This is the edition of 4 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 spans a wide range of career stages and disciplinary contexts, and knowing which instruments align with your current position can save considerable time and effort. These calls touch on doctoral training, postdoctoral development, and the consolidation of an independent research programme, making them relevant across several phases of an academic or research career.
Of the three calls below, one is 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 across sectors and disciplines. The programme targets the development of research competences alongside broader professional skills, with an explicit emphasis on knowledge transfer between participating organisations. For doctoral candidates, the funded positions that eventually emerge from these networks offer structured supervision arrangements and exposure to multiple research environments. Understanding which consortia are active in your field puts you in a strong position when recruited positions are advertised after grants are awarded.
Preparation step. Map the research groups, institutes, and companies in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, follow their news channels and vacancy pages, and build a profile that reflects the cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary training emphases the programme rewards, so you are well placed when funded positions open.
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 aimed at researchers who have already demonstrated independence and are in the process of establishing or strengthening their own research programme. The grant supports a substantial period of work and allows the principal investigator to request additional funding for costs that are necessary to carry out the proposed research. For an early-career researcher approaching this stage, understanding the grant's scope and the evidence of independence it requires helps clarify the trajectory and milestones worth building toward. Engaging with this instrument early means you can shape your publication record, team-building experience, and research agenda with the grant's criteria in mind.
Preparation step. Draft a one-page outline of the independent research programme you would propose, identify a host organisation where you could consolidate that programme, and open a conversation with the relevant research office well before the deadline to understand internal selection and support processes.
Official topic page: ERC-2027-COG
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 are designed to help postdoctoral researchers broaden their skills through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience, with an explicit focus on expanding research and innovation impact. The programme also emphasises alignment with the European Charter for Researchers, meaning host organisations are expected to offer conditions that support your professional development. For a researcher at this career stage, the fellowship offers a structured way to deepen expertise while building the kind of cross-boundary experience that opens doors across sectors. 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 and extends your own doctoral work, reach out to potential supervisors to gauge interest and discuss how a joint proposal might be framed, and begin drafting the core research narrative so you have a working document ready for iterative feedback.
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.