This is the edition of 29 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 spans a wide range of career stages and disciplinary contexts, and knowing which calls align with your trajectory can shape the direction of an entire research career. This radar brings together Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions calls alongside an ERC Consolidator Grant, covering doctoral training, postdoctoral development, and the consolidation of an independent research programme.
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 bring together universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners to design and deliver structured doctoral training across disciplines and sectors. When funded, these networks advertise open doctoral positions, creating real entry points for candidates seeking a research environment with built-in cross-sector and international dimensions. The programme explicitly targets improvements to supervision quality and the sustainability of doctoral training, which matters when you are evaluating where to do your doctorate. Knowing which consortia are active in your field puts you ahead of the recruitment wave that follows a successful award.
Preparation step. Map the research groups and institutions in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Doctoral Networks, then follow their news channels and vacancy pages so you are ready to respond when recruited positions are advertised after grants are awarded.
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 are in the process of consolidating an independent research programme and can demonstrate research independence, making it relevant for early-career researchers who are approaching or have passed the point of leading their own line of inquiry. The grant supports a period of up to sixty months, which gives a Principal Investigator the runway to build a team and pursue ambitious questions. Because the grant explicitly funds the PI's own programme rather than a pre-defined topic, it rewards originality and a clearly articulated scientific vision.
Preparation step. Draft a one-page outline of the independent research programme you would pursue, focusing on the scientific questions only you are positioned to ask, and use it to open a conversation with a potential host institution about mutual fit well before the submission window.
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 doctoral programmes co-fund existing or new doctoral schemes at participating organisations, enriching them with international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary dimensions. The expected outcomes for doctoral candidates include a broader and more varied set of research-related competences and the kind of cross-boundary experience that shapes how researchers approach problems throughout their careers. For candidates still choosing where to pursue a doctorate, a COFUND-supported programme signals that the host organisation has committed to a quality and sustainability standard for its training. Positions within funded programmes are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Preparation step. Identify universities and research institutes in your field that have hosted COFUND doctoral programmes in previous cycles, bookmark their graduate school pages, and set up alerts so you catch vacancy announcements as soon as funded programmes begin recruiting.
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 Choose Europe for Science is a postdoctoral COFUND instrument with an explicit focus on career stability and on aligning institutional practices with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. For postdoctoral researchers, this means that organisations receiving funding are committing to concrete improvements in how they recruit, support career progression, and assess research output. The call also references the European framework to attract and retain research, innovation, and entrepreneurial talents, signalling that funded programmes are designed with researcher retention in mind. Positions will be advertised by funded organisations after grants are awarded.
Preparation step. Review which organisations in your discipline have strong alignment with the European Charter for Researchers and the reformed research assessment principles, since these are the institutions most likely to develop competitive proposals and subsequently advertise postdoctoral positions under this instrument.
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 postdoctoral researchers working with a host organisation, with outcomes that include broadening research and transferable competences and building the kind of cross-disciplinary and cross-sector experience that shapes a researcher's longer-term trajectory. The call also expects participating organisations to align working conditions with the European Charter for Researchers, which is worth factoring into your choice of host. Because this is an individual route, your scientific proposal and your relationship with a prospective host are central to a strong application. Verify the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page before investing significant preparation time.
Preparation step. Identify two or three prospective host groups whose research agenda complements your own, read their recent publications carefully, and reach out to a potential supervisor with a concise summary of the project idea you would develop together, giving enough lead time for a genuine scientific exchange before the deadline.
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.