The Specific Programme "Ideas" is implemented by the European Research Council (ERC) in order to support frontier research in Europe. ERC grants are awarded through open competition to individual scientists, irrespective of origin or nationality, who are working or moving to work in Europe. The sole criterion for selection is scientific excellence of the project as well as of the researcher.
The ERC's strategies as well as its funding and evaluation standards are under the responsibility of the ERC Scientific Council consisting of 22 high-ranking scientists.
The ERC's funding schemes cover all scientific fields without regard for and across all established disciplinary boundaries. In particular, interdisciplinary or pioneering proposals addressing emerging fields and introducing unconventional approaches are encouraged.
The ERC offers three funding schemes as well as one funding initiative:
- Starting Independent Researcher Grants ("ERC Starting Grants") for promising young scientists
- Advanced Investigator Grants ("ERC Advanced Grants") for established outstanding scientists
- Synergy Grants ("ERC Synergy Grants") for research groups of two to four outstanding researchers and their teams
- ERC Proof of Concept (Coordination and Support Action, CSA) for establishing the innovation potential of ideas arising from their ERC-funded frontier research projects