Estonia weighs extra support as ERC grant competition tightens

Estonia is considering additional support for researchers who miss out on European Research Council grants as applications surge and planned funding falls, ERR reports.

The European Research Council received 7,710 applications for its Starting Grant call, which closed in October, 60% more than a year earlier. Meanwhile, the planned budget fell from 705 million euros to 594 million euros. Under the current plan, about 373 grants could be awarded next summer, down from 421 in the previous round.

At that level, only about one in 20 applicants would receive a grant. Starting Grants generally provide up to 1.5 million euros over five years to help researchers begin independent work or establish a research group.

The eligibility rules also expanded for the 2027 call. Previously, researchers could apply from two to seven years after defending their doctoral thesis. They can now apply immediately after the defence and for up to 10 years afterwards.

Kristiina Tõnnisson, head of the Estonian Research Council, said the low success rate raises questions about whether the time and money spent preparing applications are worthwhile. She noted, however, that the budget is preliminary and the final amount could increase after an assessment.

Tõnnisson said Estonian researchers have performed well in securing top grants relative to the country’s small population. Across all European Research Council grant types, their success rate during the current Horizon Europe research programme has been about 7%. Estonia currently has 17 active projects funded by the council. She encouraged researchers to keep applying and consider other European funding opportunities.

Mari Moora, the University of Tartu’s vice rector for research and a former member of an ERC evaluation panel, also urged researchers with strong ideas to apply. She said the increased number of applications had not brought a rise in their average scientific quality.

Moora said she had to read many more applications in the latest Starting Grant evaluation round and believed a large share may have been written using artificial intelligence. She estimated that 60% of the text was AI-generated, describing it as uninteresting, low-quality and lacking original ideas.

The parties are discussing a plan to support more researchers who do not receive top grants.