by 31% compared with the previous year. A total of 3,329 proposals were submitted, with just 319 selected for funding, representing a success rate of 9.6%.
The funded projects are also expected to generate more than 3,000 new research positions across Europe.
Research spans health, mathematics, and quantum science
The newly funded projects cover a broad range of scientific challenges with significant societal relevance.
Researchers will investigate topics including the biological mechanisms behind drug addiction, women’s fertility and health, and the causes of stuttering.
Other projects focus on advancing mathematical models and algorithms for managing increasingly complex large-scale networks, ranging from digital infrastructure and internet systems to transport networks.
Additional research will explore magnets and quantum materials, helping to expand knowledge in areas expected to underpin future technologies.
The successful researchers represent more than 30 nationalities. Germany accounts for the largest number of grant recipients with 52 awardees, followed by the United Kingdom with 45 and Italy with 29.
Europe attracts growing international research talent
The 2025 competition also highlights Europe’s increasing appeal as a destination for global scientific talent.
Thirteen successful applicants are currently based outside Europe, including nine researchers from the United States, two from Australia, and two from Canada.
This represents 4% of this year’s winners, compared with just four researchers in the previous competition.
The increase coincides with the EU’s “Choose Europe for Science” initiative, which offers relocating researchers up to €2m in additional funding to establish laboratories or research teams within Europe.
Seven of this year’s successful applicants from outside Europe benefited from the enhanced relocation support.
Interest from overseas researchers also rose sharply, with applications from outside Europe increasing from 44 in 2024 to 164 in 2025, reflecting growing confidence in Europe’s research ecosystem.
Commenting on the Advanced Grants, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, added: “My congratulations to all the 319 new ERC Advanced Grant winners and a warm welcome to the researchers from Australia, Canada, and the United States who have chosen Europe to carry out their research.
“These projects embody the spirit of scientific exploration that drives progress. The increase in applications from researchers based outside Europe shows that initiatives such as ‘Choose Europe’, aimed at attracting and keeping talent, are helping to reinforce Europe’s appeal to top scientific talent worldwide.”
Next funding round already open
The successful applicants will now begin their five-year research programmes, advancing projects designed to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge and technological innovation.
Researchers interested in the next round of ERC Advanced Grants can already apply, with the 2026 competition now open. The deadline for applications is 27 August 2026.
