Data corner: US researchers are choosing Europe

03 Feb 2026 | News

The European Research Council has received almost 350 proposals from US-based scientists in the past year

Photo credits: maxxyustas / BigStock

The European Research Council (ERC) has attracted 347 proposals from US-based researchers in its last three big funding rounds, up from 158 in the previous set of calls for fundamental research projects.

The increases are consistent across all three of the ERC’s major funding schemes for scientists at different career stages: Starting, Consolidator and Advanced Grants. Of the three, the ERC recorded the biggest jump in proposals for the latest Advanced Grants, up from 23 to 114. Starting Grants were the most popular overall, with 169 applications from the US.

The jump in applications follows the EU’s Choose Europe campaign to attract research talent from the US, launched in response to a crackdown on scientific freedom and funding in the country after Donald Trump took office in 2025.

“The increases are consistent…