Pillar 1 - ERC - The European Research Council

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The ERC (European Research Council) funds exploratory research projects at the frontiers of knowledge in all fields of science and technology. The sole selection criterion is scientific excellence.

• I completed my PhD less than 10 years ago* ⇒ ERC StG - Starting Grant
• I completed my PhD 5-15 years ago* ⇒ ERC CoG - Consolidator Grant
• I completed my PhD more than 12 years ago* ⇒ ERC AdG - Advanced Grant
• Post-ERC Commercialization ⇒ ERC PoC (Proof of Concept)

* For ERC StG, CoG, and AdG grant recipients, extension criteria may apply.

Pillar 2 - Global Issues and Industrial Competitiveness

The European Commission issues calls for cluster projects each year on specific themes and provides funding to international and interdisciplinary consortia for 3 to 4 years.

• Cluster 1 – Health
• Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity, and an Inclusive Society
• Cluster 3 – Civil Security for Society
• Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry, and Space
• Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy, and Mobility
• Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment

Other Calls for Proposals for European Collaborative Projects

• “New European Bauhaus” Research and Innovation Program – Cross-cutting (calls currently open): call for innovative solutions to revitalize neighborhoods.
• Pillar 1 – ERC – European Research Council – ERC Synergy Grant: collaborative projects led by two to four researchers, with no restrictions based on their career stage.

Pillar 3 - EIC - Public-Private Partnerships

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• Pathfinder: to explore innovative and risky ideas that could lead to the development of new technologies and, ultimately, to breakthrough innovations.
• Transition: to foster and accelerate the transition from proof of concept to a technology ready for the market.
• Accelerator: to help the most promising startups and SMEs bring radical and disruptive innovations to market.
• European Institute of Innovation and Technology: to integrate research, innovation, and education (the knowledge triangle) in order to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity through Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).

Other European Funds

(non-exhaustive list)

• LIFE Program: supports innovative projects in the fields of the environment and climate.
• Interreg Program: promotes regional development, cohesion, and the reduction of economic disparities among Alpine regions in seven countries (regions of France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, and Slovenia).
• Creative Europe: encourages cooperation and exchanges among cultural organizations and artists in Europe and beyond.
• WIDERA Program: aims to broaden participation and strengthen the European Research Area.
• INFRA-TECH: supports new generations of scientific instruments, tools, and methods, as well as cutting-edge digital solutions.

Erasmus+ program

• Individual Mobility for Education and Training

Individual Mobility (Key Action 1 - KA1):

Contact the International Relations Office: international.strategy [at] ens-lyon.fr

• European Cooperation in Education and Research:

Erasmus+ partnerships enable European institutions to collaborate with one another to improve their practices, develop tools or methods, and build transnational networks.

Setting up an Erasmus+ education and training project

Educational partnerships in higher education:

• Cooperation partnerships in higher education (Key Action 2 - KA2)
• Jean Monnet Actions - teaching and research in the field of European studies

Contact the Call for Proposals Support Office (DAAP): ingenierie.projets [at] ens-lyon.fr

Pillar 1 - Marie Curie Actions

The European “Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions” (MSCA) program is the European Union’s flagship program for researcher mobility, training, and career development. It funds individual and collaborative research, training, and innovation projects through competitive, open-topic, and recurring calls for proposals.

• MSCA PF - Postdoctoral Fellowship: individual grants for researchers of any nationality wishing to conduct a research project as part of an international mobility initiative, in order to acquire new skills and advance their careers.
• MSCA DN - Doctoral Network: a collaborative research and training project bringing together a consortium of institutions to work on a topic intended for international doctoral students.
• MSCA COFUND: co-funding of doctoral and postdoctoral programs.
• MSCA SE - Staff Exchange: exchange of research and innovation staff, promoting international, cross-sectoral (between the academic and non-academic sectors), and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• MSCA Citizens: aims to bring research closer to the general public, raise citizens’ awareness of research and innovation activities, and highlight the role of research in society.

Additional information:

• National contact point for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (in French)
• Networking and matching resource website
• National contact point toolkit (calculation of research experience, self-assessment, etc.) (in French)

Seed funding

Funding for expert reviews, proofreading, and assignments...

• AURA Region: Amorçage Europe, Ambition Internationale (in French)
• ANR ERC Projection: ACCESS ERC (Social Sciences and Humanities), JCJC 2026 Breakthrough for JCJC project awardees
• ANR support for international collaborative projects: MRSEI, Generic call for proposals, SRSEI, MRSEI 2026 Token (FRAL or PRCI awardees)
• Internal call for proposals: ENS Research Fund “Emerging Project” (circulated internally once a year)

Teaching waiver for drafting ERC or Cluster European projects:

Internal call for proposals to support ENS-internal European projects (circulated internally once a year)

Building my resume

• Improving my visibility: creating my ORCID profile (transferring data from HAL)
• Becoming an Expert Evaluator for the European Commission
• Job postings in Europe: Euraxess portal—jobs, mobility, and funding

Getting help preparing my grant application

Within ENS de Lyon:

• Call for Proposals Support Office (DAAP): budget preparation; assistance with drafting non-scientific sections (impact, communication, and dissemination); support for consortium coordination.
  • Contact: ingenierie.projets [at] ens-lyon.fr (ingenierie[dot]projets[at]ens-lyon[dot]fr)
• European Charter for Researchers at ENS de Lyon: HRS4R Label – HR Excellence in Research.
  • Contact: hrs4r [at] ens-lyon.fr
• Bibliothèque Diderot de Lyon: Improving research identifiers / Publishing in Open Access / Managing research data.
  • Contact: services-chercheurs-diderot [at] ens-lyon.fr
• Communications Office: assistance with communication strategies regarding project results, scientific events, etc.
  • Contact: communication [at] ens-lyon.fr
• DUNES—Development of Digital Technologies for Teaching and Knowledge: website development and web hosting; dissemination of scientific works.
  • Contact: intranet page
• Persée: digitization and dissemination of research works.
  • Contact: information [at] persee.fr
• ENS Éditions: publication of books in ENS de Lyon's research fields.
  • Contact: editions [at] ens-lyon.fr

Writing the research proposal

• Develop the project using specific project management tools: FAIR Method (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
  • Gantt Chart
  • Work Packages, Milestones, Deliverables: definitions on page 31
  • Data Management Plan (DMP): a concise, evolving document that helps you organize and plan for all stages of the data lifecycle during your Horizon Europe project.
  • Lump-sum budget structure: flat-rate funding per Work Package, in exchange for the completion of defined activities.
• Various types of support can be requested (contact: ingenierie.projets [at] ens-lyon.fr):
  • Lyon ERC Unit (ERC grantees)
  • Specialized consulting firms
  • Writing workshops
  • PGD/DMP (contact: services-chercheurs-diderot [at] ens-lyon.fr)
  • Use of AI: see Standard Briefing on the Evaluation Procedure (pages 25, 51: “Use of generative AI for proposal preparation”)

Preparing for the oral presentation

• ERC Unit
• ENS mock oral assessments
• CNRS and other research institutions' mock oral assessments
  • Contact: ingenierie.projets [at] ens-lyon.fr

Boosting my research network

Fundings:

• ANR MRSEI
• ANR Generic call for proposals
• ANR SRSEI
• Call for projects Région Amorçage Europe
• Call for projects Région Ambition Internationale
• Internal Call for Projects ENS Research Fund “International Event” (internal communication)
• Hubert Curien partnerships (PHC)
• Fulbright scholar grant

Meeting new partners

Networking resources:

• ENS Laboratories’ international partners / International Relations Office bilateral partnerships (restricted access)
• Networking events and the National Contact Points (NCPs) resource website
• Joining a COST thematic network
• HE Brokerage Events
• Cordis Database
• CERV Database
• AMIF Database
• EU partner search / individual profile
• AURA Region Delegation in Brussels

Building my non-academic network

• ANR PRCE/Labcom/R&D Booster
• BPI France I-Démo
• AURA Region - Research Partnerships

Public-private partnerships: contact the Innovation, R&D and Partnerships Office (DIPSE) at ENS de Lyon, Innovation and Technology Transfer service, email: valorisation [at] ens-lyon.fr

Funding and resources

Recruitment opportunities are available in most calls for proposals.

Some funding opportunities and dedicated resources:

• Become a doctoral supervisor (Marie Curie Doctoral Networks)
• Recruit at the European level: Euraxess Portal
• Marie Curie networking/matching resource website
• HR support: Espace Ulys, the University of Lyon’s EURAXESS center

Getting training in project management

• Training courses (ANR, Convergence, specialized webinars organized by the European program of the NCP network, etc.)
• MSCA Staff Exchange
• Project Coordination - Handbook

Project management support

• The project leader may rely on a project manager (make sure to include this in the project budget) to coordinate the consortium.
• The Call for Proposals Support Office (DAAP) can assist with the management of European projects.