EMIR is a near-infrared (NIR) multi-object spectrograph (MOS) proposed for first-generation common user instrument of the Gran Telescopio Canarias GTC. It has three observing modes: imaging, multiobject spectroscopy and integral-field spectroscopy, in the NIR Z, J, H and K bands. The design uses cryogenic multislit masks to allow simultaneous spectroscopy of up to approximately 50 objects. The spectral resolution R=5000 allows for effective "see through" the OH line forest that dominates the J and H sky backgrounds. EMIR addresses one of the fundamental goals of large telescopes, the spectroscopy of large quantities of faint sources. Science applications include young stellar objects embedded in molecular clouds, brown dwarfs, stellar clusters, resolved population in external galaxies and distant galaxies. EMIR is being designed by a consortium of Spanish, UK and French Institutes. Project updates and information will be posted at http://www.ucm.es/info/emir/.