Dear Benjamin Sovacool,
I am pleased to inform you that the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award 2026 call has been launched.
The award will recognise ERC-funded researchers who successfully engage audiences outside their field with their research. By “public engagement” we
mean the involvement of the public in the design, conduct or dissemination of activities funded by the ERC. Engagement is a two-way process, involving interaction and mutual understanding for mutual benefit. Eight prizes will be awarded, each valued at €10
000. If you want to have an idea of what types of projects were successful in the past, you can find
articles about them on the ERC website and short video interviews available in the
science communication playlist on the ERC YouTube channel.
If you have engaged with the public in the course of your ERC-funded project or up to two years following its conclusion, and if your communication activities have contributed to bringing science closer to citizens, I encourage you to apply.
Best regards,
Maria Leptin
ERC President
How to apply
All relevant information is available on the
ERC website and on the
ERC-2026-PERA call published on the EU Funding and Tenders
Portal website.
ERC grantees with an ongoing project or a project that concluded on or after 31 December 2023 are eligible. Proposals can be submitted electronically at any time before the call deadline on 15 January 2026 at
17:00 CET (Brussels time) using the template provided in the submission system.
Entries will be evaluated and selected in two rounds based on two evaluation criteria: strategy and implementation, and impact.
Please consult the following document before submitting your entry:
If you need support or advice, please contact the
National
Contact Point in your country or send an email to the following address:
ERC-PROJECT-PROMOTION@ec.europa.eu.