Five early-career researchers based at Irish higher education and research institutions have been awarded prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants as part of a €705 million European Union funding allocation announced on Thursday.

The 2026 ERC Starting Grant competition attracted a record 4,807 applications across Europe—a 22 percent increase compared to the previous year—yielding an overall success rate of 8.8 percent, according to statistics published by the council. The awards provide early-stage scientists with up to €1.5 million over five years, with additional funding available for specialized equipment or for researchers relocating to Europe, enabling grantees to establish independent teams and conduct frontier research.

In Ireland, award recipients were selected across three host institutions: Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Dublin (UCD), and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT).

Two researchers at Trinity College Dublin received €1.5 million each for their five-year projects. Dr. Casey Platnich, an assistant professor in Trinity's School of Chemistry, will direct "SNAPRR," a project using miniature nanopore sensors to analyze single molecules of viral RNA and track chemical variations in pathogens such as RNA viruses. Dr. Gabriela Kronemberger, based in Trinity's School of Engineering, will lead "Smart-Meniscus," which integrates 3D bioprinting, stem-cell engineering, and gene delivery techniques to improve knee meniscus repair.

At University College Dublin, Dr. Alan Seltzer from the UCD School of Earth Sciences received €2.43 million for project "TabPhish," which analyzes naturally occurring dissolved gases in groundwater to reconstruct long-term changes in water supply and nitrate contamination. Dr. Seungkuk Ahn, an associate professor at the UCD School of Medicine and Charles Institute of Dermatology, was also awarded an ERC Starting Grant to advance biomedical engineering research aimed at improving preclinical models for drug discovery.

The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training marked its first-ever ERC grant through Dr. Alan Costello, principal investigator of NIBRT's Biological Engineering Group. Dr. Costello secured €1.86 million for "TO-CODES," a five-year initiative focused on engineering cells with dual independent protein-production systems to enable the creation of novel biopolymers and advanced biological therapeutics.

Commenting on the overall competition results, European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva highlighted the appeal of European research programs, noting that 21 successful applicants currently based in the US and Canada plan to relocate to Europe. ERC President Prof. Maria Leptin added that supporting young talent and independent scientific exploration represents a vital long-term investment for Europe's scientific capabilities.