Horizon Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Area of Study / Research: Human Medicine, Health Sciences

Type of Grant: Research grants, research allowances, and grants for full degree programmes in the host country

Funding: European Union funding under Horizon Europe

Target Group:

• Postgraduates
• PhD students
• PhD holders, postdoctoral researchers
• Researchers
• Scientific institutions and companies

Duration: Varies depending on the particular MSCA subscheme

Application Deadline: Varies by specific MSCA call

What Are Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions?

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are flagship EU research and innovation funding instruments designed to support researchers at all stages of their careers, in all disciplines and sectors. The MSCA promote international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility, enabling scientists to work abroad, advance their careers, and contribute to the global research ecosystem.

MSCA funding helps researchers to:

• pursue excellent research projects;
• develop new skills;
• collaborate across academia, industry, and business;
• enhance future career prospects;
• break down barriers between sectors and promote knowledge exchange.

These actions also support public outreach and engagement activities that highlight the value and enjoyment of science.

Key MSCA Funding Schemes

The MSCA cover a variety of funding mechanisms tailored to different research career stages and institutional needs. These include:

1. Doctoral Networks (DN) Support collaborative doctoral training programmes run by international networks of academic and non-academic organisations. These networks offer excellent research and training environments for early-stage researchers.
2. Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) Fund individual postdoctoral projects undertaken abroad. There are two main types:

• European Postdoctoral Fellowships: researchers of any nationality undertake research in an EU Member State or an associated country.
• Global Postdoctoral Fellowships: researchers based in the EU or associated countries carry out research outside Europe and return for a mandatory phase in Europe.

3. Staff Exchanges (SE) Enable short-term exchanges of research and innovation staff between organisations in different countries and sectors, fostering collaboration and knowledge transfers.
4. COFUND Co-funds regional, national or international doctoral and postdoctoral programmes to promote excellence, mobility and career development.
5. MSCA and Citizens Promotes science to the public through events such as the European Researchers’ Night.
6. Choose Europe for Science (pilot initiative) Supports research programmes recruiting several researchers for multi-year projects, contributing to research excellence and mobility.

What Does MSCA Funding Cover?

MSCA grants can support:

• salaries and research costs for researchers;
• mobility allowances;
• institutional costs tied to hosting researchers;
• networking, training, secondments and interdisciplinary exchanges;
• support for inclusiveness, special needs or family allowances.

Funding opportunities are available for researchers at different stages of their careers, from doctoral candidates to experienced postdoctoral scientists.

Who Can Apply?

MSCA funding is bottom-up and supports research in any scientific or innovation area, including — but not limited to — human medicine and health sciences.

Depending on the specific action:

• individual researchers may apply with a host organisation (Postdoctoral Fellowships);
• international organisations may apply as consortia (Doctoral Networks, Staff Exchanges, COFUND);
• scientific institutions, universities, companies, SMEs, NGOs, and other research user organisations can participate.

How to Apply:

The MSCA application process varies by funding strand. General guidance and application details are available on the official MSCA website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Important steps for applicants include:

1. Identify the appropriate MSCA action and open call for your profile.
2. Read the specific call documents, including eligibility and application guidelines.
3. If applying as an organisation, register and prepare your proposal via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
4. If applying as an individual (e.g., for Postdoctoral Fellowships or Doctoral Networks), find a suitable host organisation and develop a joint application.
5. Submit your application well before the deadline via the electronic submission system.

The official MSCA website also provides detailed guidance on how to apply, sample documents, templates and further help, including national contact points in each country.

How to apply for funding - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

COFUND call: 6 steps to prepare your application - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Additional Resources

For more detailed information on:

• specific MSCA funding opportunities,
• eligibility criteria,
• application templates,
• evaluation rules, visit the official Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions website: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/ 

For detailed application guides and calls, see the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

National Contact Points: For personalized support on applying from Austria (or your country), contact the National Contact Point within your national research funding agency (e.g., Austrian Research Promotion Agency, FFG for Austria).