Complementary schemes

Through complementary schemes, ARIS supports leading researchers and organisations in participating in the most demanding European programmes. These complement European funding and improve the success rate of Slovenian applicants.

72

Projects funded (2025)

34

Organisations involved (2025)

EUR 4.3 million

Of allocated funds (2025) 

Complementary schemes are for researchers and organisations applying for European Union calls or participating in EU projects. 

ARIS provides additional support where European funding is insufficient or not yet secured.

Complementary schemes are designed for:

  • applicants at various career stages applying to European Research Council (ERC) calls, 

  • researchers applying for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programmes, 

  • research organisations running doctoral or post-doctoral programmes. 

Complementary schemes offer support in:

  • preparing applications for ERC and MSCA calls, 

  • upgrading high scoring but unfunded projects, 

  • bridging financing prior to the start of the project, 

  • sustaining research teams after the end of the project, 

  • national (co-)funding for Seal of Excellence projects. 

Complementary schemes apply where:

  • the applicant is preparing to apply for a specific EU call, 

  • the project scored highly in a specific EU call but did not receive funding, 

  • the ERC project has been awarded and bridge funding is needed to get through to implementation, 

  • there is a need to maintain the research team and ensure continuity of research after the end of the project. 

ARIS participates in three types of complementary schemes: 

1. Support instruments related to European Research Council (ERC) calls: 

  • ERC Focus, 
  • ERC Perspective, 
  • ERC Potential, 
  • ERC New Horizons, 
  • ERC Proof of Concept – Seal of Excellence. 

These schemes support researchers in the preparation, implementation and upgrade of ERC projects. 

2. MSCA – Seal of Excellence (linked to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme – Post-doctoral Fellowships) 

ARIS (co-)funds projects that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence at EU level but have not been funded. 

3. MSCA COFUND (linked to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme) 

ARIS (co-)funds doctoral and post-doctoral programmes approved by the European Commission. 

ARIS supports researchers applying for European Research Council (ERC) calls or carrying out ERC projects in Slovenia. 

The support includes preparation of the application, upgrading the project idea, bridge funding and maintenance of the research team.

ERC calls

The European Research Council (ERC) funds cutting-edge research projects selected solely on the basis of scientific excellence.

Who they are for

The ERC offers the following grants: 

  • Starting Grant (StG) for researchers 0–10 years after their PhD, 
  • Consolidator Grant (CoG) for researchers 5–15 years after their PhD, 
  • Advanced Grant (AdG) for established researchers, 
  • Synergy Grant (SyG) for groups of 2–4 Principal Investigators, 
  • Proof of Concept (PoC) to develop the innovation potential of an existing ERC project. 

ARIS supports researchers who submit an application with a Slovenian research organisation as host. 

ERC Focus

ERC Focus is ARIS's instrument for preparing an ERC call application.

Who it is for

ERC Focus is aimed at researchers preparing to apply for an ERC call.

What it enables

ERC Focus enables a research visit to an ERC grant holder abroad, lasting between 1 and 6 months.

Obligation to apply

After the end of the hosting period, the researcher must submit an application to the first or second subsequent ERC call of the same type. The deadline is the second possible application date for which the researcher is eligible.  

If a researcher moves to a higher career stage between the two deadlines and did not apply at the first deadline, the second deadline at the higher career stage will count as the final deadline.

ERC Perspective

ERC Perspective is an instrument to build on a project idea that was highly evaluated in an ERC call but did not receive funding.

Who it is for

The ERC Perspective is for researchers who have reached the threshold for funding in an ERC call, but whose project had not been selected.

What it enables

ERC Perspective enables: 

  • funding for further development of the project idea, 
  • preparing another ERC call application. 

Conditions 

  • The project leader must be the same as in the original ERC application. 

  • At the date of submission of the application, the ERC Prospectus must not be the holder of an ongoing ERC project.

Restrictions on applications 

  • A maximum of two applications at the same career stage are possible before an ERC project is awarded. 

  • The second application must have achieved at least a B score in the ERC call at the second evaluation stage. 

  • Following a successful ERC application, reapplication is permitted up to twice more under the same conditions. 

ERC Potential

ERC Potential is a support instrument that applies after the ERC project has been awarded. 

Who it is forERC Potential is open to researchers who have successfully won an ERC project grant with a Slovenian host organisation in StG, CoG, AdG or SyG calls. 

What it enables ERC Potential allows preparation for the implementation of an ERC project in the period between the notification of approval and the start of its implementation. 

Duration Up to 6 months before the start of the ERC project. 

Conditions The ERC project must be carried out in Slovenia at the host research organisation. 

ERC New Horizons 

ERC New Horizons is an instrument for the further development of a research group after or towards the end of an ERC project. 

Who it is forFor promoters of ongoing or completed StG, CoG, AdG or SyG projects implemented in Slovenia. 

What it enables 

The instrument offers support in: 

  • maintaining the core of the research team, 
  • preparing a new ERC application, 
  • preparing applications for EU framework programme calls as coordinator, 
  • promoting cooperation between Slovenian research organisations. 

Cooperation between organisationsIn addition to the parent organisation, at least one additional research organisation in Slovenia must be involved. Its participation rate must be between 10% and 50% of the FTE. 

Deadline for applicationsAn application may only be submitted once for the same ERC project. It may be submitted within a period of one year before the completion or at the latest within one year after the completion of the ERC project.

Obligation after closureThe project leader must submit an application to the first or second subsequent ERC call of the same type or an application as coordinator to an EU call within two years after closure.

If the obligation is not fulfilled, ARIS may request reimbursement of one third of the funds paid. 

ERC Proof of Concept (PoC) – Seal of Excellence 

Proof of Concept (PoC) je razpis European Research Council (ERC), namenjen razvoju inovacijskega potenciala že financiranega projekta ERC.

Seal of ExcellenceERC may award a Seal of Excellence to a PoC project. 
The Seal is awarded to a project that was judged excellent during the evaluation process but was not funded due to limited resources.

The seal certifies that the project has successfully passed international peer review.

ARIS (co-)fundingARIS may (co-)fund a project with the Seal of Excellence if the project is not funded elsewhere. 
ARIS recognises the ERC assessment and does not carry out additional national assessments. 

Conditions

  • The host organisation must be a research organisation in Slovenia. 

  • Detailed conditions and deadlines are set out in each public call. 

MSCA – Seal of Excellence

ARIS (co-)funds Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme – Post-doctoral Fellowships projects that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence but have not been funded at EU level and have not been accepted for (co-)funding by any other research funding organisation.  

The applicant must be a research organisation registered in the RO register. 

ARIS takes into account the European Commission's assessment of the project when making its decision. It does not re-evaluate the project. 

What the Seal of Excellence is

The Seal of Excellence is awarded to a project that achieves at least 85% of the possible points but is not funded due to limited resources. 

The seal certifies that the project has successfully passed international peer review. 

Seal of Excellence is designed to encourage Member States to (co-)fund nationally without additional evaluation procedures. 

Who it is for 

The programme is open to PhD researchers in all fields of research. The project can be carried out in Europe (European Post-doctoral Fellowships) or outside Europe (Global Post-doctoral Fellowships). 

Applications must comply with the mobility rule, which stipulates that the researcher must not have resided or worked in the host country more than the rules of the call allow for during the period preceding the application. 

Evaluation at EU level 

The European Commission assesses projects against three criteria: 

  • scientific excellence, 
  • impact on society and on the researcher's career, 
  • Quality and efficiency of the implementation. 

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND is the European Commission's programme to (co-)fund doctoral and post-doctoral training programmes. The programme aims to increase the quality and attractiveness of the European Research Area. 

ARIS (co-)funds the selected programmes on the basis of published information for applicants, setting out the conditions, how to apply and other requirements. Part of the funding is provided by the MSCA programme. 

ARIS acknowledges the evaluation process carried out by the European Commission and does not re-evaluate the programme. 

Who it is for

The MSCA COFUND supports: 

  • doctoral programmes, 
  • post-doctoral training programmes.

What it enables 

The MSCA COFUND enables: 

  • international mobility of researchers, 
  • interdisciplinary cooperation, 
  • development of a research career. 

Table 1: Number of approved ERC perspective projects 
Leto Število odobrenih projektov ERC perspektiva (glede na leto pričetka (so)financiranja
2024 9
2023 16
2022 17
2021 20
2020 13
2019 16
2018 3
2017 2
2016 3
2015 5
2014 3
2013 3
2012 2
2011 7
Table 2: ERC project winners from the Republic of Slovenia: Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant 
  Vodja projekta, ki ga sofinancira ERC Raziskovalna organizacija Projekt ERC CORDIS
37 Dr. Denis Golež Institut »Jožef Stefan«  CoG 2025 META-QMS – Metasatbility in Quantum Materials and Simulators
36 Dr. Ajasja Ljubetč Kemijski inštitut  CoG 2025 PROPEL – Protein Rigid Organization for Powered Engineered Locomotion
35 Dr. Dominik Kozjek Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo StG MeltingWell – Melting-ProcessCondition Variations-Aware Control of the Laser-Powder Bed Fusion of Metals
34 Dr. Agustín Cosovschi Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino StG Brokers-of-NAM – Brokers of NonAlignment: Biographical and Network Approaches to the Making of the Third World
33 Dr. Jasmina Šepetavc Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za družbene vede StG QUEST – Archiving and Curating the Margins: Queer Memory Activism and Infrastructures in Southeastern and Eastern Europe
32 dr. Andrii Tykhonov Institut »Jožef Stefan« CoG PeVGALAXY - Direct Detection of PeV Galactic Cosmic Rays in Space
31 doc. dr. Matjaž Humar Institut »Jožef Stefan« CoG SoftQuanta - Soft and biological quantum light sources
30 Prof. dr. Roman Jerala Kemijski inštitut AdG PROFI - Protein function regulation through inserts for response to biological, chemical and physical signals
29 Dr. Mojca M. Plesničar Inštitut za kriminologijo pri Pravni Fakuletei v Ljubnljani StG Sentrix – Sentencing architecture: bulding a decision -making matrix
28 Dr. Tina Lebar Kemijski inštitut StG Expanding the genome editing toolbox by rational reprogramming of tyrosine recombinase DNA specificities
27 prof. dr. Dragan Mihailović Institut »Jožef Stefan« in Co Nanocenter AdG Hidden metastable mesoscopic states in quantum materials – HIMMSos
26 izr. prof. dr. Lev Vidmar Institut »Jožef Stefan« CoG BOUNDARY – Boundaries of quantum chaos
25. dr. Lea Rems Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za elektrotehniko StG REINCARNATION – Reversible and irreversible cardiac electroporation: Establishing the fundamentals to advance cardiac treatments
24. dr. Tomaž Prosen* Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko AdG QUEST - Quantum Ergodicity: Stability and Transitions
23. dr. Saša Čaval* Znanstvenoraziskovalni center Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti (ZRC SAZU) CoG STONE – Unde venis? Unraveling the enigma of stećci tombstones
22. dr. Mirjam Mencej Univerza v Ljubljani, Filozofska fakulteta AdG The roles of the agency of the dead in the lives of individuals in contemporary society
21. dr. Zala Lenarčič Institut »Jožef Stefan« StG DrumS – Weakly driven quantum Symmetries
20. Ágoston Berecz Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino StG 2022 BENASTA – Becoming National against the State: Popular discontent and adheremce to minority nationalisms in late nineteenth-century Easteren Europe
19. dr. Maruša Bradač* Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko AdG FIRSTLIGHT - Exploring Cosmic Dawn with James Webb Space Telescope
18. dr. Franc Forstnerič* Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko AdG HPDR - Holomorphic Partial Differential Relations
17. dr. Borut Klabjan Znanstvenoraziskovalno središče Koper AdG OPEN BORDERS - Cold War Europe Beyond Borders. A Transnational History of Cross-Border Practices in the Alps-Adriatic area from World War II to the present
16. dr. Anna Sandak InnoRenew CoE Center odličnosti za raziskave in inovacije na področju obnovljivih materialov in zdravega bivanjskega okolja CoG ARCHI-SKIN
15. dr. Anna Dragoš* Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta StG PHAGECONTROL - The evolution of host manipulation by bacteriophage
14. dr. Matic Lozinšek Institut »Jožef Stefan« StG HiPeR-F - Challenging the Oxidation-State Limitations of the Periodic Table via High-Pressure Fluorine Chemistry
13. prof. dr. Matej Praprotnik Kemijski inštitut AdG MULTraSonicA - Multiscale modeling and simulation approaches for biomedical ultrasonic applications
12. prof. dr. Igor Muševič Institut »Jožef Stefan« AdG LOGOS - Light-operated logic circuits from photonic soft-matter
11. prof. dr. Peter Križan Institut »Jožef Stefan« AdG FAIME - Flavour Anomalies with advanced particle Identification MEthods
10. prof. dr. Jernej Ule Kemijski inštitut AdG RNPdynamics - Multivalent interactions driving RNP dynamics in development and disease
9. dr. Nejc Hodnik* Kemijski inštitut StG 123STABLE – Razvoj zelo stabilnih nanostrukturiranih elektrokatalizatorjev
8. dr. Matjaž Humar* Institut »Jožef Stefan« StG Celični laserji: Povezovanje optičnih resonanc z biološkimi procesi
7. doc. dr. Jaka Tušek Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo StG SUPERCOOL - Superelastične porozne strukture za učinkovito elastokalorično hlajenje
6. prof. dr. Roman Jerala* Kemijski inštitut AdG MaCChines - Molekulski stroji na osnovi proteinskega origamija iz obvitih vijačnic
5. prof. dr. Matevž Dular Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo CoG CABUM - Kavitacija - od preprečevanja njenega nastanka do njene uporabe
4. prof. dr. Marta Verginella* Univerza v Ljubljani, Filozofska fakulteta AdG EIRENE - Povojne tranzicije v perspektivi spola
3. prof. dr. Tomaž Prosen* Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko AdG OMNES - Odprti mnogodelčni neravnovesni sistemi
2. prof. dr. Dragan Mihailović* Institut »Jožef Stefan« AdG TRAJECTORY - Koherentni trajektoriji skozi fazne prehode z zlomom simetrije
1. prof. dr. Nedjeljka Žagar Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko StG MODES - Analiza atmosferskega ravnovesja, napovedljivosti in klime s pomočjo normalnih načinov
Table 3: ERC project winners from the Republic of Slovenia: Synergy Grant 
  Leto začetka izvajanja ERC granta Vodja projekta, ki ga sofinancira ERC Raziskovalna organizacija Projekt ERC CORDIS
 
1.		 2023 Prof. dr. Bojan Mohar* Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko SyG KARST – »Predicting flow and transport in complex Karst systems«
Table 4: ERC project winners from the Republic of Slovenia: Proof of Concept Grant 
  Leto začetka izvajanja ERC grant Vodja projekta, ki ga sofinancira ERC Raziskovalna organizacija Projekt ERC CORDIS
8. 2025 Prof. dr. Matevž Dular Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo PoC PureWater – Combinig Cavitation and Plasma to Tackle Drinking Water Pollution
7. 2024 dr. Matjaž Humar Institut »Jožef Stefan« PoC EdibleLasers
6. 2024 dr. Jaka Tušek Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo PoC E-CO-HEAT
5. 2023 dr. Peter Križan Institut »Jožef Stefan« PoC CherPET – Cherenkov light for total-body Positron Emission Tomography
4. 2022 dr. Matevž Dular
 		 Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo PoC CAVIPHY - Exploitation of extreme cavitation conditions for wastewater treatment
3. 2020 dr. Nejc Hodnik* Kemijski inštitut PoC StableCat - Assessing the Technical and Business Feasibility of Highly-active and Stable Intermetallic Pt-alloy Catalysts for Application in PEMFC
2. 2019 dr. Roman Jerala* Kemijski inštitut PoC CCedit – Coiled-coil mediated exonuclease tethering technology for the enhancement of CRISPR gene edition
1. 2017 dr. Dragan Mihailović* Institut »Jožef Stefan« PoC Umem4QC - Ultrafast charge density wave memory for quantum computing
Table 5: Number of ERC Focus projects approved
Leto Število odobrenih projektov ERC fokus Uspešni na ERC razpisih
2017 7 2
2018 4
2019 2
2020 2
2023 2
2024 1

Contact

For questions about the ERC and MSCA complementary schemes, please contact: 

Scientific Research Co-financing Division

Mojca Boc
(01) 400 5971
Mojca.Boc@aris-rs.si 

Key documents