The European Research Council (ERC) plays a critical role in scientific progress by funding investigator-driven, “frontier” research across all fields, based solely on scientific excellence. By providing long-term grants for high-risk/high-gain projects, it encourages pioneering, bottom-up research, supporting scientists of any nationality to advance knowledge in Europe.

“The ERC’s mission is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support investigator-driven frontier research that can lead to breakthroughs across all fields of science.”

The ERC Synergy programme is a flagship initiative aimed at pushing the frontiers of science in Europe by enabling small teams of outstanding researchers to collaborate on research problems that are too ambitious for individual investigators to tackle alone. Synergy Grants bring together two to four Principal Investigators with complementary expertise, resources, and methods to address complex and transformative questions spanning disciplines, from fundamental physics to life sciences, environmental studies, and beyond.

Role and Impact of the ERC Synergy Programme

1. Fostering Collaborative Excellence
Unlike traditional grants awarded to single researchers, Synergy Grants are specifically designed to support team-based, interdisciplinary research, where the combined scientific insight of multiple investigators can produce breakthroughs unreachable by any one lab alone. This structure helps cross‑fertilize fields and generate new, productive lines of scientific inquiry.

2. Addressing Grand Challenges
The programme funds projects tackling some of the most difficult scientific questions, such as understanding fundamental biological processes, probing early universe physics, or creating technologies to improve health and sustainability. For example, in the latest 2025 call, 66 teams involving 239 researchers received funding (over €680 million) for projects ranging from genetic disease research to crowd dynamics and ecosystem adaptation, many with international collaborators beyond Europe.

3. Enabling Global and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Synergy Grants encourage international cooperation: a significant proportion of funded projects include researchers outside Europe, bringing world‑class expertise and infrastructure into the European research ecosystem and strengthening Europe’s global scientific leadership.

4. Generating Transformative Outcomes
By supporting high‑risk, high‑reward research, the Synergy programme helps produce innovative tools, methods, and insights that can set new benchmarks for scientific progress. Examples include multi‑disciplinary teams developing sustainable chemical technologies with computational chemistry and AI, or interdisciplinary collaborations in neuroscience and learning sciences.

Here’s a concise ERC Synergy Programme Q&A table summarizing key points:

Question	Answer
What is the ERC Synergy Programme?	A funding initiative by the European Research Council supporting 2–4 Principal Investigators to tackle ambitious, high-risk research problems collaboratively.
Who can apply?	Established Principal Investigators with complementary expertise; teams can include researchers from Europe and beyond.
Which fields are eligible?	All scientific disciplines: life sciences, physics, chemistry, engineering, social sciences, and interdisciplinary projects.
What types of projects are funded?	Frontier research that is too complex for a single PI, aiming for transformative breakthroughs.
Grant size and duration?	Up to €14 million over 6 years, with up to an additional €4 million for exceptional project needs.
Are international researchers allowed?	Yes, as long as the project is hosted at a European research institution.
How does it promote excellence?	Encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, high-risk/high-reward research, and innovative approaches to complex scientific questions.
Examples of funded projects	Neuroscience + AI to study brain learning; sustainable chemistry using AI and spectroscopy; multimodal cancer imaging with cold plasma therapy.
Impact on Europe’s research landscape	Strengthens Europe’s global scientific leadership, fosters collaboration, and accelerates high-impact innovation.
Key advantage	Enables ambitious, visionary research that individual labs cannot achieve alone, pushing the frontiers of knowledge.

Conclusion

The ERC Synergy programme plays a pivotal role in advancing science in Europe by enabling collaborative excellence, encouraging interdisciplinary innovation, and elevating European research to the global stage. By funding visionary research that demands combined expertise and diverse perspectives, Synergy Grants help catalyse discoveries that expand the frontiers of knowledge and address some of the most pressing scientific challenges of our time.