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ERC Incubator

The ERC Incubator is a pilot program to support male and female researchers who wish to apply for an ERC grant, with the University of Warsaw as the Host Institution.

The ERC Incubator is an activity aimed at all male and female researchers interested in applying for a European Research Council (ERC) grant. The aim of the program is to identify the most promising ideas for ERC-funded research projects and to provide adequate support to those who are already preparing a grant application in the competition or plan to apply for funding in the near future.

Elements of the support program

  1. Assignment of a scientific mentor – from among previous ERC competition winners and panellists.
  2. Assignment of a science manager to assist the applicant in the preparation of the application and provide administrative support, as well as to identify available funding sources for activities supporting the preparation of the application.
  3. Cooperation with the Office for International Research and Liaison, including identifying potential reviewers of the proposal and arranging meetings with them, support in the preparation of the competition documentation and budget consultation.
  4. Possibility of obtaining funds of up to 20 000.00 PLN for complementary activities supporting the preparation of the application.

Circulation of documents

The condition for joining the program is to send an application to the email address research.managers+inkubator@uw.edu.pl. The elements of a complete application should be:

  1. CV of the applicant / candidate (max. 4 pages, we recommend using the ERC form, example form 2024).
  2. A brief description of the research project idea (1-2 pages) that would be the basis of the ERC grant application.
  3. Cost estimate with a plan for the use of funds received from the Incubator (up to 20 000.00 PLN).
  4. Information about the ERC call in which the applicant plans to apply.

Based on the applications, the committee will select researchers who will be included in an individual support program in the ERC grant application process. Successfully selected projects will receive the support of a research manager, a scientific supervisor and financial support, while all those who send a complete application within the deadline to the above-mentioned email address will receive a review of their application prepared by the selection committee. Candidates not qualified for the Incubator will also receive information about other possible sources of funding for the idea or tools for improving scientific potential to apply for an ERC grant in the future.

Schedule

One of the objectives of the ERC Incubator is to improve the quality of ERC applications by extending the time available for working on them. To allow for consultation with experts, the deadline for submitting applications to the Incubator closes approximately six months in advance for each type of ERC grant.

Deadlines for applications to the ERC Incubator in 2026:

  • Ideas for applications for Starting Grant 2027 – until 19 April 2026.
  • Consolidator Grant 2026 – continuous call for applications.
  • Advanced Grant 2026 – until 28 February 2026.
  • Synergy Grant 2027 – until 10 May 2026.

Settlement

Allocated funds are to be settled within 30 days of the completion of the tasks planned in the application, but no later than by 30 November 2026. A substantive settlement (a brief description of the task completed) should be accompanied by a statement of the costs incurred (a printout from SAP) signed by the Faculty/Unit Quaestor’s Representative and the Dean/Director of the Faculty/Unit. The statement should be sent to the e-mail address research.managers+inkubator@uw.edu.pl.

Rules for disbursement of funds

The use of ERC Incubator funds is coordinated by research managers. The decision to allocate funds to a specific project is made by the IDUB Program Manager at the request of the research manager in charge of the awardee after consultation with committee members on the basis of a cost estimate prepared by the applicant indicating the purpose and amount of funding requested.

The program is also open to researchers from outside the UW who declare that they will submit an ERC application indicating the UW as the Host Institution for a grant.