Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) provide grants for all stages of researchers; careers and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. The MSCA enable research-focused organisations (universities, research centres, and companies) to host talented foreign researchers and to create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide. The MSCA aim to equip researchers with the necessary skills and international experience for a successful career, either in the public or the private sector. The programme responds to the challenges sometimes faced by researchers, offering them attractive working conditions and the opportunity to move between academic and other settings.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions ensure excellent and innovative research training as well as attractive career and knowledge-exchange opportunities through cross-border and cross-sector mobility of researchers, to better prepare them for current and future societal challenges. Actions are open to all domains of research and innovation addressed under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, from basic research up to market take-up and innovation services. Research and innovation fields as well as sectors are chosen freely by the applicants in a fully bottom-up manner.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships

Advanced career development takes place through the Postdoctoral Fellowships, which provides support for experienced researchers of all levels undertaking mobility, within Europe and beyond. Experienced Researcher (ER) must, at the date of the call deadline, have a doctoral degree or be in possession of a doctoral degree.

The objective of MSCA PFs is to support researchers’ careers and foster excellence in research. The Postdoctoral Fellowships action targets researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. PFs help researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.

There are 2 types of Postdoctoral Fellowships:

  1. European Postdoctoral Fellowships. They are open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world to pursue their research career. These fellowships take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and can last between 1 and 2 years. Researchers of any nationality can apply.
  2. Global Postdoctoral Fellowships. They fund the mobility of researchers outside Europe. The fellowship lasts between 2 to 3 years, of which the first 1 to 2 years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.

Both types of fellowships may also include short-term secondments anywhere in the world during the fellowship (except during the return phase of a Global Fellowship).

Who can apply for Postdoctoral Fellowships?

All disciplines are eligible for MSCA PF fundings, interested researchers must submit an application together with a host organisation, which can be a university, research institution, business, SME or other organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Researchers interested in PFs:

  • should have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply
  • must have a maximum of eight years experience in research, from the date of the award of their PhD degree, years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe
  • should comply with mobility rules: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline

As from 2022, resubmission restrictions will apply for applications that received a score below 70% the previous year.

What does the funding cover?

The beneficiary receiving EU funding needs to recruit the researcher for the total period of the fellowship. The EU provides support for the recruited researcher in the form of:

  • a living allowance
  • a mobility allowance
  • if applicable, family, long-term leave and special needs allowances

In addition, funding is provided for

  • research, training and networking activities
  • management and indirect costs

How to apply?

Researchers must prepare an application with a host organisation of your choice. After developing your application, submit your application to an open funding call published on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal

2023 Call: HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01-01: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023

2024 Call: HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01-01: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024

For more information: