Public Engagement with Research Award

About this program

The European Research Council (ERC) offers the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award (ERC-2026-PERA), awarding up to eight prizes of €10,000 to principal investigators who have carried out outstanding public engagement or science communication activities during an ERC project or within two years after its conclusion. Eligible activities include citizen science, public outreach (e.g., art–science projects, educational programmes, exhibitions, festivals, school engagement) and consultation/exchange with citizens, journalists, policy makers, NGOs, patient groups or product users, and applications must demonstrate maturity and clear quantitative and qualitative impact. Applicants must be ERC principal investigators of frontier research projects ongoing or ended on or after 31 December 2023, may submit only one application per ERC project, and may report activities funded from any source provided they can evidence impact. Evaluation is based on two weighted criteria—strategy and implementation (quality, appropriateness and novelty) and impact (evidence of success and learning); consult the ERC Work Programme 2026 and Rules of Contest for full conditions and procedures.