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Interview Trainings Starting Grants

The Interview is an important part of the ERC evaluation process. Here you can find out how the National Contact Point ERC can support you in this process.

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Interview Training for ERC Starting Grants 2026

The interview is a crucial part of the ERC evaluation procedure. In 2026, the National Contact Point ERC (NCP ERC) will once again offer interview trainings for Starting Grant candidates from all three domains: Physical Sciences and Engineering (PE), Life Sciences (LS), and Social Sciences and Humanities (SH).

The National Contact Point European Research Council (NCP ERC) is jointly managed by the BMFTR’s EU Bureau (located at the DLR Project Management Agency) and the European Liaison Office of the German Research Organizations (KoWi).

The 13 training sessions will take place from late April and will be conducted online and in English.

Structure and content of the training sessions

Practical tip: Please register for Part 2 first. Places for the Part 2 interview training sessions are limited and based on experience, are fully booked within a few minutes.

Part 1 – Preparation training (no limit on number of participants)

In this general preparation training session, you will receive:

  • practical advice on the ERC online interview from a professional coach
  • up-to-date information on the evaluation process and success statistics from the NCP ERC
  • first-hand insights from a successful ERC grantee
  • the opportunity to ask questions
  • Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
  • Date: 28 April 2026, 10:00–11:30

Registration: from 26 March 2026, 10:00 until 20 April 2026, 23:00
(open to all invited candidates with a German host institution)

Link to registration Part 1
 

Part 2 – Small-group interview training sessions (limited to 6 candidates per session)

Registration procedures: Please note the information on the two registration procedures (KoWi / EU Bureau of the BMFTR at DLR PT). The training sessions are comparable in terms of content. Please register for only one training session, either from KoWi or from the EU Bureau of the BMFTR. 

Organisational details

  • Format: online via Webex
  • Language: English
  • Participation: free of charge
  • Allocation of places: first come, first served

In total, the NCP ERC offers twelve small-group training sessions that simulate the ERC interview situation.

  • approx. 30 minutes per candidate (presentation in line with panel requirements and Q&A)
  • feedback from the trainer, the NCP ERC
  • the other participants will act as a mock panel
  • maximum of 6 participants per group
  • Duration: approx. 4 hours
  • Registration: 26 March 2026, 10 a.m.

The training sessions are primarily aimed at ERC Starting Grant candidates with a German host institution who have received an invitation to an ERC interview and do not have access to interview trainings at their own institution.

Participation is limited to one session only. If you already have access to individual coaching elsewhere, we kindly ask you to make use of that option.

Overview of dates:

Part 2 training sessions conducted by the NCP ERC at DLR‑PT:
Link to registration (coming soon)

  • Tue, 05 May, 13:00–17:00 Domain: PE
  • Wed, 06 May, 09:00–13:00 Domain: LS
  • Fri, 08 May, 09:00–13:00 Domain: SH
  • Mon, 18 May, 09:00–13:00 Domain: PE
  • Fri, 22 May, 09:00–13:00 Domain: open
  • Tue, 26 May, 09:00–13:00 Domain: open

Part 2 training sessions conducted by the NCP ERC at KoWi:

Important information on registration for training sessions by EU-Bureau of the BMFTR at DLR-PT

Registration is carried out via the Invitario online system. To complete your registration successfully, please upload the following documents (supported formats: pdf, ppt, doc, docx, jpg):

  • B1 part of your ERC application
  • your invitation to the interview

Additionally, you should upload Annex I of your invitation as soon as it is available. While Annex I is not required for registration, it contains essential panel guidelines for the interview. You may also optionally upload your interview presentation draft.

Key Information

Registration is not possible without uploading the B1 part and interview invitation. Each person can register for only one training session. Registration requires a personal email address as an identifier. Multiple registrations with the same email are not allowed. Registration pages remain open until the training dates, allowing modifications and additional document uploads if needed.

After Registration

Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email. We will review your documents and inform you about your registration status a.s.a.p.:

  • Confirmed: You receive a binding confirmation.
  • Waiting list: If no spots are available, you will be notified and contacted if a spot opens up.
  • Fully booked: No participation possible.  

Availability of Sessions

Training sessions are usually fully booked within minutes. If a session is no longer displayed in Invitario, it means it is overbooked. If other sessions are available, you may select an alternative. Please note that displayed sessions do not guarantee available spots. Confirmation is sent only after document review.

Cancellation

If you are unable to attend, please cancel via your personalized access link and confirm by clicking the "Deregistration" button. Candidates from the waiting list will happily fill in for you.

Important information on registration for KoWi training sessions

KoWi uses the Event Registration Platform idloom for the Starting Grant Interview Trainings.

A separate registration link is provided for each Part 2 training session. Please register for your preferred date and then email your interview invitation to Dunja.Hofmann@kowi.de (supported file formats are pdf, ppt, docx, jpg.)

In addition, please send us your Annex I of the interview invitation as soon as it becomes available. Annex I is usually sent a few weeks after the initial invitation and contains all panel-specific requirements for the interview.

You may also send us a draft of your interview presentation and/or the abstract of your B1 proposal in advance of the training.

After registration, you will receive an automated confirmation email from idloom. Once the training sessions are fully booked, we will check whether the required documents (interview invitation) have been submitted. You will then receive either a binding confirmation, a notification that you have been placed on the waiting list, or a rejection. Please note that placement on the waiting list does not constitute confirmation of participation; you will be informed if a place becomes available.

Your NCP ERC contact persons for content-related and organizational questions:

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