About the programme

The objective of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 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. Postdoctoral Fellowships help researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.The essence of the programme are individual research and training fellowships for researchers holding a doctoral degree. The programme enables them to develop their creativity and acquire new skills by working on an individual, interdisciplinary research and training project, as well as through international and inter-sector mobility.

Who can apply?

The researcher submits the proposal together with a host organisation (university, research institution, business, SME or other organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country). All disciplines are eligible for Postdoctoral Fellowships, including research areas covered by the Euratom Research andTraining Programme.

Researchers interested in MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships:

• should possess a PhD at the time of call deadline. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply;
• must have a maximum of eight years’ full-time 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 researchin third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States orHorizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe;
• should comply with mobility rules: they must not have resided or carried out theirmain activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for GlobalPostdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

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

Seal of Excellence certificates will be awarded to applications with a total score equal to or higher than 85%, but which cannot be funded due to lack of budget available under the call. Obtaining SoE certificate for a project that was to be implemented in Poland by a researcher from abroad allows applying for funding for this project under the NAWA Ulam Programme.

Types of fellowships

There are 2 types of Postdoctoral Fellowships:

1. European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers moving within Europeor 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 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 spentin a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year toan 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).

In an effort to build bridges between the academic and non-academic sector, researchers can receive additional support to carry out a placement of up to 6 months in a non-academic organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. This placement needs to take place at the end of their fellowship.

For Postdoctoral Fellowships in research areas covered by the Euratom Research and Training Programme, researchers need to be nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or a Euratom Associated Country. The beneficiary organisation recruiting the researcher also needs to be established in an EU Member State or Euratom Associated Country.

Benefits for researchers

• development of academic career through research and training
• opportunity to take up collaboration with the non-academic sector
• employment under an employment contract for the period of the fellowship
• funding for research, conferences, and publications

Benefits for institutions

• employment of a researcher fully covered from the project budget
• development of the organisation’s scientific potential
• possibility to use the results – the IP belongs to the organisation
• participation in the project is taken into account in the Ministry of Education and Science’s evaluation of scientific institutions

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

See the details of funding in MSCA Work Programme 2026-2027, p. 78

How to apply?

Applications should be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Grant agreement

Model grant agreement

Reporting

Workshops materials - MSCA PF 2024 call

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: How to Attract Talents

On February 28, 2024, the webinar on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships Action was held. The event entitled MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: how to attract talents? organised by the MSCA National Contact Points from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia was addressed to representatives of research institutions, enterprises (including SMEs), non-profit organizations, public administration, and other entities that would like to submit their proposals and participate in the MSCA PF 2024 project.

 Agenda

1. Welcome & Introduction
2. MSCA Guidelines on Supervision, Liene Kairiša, Latvian Council of Science
3. EURAXESS, Siiri Kolka, Estonian Research Council, Coordinator of the Estonian EURAXESS Network
4. MSCA-NET matchmaking platform, Justyna Lučinska, Research Council of Lithuania

Q&A session

5. Host institutions from Baltic countries - exchange of experience:

• Dr. chem. Kristīne Meile, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry
• Ana Raišienė, Research Projects Office, Vilnius University
• Laura Tomson, Grant office, University of Tartu

6. Synergy between fellows and supervisors – an example of practices and benefits from our laboratory

• Dr. Maria Górna, University of Warsaw
• Prof. Krzysztof Woźniak, University of Warsaw

Q&A session

Recording available soon.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024: The Path to an Excellent Career

On 11th April 2024 there was a joint event for scientists on "MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024: The Path to an Excellent Career" organised by the NCPs from Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

Agenda

1. Welcome & Introduction
2. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 call - the general overview
   Edyta Katarzyna Niemczak and Joanna Robaczewska, European Research Executive Agency (REA)
3. Developing dynamic and fundable project proposals for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship
   Dr. Emily Peppers, University of Warsaw
4. How to find MSCA PF hosting offers – EURAXESS
   Justyna Lučinska, NCP, Research Council of Lithuania
5. Summary and next meetings