ERC publishes results of last round of 2025 PoC grants

The European Research Council (ERC) has published the outcomes of the last 2025 round of its Proof of Concept Grants. In this round, 136 grantees will each receive €150,000, supporting them in exploring how their scientific results can move towards practical application or early commercial use.

In 2025, ERC Proof of Concept Grants supported a wide range of projects that show how frontier science can open new routes to innovation. They include using satellite images and artificial intelligence to assess damage caused by war, and developing new ultrasound techniques that allow doctors to see the smallest blood vessels in an entire human kidney in real time. Other projects explore affordable ways to protect buildings from earthquakes in vulnerable regions, regenerative treatments inspired by the unusual biology of the naked mole-rat to help repair damaged hearts, and new methods to reduce friction and wear in machines by creating protective carbon layers during normal use.

The ERC’s 2025 Work Programme included two rounds of the Proof of Concept call. In total, 879 proposals were evaluated. The 300 new grantees will work in 23 EU Member States and Associated Countries. The highest number of projects will be carried out in Germany (51 grants), Spain (42), Italy (33) and the United Kingdom (31). 8 grants will be carried out in Austria.

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