Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 2021-2022
17. Jun 2021
On 15 June 2021, the European Commission has published the new Work Programme for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) under Horizon Europe. It covers the budget as well as calls for proposals for all Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under 2021-2022. For the call year 2021 an overall budegt of EUR 817.1 million is foreseen, for the call year 2022 it's EUR 874.73 million.
The new Work Programme focuses on the career development of researchers and includes the following modifications with regard to all funding lines: Compared to Horizon 2020, the units have been increased. A long-term leave allowance was newly introduced. It is intended to cover costs incurred by a beneficiary in the case of a fellow's absence that exceeds 30 days. Furthermore, two new documents have been published recently: The Guidelines for MSCA supervision and the MSCA Green Charter.
Proposals under all MSCA must be submitted at the specific call deadline via the Electronic Submission System of the European Commission. In order to use the system, you must register at EU Login first.
The Work Programme 2021-2022 includes the following funding lines:
Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF)
The Postdoctoral Fellowships are divided into two different programmes:
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European Postdoctoral Fellowships are available at a host institution in an EU Member State or at a host institution in a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
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Global Postdoctoral Fellowships include an "outgoing phase" of 12 - 24 months and thus a host institution in a non-European or non-Associated Country and a mandatory return phase of 12 months at a host institution based in an EU Member State or in a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
New: An additional period of up to six months at a non-academic institution based in an EU Member State or in a Horizon Europe Associated Country may be requested in both Fellowship programmes in justified cases. Additionally, secondments may take place worldwide for a maximum of 1/3 of the project duration (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships 1/3 of the outgoing phase) and only researchers who hold a doctoral degree and have a maximum of 8 years of full-time post-graduate research experience at the time of the submission deadline are eligible to apply.
The Reintegration Panel, the Career Restart Panel and also the Society and Enterprise Panel no longer exist under Horizon Europe. However, periods spent outside research, career breaks (e.g. parental leave) and periods spent in a non-European and non-Associated Country (for researchers who wish to reintegrate into an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country) can be deducted from the 8 years of full-time research experience.
The mobility rule now applies equally to all fellows: They may not have lived or worked in the host institution’s country for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to the submission deadline and applications submitted in the previous years under Horizon Europe (same host institution and same researcher) that received less than 70% of the possible points may not be resubmitted in the following year.
The call 2021 will open on 22 June 2021 with a deadline on 12 October 2021.
The call 2022 will open on 13 April 2022 with a deadline on 14 September 2022.
Doctoral Networks (DN)
Doctoral Networks offer financial support for international doctoral programmes for up to four years. A DN consortium consists of partners from the academic and non-academic sector, such as universities, research institutions and research infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors.
New: Under Horizon Europe consortiums consist of at least three independent legal entities/institutions, each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, with at least one institution located in an EU Member State (on top of this minimum, any entity from any third country can join). Three implementation modi of DN in Horizon Europe are possible, Doctoral Networks (DN), Industrial Doctorates (ID) and Joint Doctorates (JD). For ID and JD additional requirements apply:
- Industrial Doctorates (ID): The consortium consists of at least three independent legal entities/institutions. At least one institution must be from the academic sector and at least one must come from the non-academic sector each established in a different EU Member State and/or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Doctoral candidates need to spend 50% of their time in the non-academic sector. Academic and non-academic institutions that offer a joint supervision can be situated in the same country.
- Joint Doctorates (JD): The consortium consists of at least three independent legal entities/institutions, which are able to award doctoral degrees. At least two of the independent legal entities/institutions conferring a joint, double or multiple doctoral degree and have to be located in an EU Member State and/or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
New: All modi of the Doctoral Networks offer their doctoral candidates worldwide secondments for up to 1/3 of the actual months spent implementing the research training activities in total. The EU contribution for Doctoral Networks is limited to a maximum of 360 person-months; ID and JD up to 540 person-months. Resubmissions from previous MSC-DN applications under Horizon Europe have to pass a quality threshold of 80%.
The call 2021 will open on 22 June 2021 with a deadline on 16 November 2021.
The call 2022 will open on 03 May 2022 with a deadline on 15 November 2022.
Staff Exchanges (SE)
SE supports international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaborations through the exchange of scientific, technical or management staff on the basis of a joint research and/or innovation project of at least three legal entities from different EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries or non-European third countries and/or different sectors. The projects can last up to four years.
What is new compared to the previous RISE programme in Horizon 2020 is that, within a limited scope, secondments can now take place within Europe in the same sector, provided that they are interdisciplinary. The maximum number of person-months available for the implementation of exchanges was reduced under Horizon Europe to 360.
The call 2021 will open on 07 October 2021 with a deadline on 09 March 2022.
The call 2022 will open on 06 October 2022 with a deadline on 08 March 2023.
Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes (COFUND)
COFUND provides co-financing funds for new or existing regional, national or international postdoc or doctoral programmes. Such programmes fund transnational and cross-sector mobility of researchers and offer interdisciplinary training.
The co-financing takes the form of a monthly „COFUND Allowance“ that can be used for co-financing the fellows’ living allowance, research and networking costs or management costs. In principle, the EU contribution now covers the minimum remuneration for the fellows.
The call 2021 will open on 12 October 2021 with a deadline on 10 February 2022.
The call 2022 will open on 11 October 2022 with a deadline on 09 February 2023.
MSCA and Citizens (CITIZENS, European Researchers’ Night)
The European Researchers' Night, which takes place annually on the last Friday in September, aims to raise awareness of the societal relevance of research and science among a broad audience in the context of a larger evening event. The programme aims to highlight research and its direct impact on everyday life, and especially to get young people excited about science. For this reason, the 2022 call includes the "Researchers in Schools" initiative, which aims to strengthen the link between research and education and to promote interaction with students at all levels of primary and secondary education.
In the upcoming call, applicants are also encouraged to focus their activities on the themes of the EU missions (including cancer research or climate-neutral and smart cities). Another new feature is that funding will now be provided by means of a lump sum specified in the application. Applications should ideally be submitted for two consecutive events (European Researchers' Night 2022 & 2023).
The call 2022 will open on 22 June 2021 with a deadline on 07 October 2021.