CSIC ERC Projects
The European Research Council (ERC) calls are the European Union's flagship instrument for fostering and attracting scientific talent, with excellence as the sole evaluation criterion.
The CSIC has participated very actively in the ERC programme since its inception under the IDEAS programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). With more than 150 ERC projects awarded to the CSIC as the host institution, the organisation is Spain's leading institution in the implementation of ERC-funded projects, hosting grants across all five ERC schemes: Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, Synergy and Proof of Concept.
Most CSIC ERC projects are carried out at research centres in the Community of Madrid, followed by Catalonia and the Valencian Community, with a significant presence in Andalusia and Aragon.
In terms of scientific panels, the strongest performance has been in Physical Sciences and Engineering. However, CSIC ERC projects span a wide range of disciplines, including history, archaeology, neuroscience, molecular biology, astronomy, plant physiology, energy technologies, materials science and biomedicine.
Many CSIC ERC projects further develop their research outcomes towards practical applications and market readiness through the successful acquisition of Proof of Concept grants..
DISCOVER ALL OUR PROJECTS IN THE ERC DASHBOARD (Select "Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES)" as the Host Institution.)
CSIC ERC Principal Investigators
The CSIC currently hosts more than 150 Principal Investigators (PIs) leading ERC-funded projects.
The Starting Grant scheme accounts for the largest number of projects, followed by Consolidator Grants, confirming the ERC's fundamental role in attracting outstanding talent and contributing to the renewal of the institution's research staff.
The ERC is also one of the programmes with the greatest diversity of nationalities among Principal Investigators, reflecting the CSIC's strong internationalisation and capacity to attract global talent.
MEET THE CSIC ERC GRANTEES ERC Success Stories.
Why Apply for Your ERC Grant with CSIC?
The Vice-Presidency for International Relations (VRI) designs and implements a range of initiatives to support researchers in participating in ERC calls and to increase the institution's success rate.
The Pro-ERC Programme (2024–2026) brings together numerous measures aimed at fostering an "ERC culture" within the institution. It provides guidance and support to researchers wishing to submit an ERC proposal with the CSIC as their host institution throughout every stage of the application process, while also improving the conditions necessary to genuinely attract and retain ERC researchers.
Between 2020 and 2023, the CSIC operated an annual internal funding scheme that supported the extension of MSCA Individual Fellowships by 18 months, enabling fellows to prepare applications for future ERC calls.
CSIC also provides:
• Financial support for proposal preparation.
• A mentoring programme for Starting Grant (StG) and Consolidator Grant (CoG) applicants.
• Proposal review and budget preparation services.
• Interview preparation sessions.
• Training events and information sessions for each ERC call.
Researchers who choose to carry out their ERC project at CSIC benefit from:
• A high-quality research environment.
• An excellent remuneration framework, including the possibility of salary supplements.
• Institutional commitment to career stabilisation.
• Attractive long-term career development opportunities.
For further information, contact us at programas.europeos@csic.es.
CSIC has also launched initiatives to showcase its ERC-funded projects and communicate their scientific achievements to the wider public. We recommend:
• Women Scientists Tell Their Stories
• ERCcOMICS