Access ERC Starting Grants

Access ERC Starting Grants is an ANR call under the French National Research Agency for early-career researchers in Social Sciences and Humanities. It supports a French host institution that will also serve as the Host Institution for a future ERC Starting Grant application, and it is built as bridge funding toward that next step rather than as open-ended project support. The grant can cover a 24-month postdoctoral contract starting between 1 July 2026 and 31 August 2028, with maximum ANR support of EUR 185,000 excluding environmental costs. Eligibility requires a PhD in the Social Sciences and Humanities, or an equivalent ERC-eligible qualification, plus two to six years of post-thesis experience on 1 January of the target ERC year, at least one year of mobility abroad or in France, and strong English. ANR uses a single beneficiary model, a multidisciplinary scientific evaluation committee, and a rapid timetable with results usually notified about four months after the deadline. The call is deliberately narrow because the candidate must commit to an ERC Starting Grant 2028 application in one of the eight SH panels in October 2027. Awardees also receive a kick-off meeting with ERC National Contact Points to support proposal preparation. Success depends on a precise fit between the candidate, the French host lab, and the panel route, since the host institution must be ready to support the researcher for the full two-year period and into the ERC submission.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.