Estonia considers extra support for researchers as competition for EU research grants surges
Applications to the European Research Council's Starting Grant call rose 60 percent while its budget fell. Estonia's Research Council is weighing wider bridge funding for researchers who narrowly miss out.
The European Research Council (ERC), which awards EU funding for scientific research, received 7,710 applications to its Starting Grant call for early-career researchers. The call closed in October, and applications are up 60 percent on a year earlier. In Estonia, the trend has prompted discussion of extra support for researchers who fail to secure a grant.
More applications, less money
The planned budget for the call has dropped from €705 million to €594 million. The previous round funded 421 projects, while current plans would cover about 373 next summer. A Starting Grant typically provides up to €1.5 million over five years for launching independent research or building a research group. Eligibility was also widened this year: for the 2027 call, researchers could apply right after finishing a doctorate and up to 10 years afterward, rather than two to seven years afterward as before.
Kristiina Tõnnisson, head of the Estonian Research Council (ETAg), said such a low success rate makes researchers question whether preparing applications is worthwhile. She stressed that the budget is preliminary and could still rise. Across all ERC grant categories under Horizon Europe, the success rate has been around 7 percent. Estonia currently has 17 active ERC-funded projects.
The role of artificial intelligence
Mari Moora, vice rector for research at the University of Tartu and a former ERC evaluation panel member, believes artificial intelligence is a major reason for the surge. In her assessment, many applications she reviewed were of poor quality and lacked original ideas, and some cited sources that do not exist. She still urges researchers with strong ideas to apply.
Research funders across Europe are considering options such as fewer expert reviews, AI ranking of applications, or a lottery among similarly strong projects. Moora warns that AI could discriminate against original ideas.
Possible additional support
ETAg already offers bridge funding of up to 18 months to researchers who reach the second stage and receive an A grade but no grant. The agency is considering extending it to B-grade applicants, and is assessing the cost and whether it could come from the state budget or EU structural funds. No decision has been made.
