The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) offer funding for early stage as well as experienced researchers starting at the doctoral level promoting individual career development and focusing on international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility. The University of Göttingen has an excellent track record in managing MSCA projects and Göttingen International offers dedicated support during the complete project cycle, from application to final report.
About Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) exist as European mobility measures for more than 25 years and are today considered the European Union’s reference programme for excellent doctoral education and postdoctoral training. Under the current programme, the MSCA have an allocated budget of 6.6 billion EUR and comprise both institutional and individual actions.
By design, the MSCA practice a bottom-up approach resulting in calls being open to all disciplines with research topics chosen freely by the applicants. Furthermore, the MSCA are based on the principles of “excellence”, “international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility”, “fair recruitment and employment conditions and inclusiveness”, “effective supervision”, “Open Science” and the promotion of sustainable research in line with the “European Green Deal” as well as the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Funding schemes of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are organised into five different funding schemes:
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) provide funding for individual research projects by postdoctoral researchers with the aim of supporting the researcher’s career development while promoting excellent research. Applications are prepared by the researcher together with a supervisor (professor) from the host institution of choice, i.e. the University of Göttingen. Postdoctoral Fellowships are available either as European Postdoctoral Fellowships with a duration of 12 to 24 months or as Global Postdoctoral Fellowships with a duration of 24 to 36 months. In terms of mobility, European Fellowships provide optional secondments to other institutions from the academic or non-academic sector, while Global Fellowships include a mandatory outgoing-phase (12 to 24 months) to a second host institution in a non-European and non-associated country as well as a return phase of 12 months at the European host institution. Postdoctoral Fellowships are financed through institutional funding covering "research, training and networking costs", "management and indirect costs" as well as "researcher costs". For researchers, Postdoctoral Fellowships offer employment against contract for a full-time position for the duration of the fellowship that can be extended by a follow-up non-academic placement for up to 6 months. For further information on Postdoctoral Fellowships and how to apply with the University of Göttingen, please contact the MSCA advisory staff at Göttingen International.
Doctoral Networks (DN) provide funding for transnational doctoral training programmes set up by consortia comprised of organisations from the academic and non-academic sectors including universities, research institutions and businesses (incl. SMEs) from Europe and beyond. Their aim is to train highly skilled doctoral candidates and to improve their career opportunities by engaging in excellent research and international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility. At the organisational level, DNs aim at facilitating knowledge exchange between participating organisations and increasing the overall quality of doctoral programmes. DNs are available as Doctoral Networks, Industrial Doctorates, and Joint Doctorates. Projects have a duration of 48 months and are financed through institutional funding covering "research, training and networking costs", "management and indirect costs" as well as "researcher costs". For doctoral candidates, DNs offer employment against contract for a full-time position for a maximum of 36 months. For further information on the Doctoral Networks and how to apply with the University of Göttingen, please contact the MSCA advisory staff at Göttingen International.
Staff Exchanges (SE) provide funding for international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral exchange of scientific personnel starting with doctoral candidates as well as administrative, technical or managerial staff of international consortia composed of organisations from the academic and non-academic sectors including universities, research institutions and businesses (incl. SMEs). SE support joint research and innovation activities for a duration of up to four years with the aim of enabling international R&I collaboration thereby increasing the research and innovation capacity and knowledge base of the participating organisations while providing comprehensive training and career development opportunities to participating staff. SE are financed through institutional funding covering research, training and network costs, management and indirect costs as well as researcher costs. From the latter, seconded staff will receive a top-up to their regular salary to cover all costs during the secondment phase, which can range from min. 30 days to max. 12 months. For further information on Staff Exchanges and how to apply with the University of Göttingen, please contact the MSCA advisory staff at Göttingen International.
COFUND provides co-funding for new or existing training and career development programmes for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers offered by organisations from EU Member States and states associated to the Horizon Europe programme with a max. duration of 60 months. Co-funding will be provided for either to Doctoral Programmes that offer research training activities as well as mobility opportunities to doctoral candidates and lead to the award of a doctoral degree or, Postdoctoral Programmes offering individual training and career developing opportunities to researchers who already obtained a doctoral degree with the aim of increasing the researchers’ skill sets and overall employability. Co-funding is provided in form of a fixed contribution which can be used flexibly to support any cost items of the programme (either "personnel costs" or "research, training and networking costs" and "management and indirect costs"). However, the overall EU contribution to an institution is limited to 10 million EUR per call. For the individual researcher, the programme offers employment against contract for a full-time position for a maximum of 36 months. For further information on COFUND and how to apply with the University of Göttingen, please contact the MSCA advisory staff at Göttingen International.
The aim of the MSCA and Citizens action is to raise public awareness of the importance of science and to increase public recognition of science and research education by funding Europe-wide science communication and promotion events, in the form of the European Researchers' Night, aimed at the general public and in particular at families, pupils and students. Eligible applicants must be legal entities established in an EU Member State or in a country associated to Horizon Europe. An application may be submitted by a single organisation or by several organisations forming a regional, national or international consortium. Projects have a duration of 2 years and funding is provided in the form of a lump sum. An application can be submitted by a single organisation or multiple organisations forming a regional, national, or international consortium. Projects have a duration of 2 years with funding being provided in form of a lump sum. For further information on MSCA & Citizens and how to apply with the University of Göttingen, please contact the MSCA advisory staff at Göttingen International.
Consultation and support for MSCA applications
Are you planning to submit an application or participate in a consortium submitting an application within the MSCA?
Göttingen International with its unit for Education and Mobility programmes offers dedicated support for your MSCA application. Prospective applicants are kindly requested to notify the unit’s advisory staff by email once an application is considered in order to receive institutional support and to comply with all regulatory requirements of the funding organisation and the university as well as to obtain the necessary signatures for required documents.
Seed funding for developing EU proposals
The Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK), with the programmes "Niedersachsen FIT", "Niedersachsen BEREIT" and "Niedersachsen Konsort", offers financial support for measures to prepare applications in funding programmes of the European Union. Information on the programmes and how to apply is available from the MSCA advisory staff at Göttingen International or can be found here (German only).
EU Sanctions Lists
Collaborations with sanctioned organisations and individuals are not eligible for funding. Make sure that your cooperation partners are not subject to sanctions. Use the EU Sanctions Map for a quick check.
Kontakt:
Ricarda Blumentritt Head Education and Mobility programmes, Advisor for EU Programmes
