This is the edition of 3 October 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 moves on long cycles, and the calls gathered here span doctoral training, postdoctoral development, and independent research consolidation across Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the European Research Council. Mapping the landscape well in advance gives researchers and research offices the time to build the relationships and project narratives that strong proposals require.
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 run structured doctoral training programmes across sectors and disciplines. For a doctoral candidate, the significance is that funded networks will eventually advertise open recruited positions, offering training environments shaped by cross-sector knowledge transfer and international collaboration. The programme is designed to build research skills alongside the broader competences that matter for careers both inside and outside academia. Understanding which research groups and organisations are active in this instrument helps a candidate position themselves well before vacancies appear.
Preparation step. Identify research groups and departments in your field whose work aligns with the cross-sector and interdisciplinary profile this instrument rewards, then follow their news channels and funding acknowledgements so you are among the first to see the recruited doctoral positions they advertise once a grant is 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 have already demonstrated independence and are in the process of consolidating their own research team or programme. The grant supports a substantial period of focused research activity, giving a Principal Investigator the resources to pursue ambitious questions that require sustained effort. For an early-career researcher approaching this stage, understanding the grant's expectations around demonstrated independence is essential for planning the trajectory of your work. The call also allows for additional funding requests when the proposed work genuinely requires it, making it suitable for projects with complex resource needs.
Preparation step. Draft a concise outline of the independent research programme you would propose, identifying the evidence of research independence you could present, then open a conversation with a prospective host organisation well before the submission deadline.
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 national or institutional doctoral schemes, broadening their reach and embedding European standards of training quality and supervision. For a prospective doctoral candidate, programmes that receive COFUND support are designed to offer a richer and more internationally connected training environment, with explicit attention to interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral experience. The call's emphasis on the sustainability and attractiveness of participating organisations signals that funded programmes are built to last and to maintain high recruitment standards. Tracking which institutions are pursuing or have previously held COFUND funding helps a candidate target applications to programmes with strong structural support.
Preparation step. Research universities and research institutes in your field that have previously run or publicly expressed interest in COFUND doctoral programmes, and make contact with potential supervisors there so your profile is known when recruited positions open after a grant is awarded.
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 targets postdoctoral programmes and is explicitly oriented toward offering concrete career prospects and increased career stability for supported researchers. A distinctive feature of this call is its emphasis on aligning host organisations' human resources and recruitment practices with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, which signals a commitment to transparent and researcher-centred working conditions. For a postdoctoral researcher, positions funded through this instrument are embedded in organisations that are actively working to improve career accession and progression systems. Building familiarity with the Charter for Researchers and the reform agenda will help you engage meaningfully with host organisations running these programmes.
Preparation step. Read the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment so that, when postdoctoral vacancies funded through this instrument are advertised, you can speak directly to the values and practices the host organisation has committed to upholding.
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 researchers who want to develop new skills and approaches through a period of work at a host organisation, with the call explicitly describing outcomes around interdisciplinary, international, and inter-sectoral experience. The fellowship is structured to benefit both the researcher and the host, with the host organisation expected to improve its alignment with the European Charter for Researchers and to enhance the quality of its supervision and training. For a postdoctoral researcher, this is a direct application route where the research project, the choice of host, and the proposed training plan are all shaped by the applicant. Verifying the mobility eligibility conditions early is essential, because they affect which host organisations are available to you.
Preparation step. Begin an early conversation with a prospective host organisation whose research environment complements a gap in your own expertise, sketch the scientific and training rationale for the fellowship period, and verify all mobility and eligibility conditions on the official topic page before investing significant time in the proposal.
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.