Eleven Israeli researchers have been awarded 2026 European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, bringing more than $18 million in research funding to projects at Israeli universities and research institutions. The ERC announced the results on 3 September 2026, with the Israeli recipients based at Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Technion.
The Starting Grant is designed to support promising early-career researchers as they establish their independence, develop ambitious research programmes and build their own teams. Each grant provides up to €1.5 million for a maximum of five years, with additional funding potentially available for certain major research costs.
The eleven Israeli projects span an impressive range of fields. They include research into how chemical tags regulate gene activity, mapping proteins in human tissue using imaging and AI, and developing a human heart-on-a-chip to investigate biological rhythms and heart disease. Other projects cover areas including quantum materials, brain science, cancer biology and advanced engineering.
With just 8.8% of applications funded in this year's competition, the achievement is a significant recognition of the quality and potential of Israel's next generation of researchers.