MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) support researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines, from life-saving healthcare to ‘blue-sky’ science, are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support forms of innovative training that enhances employability and career development.

 

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) are meant to support the best, most promising individual researchers from anywhere in the world.  By means of the MSCA-PF program, scientists have the possibility to gain experience abroad and in the private sector, and to complete their training with competences or disciplines useful for their careers. In fact, an additional placement of up to six months at the end of the project can be awarded to researchers who will spend that period in a non-academic organisation established in an EU Member State or Associated Country (MS / AC).

Types of Grants

There are two types of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (previously called Individual Fellowships):

  • Held in the EU – MS / AC

  • Open to researchers either coming to Europe or moving within Europe

  • They can include a secondment period of up to 8 months in another organisation anywhere in the world, where this would boost the impact of the fellowship

  • Duration of the projects financed in the EF ranges from 12 to 24 months.
  • Are composed of two phases:

    • An outgoing phase to a Third Country (TC) outside Europe (i.e. non-MS / AC)

    • A mandatory return phase to a MS / AC that will happen afterwards

  • Open to researchers moving towards the TC from anywhere (Europe or otherwise) as long as they return to Europe in the return phase

  • They can include a secondment period of up to 8 months in another organisation anywhere in the world during the outgoing phase, where this would boost the impact of the fellowship

  • Duration of the projects financed in the GF is 24 to 36 months (12 – 24 outgoing phase + 12 months final European phase)

Eligible Researchers

At the time of the deadline of the call, researchers shall have obtained a doctoral degree or defended their doctoral thesis.

They should have, at the time of the deadline, a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date of award of the doctoral degree.

This requirement is however subject to the following: for those researchers who have had certain interruptions during their career, the 8-year period will be extended by the length of such interruptions. Interruptions recognized by the EC include:

  • Maternity leave (extended by 18 months – i.e. 548 days per child born after the PhD award date, or the exact durationof maternity leave taken, whichever is longest)

  • Paternity leave (extended by the exact duration per child born after the PhD award date)

  • Long-term sick leave (for periods longer than 30 days)

  • Research in a non-associated TC – only for nationals or long-term residents of MS or AC, who will be reintegrating to Europe through the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship (reintegration in Europe means, in this context, moving directly from the non-associated TC to Europe, or having just recently moved back to Europe in the last 12 months. This means research periods in a non-associated TC will count towards the 8-year limit if a researcher has already come back and has been developing his career in Europe since)

  • Time spent not working in research

  • Career breaks

  • Compulsory national service

Also, researchers need to comply with the mobility rules required in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF):
  • Open to postdoctoral researchers of any nationality.

  • The postdoctoral researcher must move or have moved from any country to the Member State (MS) / Horizon Europe Associate Country (AC) where the host institution is located.

  • The postdoctoral researcher has to comply with the general mobility rule: not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host institution for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline.

  • Open to postdoctoral researcher nationals or long-term residents of MS / AC (long-term: period of full-time research activity in MS/AC of at least 5 consecutive years).

  • The postdoctoral researcher must move or have moved from any country to the TC of the outgoing phase.

  • The postdoctoral researcher has to comply with the mobility rule in the Third Country of the outgoing phase: not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the TC for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline.

  • The postdoctoral researcher is recruited during the whole duration of the project by the European Host Institution.

Financial Support

The grant provides an allowance to cover living, travel and family costs. The grant is awarded to a host organisation, usually a university, research centre or a company in Europe that employs the Experienced Researchers. The research costs and overheads of the host organisation(s) are also supported.

The European financial contribution for a Marie Curie Fellowship is a flat-rate for the entire period of the project. The salary conditions of a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow is very competitive in relation to the average cost of living in Madrid (gross salary of over € 50,000). It provides the following entries yearly allocated:

1. Researcher unit cost (per month)

Living allowance* Mobility allowance Family allowance
€ 5,080
€ 600
€ 660

* A country correction coefficient applies to the living allowance

2. Institutional unit cost (per month):

Living allowance* Mobility allowance
€ 5,080
€ 600

Applying for a MSCA-PF

Your supervisor should be a researcher at Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), who must agree to sponsor your proposal. If you have not contacted anyone yet, you should have a look at our Expressions of Interest service (EoI) to find groups interested in hosting candidates.

The deadline for MSCA-PF-2023 is September 13, 2023 at 17:00 (CET). Results are expected to be sent to applicants by early 2024.