This is the edition of 28 September 2026. The dates and statuses below are as they stood on that day and may have changed since. Read the current edition.
European research funding cycles reward those who plan well in advance, and the calls gathered here span doctoral training, postdoctoral mobility, and independent research consolidation across the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the European Research Council. Knowing which instrument fits which stage of a career, and what each call actually demands, is the first step toward a credible strategy.
Of the five calls below, three are applied for by institutions or consortia, with individual positions recruited after the grant is awarded, and two are applied for directly by the individual researcher, together with a host organisation.
MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026
Open, closes 24 November 2026. MSCA Doctoral Networks.
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks are designed to raise the quality and international reach of doctoral training by bringing together universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners in a shared programme. The expected outcomes for doctoral candidates include developing a broader set of research competencies and the capacity to translate knowledge into tangible outputs where relevant. For the organisations involved, the call explicitly targets improved supervision arrangements and deeper cross-sector knowledge transfer. Understanding which research groups are active in this instrument helps a prospective doctoral candidate position themselves for the recruited posts that will follow once grants are awarded.
Preparation step. Map research groups and departments in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Doctoral Networks, follow their vacancy pages and mailing lists, and build a profile that speaks to the cross-sector and interdisciplinary dimensions the call description emphasises, so you are well placed when funded projects open their recruitment.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01-01
ERC Consolidator Grant
Open, closes 12 January 2027. ERC Consolidator Grant.
Who applies. The individual researcher applies directly, together with a chosen host organisation.
The ERC Consolidator Grant is designed for researchers who have already demonstrated independence and are building or consolidating their own research team or programme. The call explicitly supports Principal Investigators at a stage where they can show a track record of independent work, making it a significant milestone grant for researchers moving beyond early-career status. The funding period extends across five years, giving recipients the runway to pursue ambitious, longer-horizon research questions. If you are approaching this career stage, understanding the grant's scope and the evidence of independence it requires is essential groundwork.
Preparation step. Draft a concise outline of your proposed research programme, identify a prospective host organisation where you could be based as Principal Investigator, and open a conversation with their research office well before the submission deadline, since institutional support and administrative preparation take considerable time.
Official topic page: ERC-2027-COG
MSCA COFUND 2027
Opens 8 December 2026, closes 6 April 2027. MSCA COFUND (doctoral programmes).
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND for doctoral programmes co-funds existing or new doctoral schemes at participating organisations, with the explicit aim of embedding international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary dimensions into structured training. The call description highlights that supported candidates are expected to develop broader approaches to research and innovation work through that kind of diverse experience. For a prospective doctoral candidate, this instrument is relevant because it shapes the environment and culture of the programme they would eventually enter, not just the funding behind it. Institutions awarded COFUND grants typically advertise open doctoral positions through their own channels once the grant is running.
Preparation step. Identify universities or research institutes in your field that have received or expressed interest in COFUND doctoral programme funding, sign up for their postgraduate recruitment newsletters, and tailor your research statement to reflect the interdisciplinary and international dimensions that COFUND-supported programmes tend to prioritise.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-COFUND-01-01
MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2027
Opens 8 December 2026, closes 6 April 2027. MSCA COFUND (postdoctoral programmes).
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND for postdoctoral programmes, here branded as Choose Europe for Science, is explicitly oriented toward career stability and the development of greater researcher autonomy, alongside alignment with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. The call description signals that participating organisations are expected to improve their human resources and career progression practices, which means the positions eventually advertised under funded programmes may come with more transparent and researcher-friendly conditions than standard postdoctoral contracts. For an early-career researcher, this framing matters when evaluating the quality of a future postdoctoral environment. Keeping track of which organisations secure this funding gives advance notice of where well-structured postdoctoral opportunities are likely to emerge.
Preparation step. Research which organisations in your discipline are already aligned with the European Charter for Researchers or the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, as these are the kinds of institutions likely to pursue Choose Europe for Science funding, and consider reaching out to their research offices or group leaders to express interest in future postdoctoral openings.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-COFUND-02-01
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2027
Opens 7 April 2027, closes 8 September 2027. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Who applies. The individual researcher applies directly, together with a chosen host organisation.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships support individual researchers in designing and carrying out their own project at a host organisation, with the expected outcome of broadening research and transferable skills and building capacity for independent work. The call description also notes that participating organisations are expected to align working conditions with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, which is a meaningful signal about the professional environment the fellowship is meant to create. Because the researcher and a prospective host organisation develop the proposal together, the quality of that relationship and the fit between the fellow's project and the host's environment are central to a strong application. Verifying all eligibility conditions, including the mobility rule, on the official topic page before investing significant preparation time is essential.
Preparation step. Begin identifying prospective host organisations whose research environment complements your project idea, then open an early conversation with a potential supervisor or host contact to test the fit and start shaping a project outline that reflects the interdisciplinary or inter-sectoral dimensions the fellowship description encourages.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-PF-01-01
Deadlines, statuses, and call identifiers are drawn from the
EU Funding and Tenders Portal and were verified against it on the date shown above. Confirm each call's current status on its own topic page before you rely on it. These calls close at 17:00 Brussels time on their stated deadline. Clau is a free companion for doctoral candidates and early-career researchers that helps with the project text and application materials behind calls like these.