Marie Skłodowska-Curie POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

About the programme

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?

Researchers holding a doctoral degree from various organisations: universities, research institutions, businesses, or other organisations based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.

Each organisation has to appoint a scientific supervisor of the researchers it employs.

The researcher should have been holding a doctoral degree not longer than eight years at the time of the deadline for applications*. 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 researchers who wish to reintegrate to Europe.

In addition, applicants should comply with mobility rules: they may not choose a host institution in a country in which they have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) for more than 12 months in the three years immediately before the call deadline.

Applications that received a score below 70% may be subject to a yearly waiting period, which means restriction on their resubmission in the 2022 call.

*You can find a tool that helps with the calculations here, under the name MSCA-PF: Self-assessment tool for the calculation of the 8-years research experience.

Types of fellowships

There are two types of fellowships under the PF:

- European Postdoctoral Fellowships, EF: dedicated to researchers who wish to expand their activities within Europe. The fellowships are open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world. They take place in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country and can last between one and two years. Researchers of any nationality can apply.

- Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, GF: provide funding for the mobility of researchers outside Europe. A fellowship lasts between two and three years, of which the first one to two years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of one year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or a 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 addition, for those who wish to engage with the non-academic sector (companies, banks, foundations, etc.), it is possible to extend the project by an additional six months of employment in a European non-academic organisation.

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

Funding

The project budget covers remuneration, the costs of research, training, conferences, and publications, as well as management costs and indirect costs – in the form of unit costs calculated on the basis of the planned period of project implementation (in months).

Remuneration of the researcher (gross amounts including the employer’s costs) / month:

• base remuneration: 5,080 €*
• mobility allowance: 600 €
• family allowance (if applicable): 660 €
• long-term leave allowance: according to the formula set out in the MSCA Work Programme
• so called special needs allowance (if applicable): according to the formula set out in the MSCA Work Programme

Institution costs / month:

• research, training and networking activities: 1,000 €
• management and indirect costs: 650 €

*the amount is subject to correction coefficients specified in the MSCA Work Programme, p. 105.

How to apply?

Applications should be submitted via the website of the European Commission – Funding and tenders opportunities portal.

Important dates:

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022

The call opens on: 12 May 2022

The call closes on: 14 September 2022 (5 pm Brussels time)

The results of the call will be announced in: February 2023

Helpful information:

Basic information for applicants can be found HERE. 

Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions – guidelines on supervision – a set of recommendations that help both researchers and institutions define the direction of supervision over a researcher.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions – Green Charter – a set of good practices addressed to both institutions and researchers, including matters related to environmental protection.