Many ERC applicants hesitate when considering whether to request the additional funding available under ERC grants. A common concern is that reviewers might view such requests negatively, consider them difficult to justify and/or as a reason to reject the application, or alternatively decide to fund the project while excluding the additional budget component.
In practice, this is rarely how ERC evaluation works.
A common misconception
We frequently hear applicants say:
“I don’t want to ask for the additional funding because it might make my proposal look expensive.”
Or:
“Perhaps I should leave it out to improve my chances of being funded.”
These concerns are understandable, but they are usually based on a misunderstanding of how ERC proposals are evaluated.
The project and budget are evaluated together
The ERC does not typically treat the additional funding request as a separate item that can simply be removed while everything else remains unchanged.
Instead, reviewers assess the project as a whole. They evaluate whether the proposed research is scientifically excellent, ambitious, and feasible. The requested budget, including any additional funding, is part of that assessment.
If additional funding is genuinely needed to achieve the project’s objectives, it should be included and clearly justified. Reviewers expect the budget to match the scientific ambitions and technical requirements of the proposal.
Additional funding is there for a reason
The ERC provides the possibility to request additional funding because some projects require resources beyond the standard grant amount. Typical examples include:
- Major equipment purchases
- Access to large research infrastructures
- Significant fieldwork campaigns
- Costs associated with moving from another country to take up the grant
- Other exceptional experimental costs that are necessary for the project
These provisions exist to enable excellent science that would otherwise be difficult to conduct within the standard budget envelope.
What we see in practice
From our experience supporting ERC applicants, we very rarely encounter situations where a proposal is considered fundable, but the additional funding request is rejected while the rest of the project proceeds unchanged.
In most cases, the scientific project and the associated budget form an integrated package. If reviewers and the ERC conclude that the proposed research is excellent and that the requested resources are necessary and well justified, the project is typically funded as submitted.
Of course, exceptional cases can occur. Excessive, poorly justified, or clearly unnecessary costs may raise questions. However, these situations are the exception rather than the rule.
The real question: Is it necessary and well justified?
Applicants should not ask for additional funding simply because it is available. Nor should they avoid requesting it because they fear it may weaken their chances.
The key question is much simpler:
Is this expenditure necessary to achieve the scientific objectives of the project?
If the answer is yes, and the justification is clear, then the additional funding request should be presented confidently and transparently.
Takeaway
Do not think of ERC additional funding as an optional luxury that reviewers are eager to remove. Think of it as part of the overall scientific design of your project.
A well-justified additional funding request is not a weakness. It is often an essential component of a credible and ambitious ERC proposal.