The European Commission has announced €1.25bn research funding for the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), part of Horizon Europe.
The significant Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions research funding will support thousands of researchers and develop an array of doctoral and postdoctoral programmes to boost the European research and innovation ecosystem.
Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, commented: “With the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under Horizon Europe, we commit to fostering international collaboration and nurturing the next generation of researchers and innovators.
“The €1.25bn in these calls will catalyse cutting-edge research and boost the careers of thousands of brilliant minds, supporting their mobility across countries and disciplines to acquire new knowledge and skills.
“We need these excellent researchers in Europe to ensure that we remain at the forefront of scientific progress and succeed in tackling the challenges that we face.”
Aims of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under Horizon Europe support world-class research and innovation, empowering imaginative researchers with fresh knowledge and skills.
They provide training and exposure across various borders, fields, and socioeconomic sectors, making MSCA a vital component of the European Research Area. These actions boost researchers’ careers and enhance their cross-border skills development.
They also advocate for the principles of the Charter for Researchers and the European framework for research careers, improving recruitment, working conditions, and setting researcher standards.
Furthermore, MSCA contributes significantly to reforming research assessment systems, promoting diverse career paths and a broad definition of excellence in alignment with the European Commission’s commitment to the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) process.
How will the Horizon Europe research funding be employed?
This year’s funding round kicks off with three calls:
- MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellowships support experienced researchers in acquiring new skills, advancing their careers, and gaining international exposure by working abroad. With a budget of €417.2m, the call closes on 11 September.
- MSCA COFUND: This initiative helps organisations establish or improve doctoral training and postdoctoral fellowship programmes, aiming to attract international talent by co-funding a significant portion of their costs. Institutions must supplement this funding with their own resources, ensuring high standards and excellent working conditions. The call, with a budget of €104.8m, closes on 26 September.
- Feedback to Policy Initiative: With a budget of €2m, this initiative strengthens thematic connections between MSCA projects, highlighting their impact on key EU policy priorities and exploring ways to enhance program effectiveness. The call closes on 3 September.
Additionally, two other major calls will open this year: the MSCA Doctoral Networks, and the MSCA Staff Exchanges.
Doctoral Networks will create programmes to recruit and train doctoral candidates across academia and diverse sectors like industry, businesses, and public administrations.
These networks also facilitate the development of joint degrees, potentially including a European degree. With a budget of €608.6m, the call closes on 27 November.
The Staff Exchanges initiative fosters global, cross-sector, and interdisciplinary exchanges to share knowledge throughout innovation. With a budget of €99.47m, the call closes on 5 February 2025.
