The Association of ERC Grantees (AERG) supports collaboration and knowledge exchange among European Research Council (ERC) grantees through SPARK.
The program supports member-led meetings per year that address topics central to AERG’s mission, including science policy, mentoring, research funding, communication, and frontier research.
For 2026, three initiatives have been selected, each strengthening the ERC community in a distinct way.
Strengthening the ERC Research Community in Spain
- 11–15 May 2026, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (to be confirmed)
- Barcelona, Spain (venue to be confirmed)
Spain hosts a growing number of ERC grantees, yet only a small proportion are active AERG members. This meeting will bring together Spanish ERC researchers, AERG representatives, and the National Contact Point to raise awareness of AERG’s activities and create a strong national network.
The goal is to increase engagement, encourage collaboration, and consolidate a vibrant ERC community in Spain aligned with AERG’s broader European mission.
Young PI Symposium 2026: Resilience for Neuroscience in Times of Uncertainty
- 5 July 2026
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
Organised as a satellite event, this symposium brings together early-career neuroscience group leaders to discuss challenges, share experiences, and build resilience. Through dialogue, skill-development sessions, and networking, the event empowers young PIs to strengthen collaboration, improve advocacy and grant-writing skills, and actively shape the future of European neuroscience.
Building ERC-Competitive Research: Lessons from Croatia
- 7–8 September 2026
- MEDILS, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Hosted by the University of Split and partners, this two-day workshop shares Croatia’s experience in strengthening ERC participation with Western Balkan countries. Day one focuses on policy and institutional strategies to support frontier research; day two focuses on ERC success stories from grantees and hands-on activities, including proposal structuring and writing, mock evaluations, and one-to-one feedback, all of which are essential for improving proposal quality.
We look forward to the successful implementation of the SPARK-supported 2026 meetings and to assessing their impact on AERG’s strategic objectives. These initiatives are expected to further strengthen community-building among ERC grantees, enhance mentoring and peer support structures, and meaningfully contribute to consolidating Europe’s frontier research ecosystem.
A further call will be launched in late spring, through which up to two additional meetings may be selected. This round will provide an opportunity to expand the scope and reach of the SPARK programme.