Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme (MSCA) is part of the HORIZON EUROPE pillar one. Specifically, it aims to promote the mobility of researchers, as well as their collaboration between countries, sectors, and disciplines.  Participants are encouraged to develop their careers through the program.

Would you like to participate?

• Your age, nationality, and skills;
• Your employer is a university, a research center, a company, or any other socio-economic actor;
• If you work in the EU or associated countries, or in another third country that meets the Horizon Europe Regulation conditions, you are eligible for Horizon Europe benefits.

Companies (and especially SMEs) are encouraged to participate.

There are five different actions within the MSCA programme, which enable you to carry out different types of projects (individual or collaborative research projects, training programmes, etc.) in all fields of research and innovation, specifically for basic research, technology readiness level 1-3. In fact, you can even work in a completely bottom-up manner by choosing the field of research and innovation that interests you. To ensure the success of all actions, applicants and selected beneficiaries must create communication and awareness-raising activities tailored to the general public.

Doctoral Networks:

• Objective: Develop Network Wide Training, including transferable skills, and the potential for creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation of doctoral students to open up career opportunities in the academic and non-academic world
• Type of action:
  • Standard, Industrial Doctorates and Joint Doctorates through partnerships between universities, research institutes, companies and other socio-economic actors.
  • International, interdisciplinary and intersectional collaborations.
• Duration: 4 years

Postdoctoral Fellowships:

• Objective: Developing and relaunching the careers of postdoctoral researchers who display great potential, by leveraging their experience and abilities to strengthen the research skills and capacities of researchers through individual research projects that are cross-disciplinary and international.
• Type of action:
  • A mobility to an institution within a member state of the European Union and an associated country.
  • Third-country mobility.
• Duration:
  • For European Fellowship (EF): 12 to 24 months (additional 6 months in the non-academic sector).
  • For Global Fellowships (GF): 24 to 36 months (12 to 24 months in the third country, mandatory return of 12 months to a Member State or associated country). Additional 6 months in the non-academic sector are also possible.

Staff Exchanges:

• Objective: Collaborate internationally, interdisciplinaryly, and intersectionally. All types of research personnel as well as administrative and technical personnel involved in R&I (public and private sectors) should be encouraged to participate in exchange activities (by secondment of personnel).
• Type of action: Joint R&D programmes:
  • Consortia of at least three independent legal entities located in three different countries.
  • If all beneficiaries are from the same sector (academic or non-academic), at least one partner from a third country is required.
• Duration: 4 years.

Cofund:

• Objective: Promote excellence in the training of researchers, dissemination of best practices of the Marie Curie Actions (European Charter for Researchers, Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers, etc.). Open to PhD students or experienced researchers (already holding a PhD or with at least 4 years of research experience).
• Type of action: Co-financing by the European Commission of regional, national or international mobility and training programmes. Single-beneficiary action, although partners may be involved, for example to train and employ future recruits.
• Duration: 60 months.

MSCA and Citizens:

• Objective:
  • Bring researchers closer to the general public and increase public awareness of R&I activities;
  • Encourage young people to engage in scientific careers;
  • Supporting also science festivals and events with added value for the EU.
• Type of action: Punctual events.

Contact us if you would like to know how we can maximize your chances of success.

Source: Jitka Eryilmaz– MSCA / Erasmus+ Senior Expert
Picture: Pexels