ERC Grant Consultancy, Editing & Training Services

We offer scientific grant consultancy, pre-submission proposal review, scientific editing, interview coaching, and training for researchers applying to the most competitive funding schemes, in particular for applications to the European Research Council (ERC). Our individual consultancy services span support throughout the entire lifecycle of developing an application, from project concept development phase, round-by-round proposal reviews, scientific illustration, until interview preparation. Throughout, applicants work directly with our small team of grant consultants and trainers, who stay closely involved at every stage, from the first idea to the final submission and interview stage, adapting our support to each applicant’s project and pace.

For research institutions, we provide tailored seminars and hands-on workshops to prepare candidates in the best possible way in the preparation of their project strategy and proposal writing.

ERC GRANT CONSULTANCY & INTERVIEW TRAINING

The European Research Council (ERC) offers some of Europe’s most prestigious research grants, including the single-PI Starting (StG), Consolidator (CoG) and Advanced (AdG) Grants and the Synergy Grant. The ERC awards excellent investigators across all scientific and scholar disciplines. Successful grantees benefit from substantial support, enabling them to conduct ambitious, groundbreaking and feasible research projects for a duration of up to five years.

Over the years, we have developed an in-depth ERC consultancy program with our own unique methodology. Within our comprehensive ERC proposal review process, we collaborate with you to develop, refine and structure your proposal. The primary goal is to meet the rigorous expectations of panel members and external evaluators. We help you communicate that this ERC proposal is your dream project with potential for scientific breakthrough, aligning with the ERC’s evaluation criteria, overarching aims, and the spirit of the call.

Scientific grant consultancy of the project idea and fit to the call

Sustituir el texto en la primera celda con el siguiente:
The conceptual stage is designed to guide individual researchers through the foundational phase of developing their ERC application. During consultations, we support applicants from the very first steps, exploring ideas that could be attractive for the ERC, to reach a decision on which research direction to pursue. Many researchers have multiple promising ideas and interests that could, in principle, be developed into competitive ERC proposals.

The first step is the Strategy Session, where we discuss the project idea(s) in light of ERC criteria. This helps applicants identify key aspects of their ERC application, highlight areas that need further development, and make informed decisions (such as panel choice or the involvement of collaborators) based on our discussion and feedback. The conceptual stage continues with a Pre-proposal/Project Sketch for the ERC project, outlining the main components of the upcoming application. Applicants receive a commented version of their proposal sketch, along with a detailed set of specific recommendations for developing the proposal. In a follow-up meeting, we clarify any doubts or questions and define next steps. This deliverable serves as a solid foundation for the subsequent writing stage, and represents a clear articulation of the applicant’s research vision, aligned with ERC excellence criteria.

Writing stage: Proposal Review and Scientific Editing

During the writing stage, we review individual proposals to help applicants mature their project idea into a convincing ERC application, always keeping in mind the diverse expectations of the audience (ERC panel members and external evaluators) and the evaluation criteria. Our role is not to write the proposal, but to help the applicants reflect on and improve key aspects, such as the importance of the scientific questions, the originality of the proposed solution, the main innovation of the proposed methodology, the expected scientific impact, and the single-PI nature of the implementation, among many others.

We analyse the proposal in depth and make specific suggestions regarding the fit of the content to the ERC criteria, improve the logical structure of the proposal, and ensure consistency throughout the scientific parts. We also comment on and provide tips for the optimal presentation of the applicant’s previous achievements and CV. At the advanced draft stage, we complement our analysis and recommendations with scientific edits, to achieve accurate and clear messages in all sections. We are also available for follow-up calls to clarify any remaining doubts or questions.

Interview stage: Training for Presentation and Q&A

The ERC interview is a unique opportunity for applicants to convince the evaluators that their project should be funded. The difficulty lies in transmitting the proposed research idea and implementation in a compelling way, within a very short time frame. Most researchers struggle with adapting the narrative to fit the audience (panel members), often focusing too much on technical details rather than convincing them through a unique scientific framing. With our personalised coaching program, we help applicants prepare a strategy for how to impress the reviewers, sharpen the key messages, develop a clear storyline, and prepare convincing answers for the Q&A part.

Our support includes a preparatory video and separate online training sessions. In the sessions, we assist the candidate in pinpointing vital aspects to highlight during the presentation, and discuss any perceived challenges related to the interview. We give comprehensive feedback on the content, structure, and design of the presentation drafts. We also analyse delivery techniques, including verbal and non-verbal communication, pace, confidence, and audience engagement. For the Q&A session, we prepare the candidate for recurring questions, help optimize the structure and length of their answers, and anticipate potential evaluators’ concerns

Examples from our Daily Practice

ERC Grant Consultancy

The European Research Council (ERC) offers some of Europe’s most prestigious research grants, including single PI grants such as Starting (StG), Consolidator (CoG) and Advanced (AdG). The ERC awards excellent investigators across all scientific and scholar disciplines. Successful grantees benefit from substantial support, enabling them to conduct ambitious, groundbreaking and feasible research projects for a duration of up to five years.

Over the years, we have developed an in-depth ERC consultancy program tailored for applicants. Within our comprehensive ERC proposal review process, we collaborate with you to develop, refine and structure your proposal. The primary goal is to meet the rigorous expectations of panel members and external evaluators. We help you communicate that this ERC proposal is your dream project with potential for scientific breakthrough, aligning with the ERC’s evaluation criteria, overarching aims, and the spirit of the call. As your ERC grant consultants, we analyze various critical aspects:

Horizon Europe: MSCA-DN Proposal Preparation

MSCA-Doctoral Networks (DNs) have the objective of promoting international, inter-sectoral and multi/inter-disciplinary collaboration in doctoral-level training in Europe. They aim to train creative, entrepreneurial, innovative and resilient doctoral candidates, able to face current and future challenges and to convert knowledge and ideas into products and services for economic and social benefit.
We review both content and structure of the draft in the Excellence, Impact, and Implementation sections, at different stages of the proposal preparation process. Among others, we assess:

Support for Applications to National Funding Agencies

National funding keeps being fundamental for most research groups and institutions. We have ample experience from our work for clients in Germany, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland and other European countries. Depending on the scope and aims of the funding program, we will enter into an in-depth analysis of your proposal, giving feedback and making suggestions on aspects such as:

ERC Grant Consultancy

Horizon Europe: MSCA-DN Proposal Preparation

Support for Applications to National Funding Agencies

Training for scientists

ERC Preparatory Seminars and Workshops

Preparing an ERC application requires a sound understanding of the call’s aim, as well as awareness of the «ingredients» that should be included in the proposal. Evaluators are looking for unconventional projects with the potential to become a benchmark on a global scale.

Our ERC preparatory seminars consist of two distinctively focused and complementary sessions. In the first session, we discuss what the ERC is looking for, both in terms of the proposed research and the investigator’s profile, and explain the focus, scope, and application procedure of the ERC calls. We provide insight into what the sole evaluation criterion, «Scientific Excellence,» actually means in terms of project characteristics and applicant profile. The second session focuses on how to prepare a competitive proposal, sharing hands-on tips and best practices drawn from our extensive experience as ERC grant consultants who have worked with many successful applicants. We also discuss common issues that frequently lead to rejection.

For applicants still deciding whether and when to apply, the first session offers a clear, realistic picture of what the ERC actually expects, early enough to shape a project idea before too much time is invested in the wrong direction. The second session is particularly valuable for those already writing their proposal, offering concrete, actionable guidance at the stage where it matters most. For institutions, the seminars are an efficient way to raise awareness of the ERC scheme across many potential applicants at once, and to support those further along in the process with practical, hands-on advice.

Both sessions offer plenty of opportunities for applicants to ask questions related to the ERC call and preparation. Our seminars have been attended by hundreds of participants from premier scientific institutions all over Europe.

ERC Grant Writing Workshop: From Research Ideas to Competitive Proposals

This ERC Grant Writing Workshop combines expert guidance with hands-on exercises to help participants develop the skeleton, or a first draft, of a competitive grant application. Participants practice presenting research ideas that align with funders’ standards, building persuasive narratives, structuring clear objectives, and arguing the feasibility of their proposed project. The workshop mixes individual work, practical exercises such as research pitches and peer feedback, and expert-guided discussions on common pitfalls in grant applications.

The workshop is suitable for researchers at any career stage, with scope and focus adjusted to match participants’ needs, and is fully customizable to the priorities of the hosting institution. It is delivered on-site over 1.5 to 2 days, typically for groups of 12 to 20 participants, and can include preparatory work and post-workshop follow-up to deepen understanding and provide targeted support as needed. It can also focus on funding schemes other than the ERC.

For applicants, the workshop offers a rare chance to test and sharpen a project idea in real time, with direct feedback from experienced grant consultants and peers, well before the pressure of a submission deadline sets in. For institutions, it’s an efficient way to raise the general standard of grant writing across a cohort of researchers at once, building shared knowledge and internal capacity that outlasts any single application round.

Graphic Design and Scientific Illustration

Clean, easy-to-understand visual information is crucial for an effective communication strategy in grant applications and interviews. Structured, carefully designed visual materials help an application stand out by clearly conveying its main ideas and innovations. A clear graphical abstract can convey the key ideas of a project at a glance, and well-designed figures and graphics can be just as effective as text in highlighting the significance, innovation, and methodology of a proposal.

We help researchers optimize the visual representation of their project and scientific content for both expert and non-expert evaluators, by creating and refining figures for the grant application. For the interview preparation phase, our support includes the design of presentation slides adapted to the format and the audience.

Visual layout

Create an organized and appealing overall layout, with a logical flow of information that guides the eye.

Figure Organization

Present an appropriate number and size of figure panels.

Design Consistency

Ensure consistent and efficient use of colors, font types, and font sizes.

Training for scientists

Our in-depth work on grant applications has naturally led us to work with researchers applying to faculty positions at any career stage, supporting them through the design of the future research, writing of the application documents, and final stages of their application. Grant applications and faculty applications share a set of similar characteristics. Both require communicating the proposed research to a mainly non-specialist audience, and presenting a research statement that follows an easy-to-follow inner logic within an often strict page limit. At the interview or chalk talk stage, applicants must also defend their past and future research through clear scientific communication and well thought-through answers, again often for non-specialists and under strict time limits.

These are crucial moments for most applicants. We will act as your sparring partner throughout the process, starting with the conceptual design of your future research, through revision of application documents such as the research statement, and practicing the presentation and Q&A part for the chalk talk.