The STARS@UNIPD 2025 call for proposals is open from 20 December 2024 until 21 March 2025, at 1 p.m. (Italian time zone).

The STARS@UNIPD 2025 call for proposals funds research projects of 30 months, whose focus may range in the 28 scientific research areas of Unipd, corresponding to the three ERC research domains:
- PE: Physical Sciences and Engineering
- LS: Life Sciences
- SH: Social Sciences and Humanities. 

The call offers three types of funding with a "bottom-up" approach, without predefined thematic areas. It is open to Principal Investigators (PIs) of any age and nationality who wish to carry out their research activities at a Department of the University of Padua. Applicants must demonstrate the innovative nature, ambition, and feasibility of the proposed scientific project.

STARS Starting Grant (STARS-StG): for PIs – also external to UNIPD – who are beginning to establish their own research team and/or to start their own independent research activity. PIs must have defended their first Doctoral degree within a maximum of 5 years prior to 1 January 2025 (cut-off dates: 01/01/2020 - 31/12/2024 included).

STARS Consolidator Grant (STARS-CoG): for PIs, who are already conducting research at the University of Padua and are consolidating their own research team and/or their own independent research. PIs must have defended their first Doctoral degree within a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 years prior to 1 January 2025 (cut-off dates: 01/01/2015 - 31/12/2019 included).

STARS Wild Card Grant (STARS-WiC): for PIs, who are already conducting research at the University of Padua and who applied to the 2023 and 2024 ERC calls, indicating Unipd as their Host Institution, and whose project obtained a final score of "A" but was not funded due to budget limits.