This is the edition of 6 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 cycles reward early preparation, and the calls gathered here span doctoral training, postdoctoral development, and independent research consolidation across the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the European Research Council. Knowing which instrument fits your career stage, and what groundwork to lay before a deadline arrives, can make the difference between a reactive scramble and a well-positioned bid.
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 sectors and disciplines. The programme is designed to broaden the research and innovation impact of doctoral candidates through enhanced networking and communication capacities with both scientific peers and the general public. For a prospective doctoral candidate, a funded Doctoral Network represents a structured entry point into an international research environment with explicit attention to career development. Positions within these networks are advertised openly after grants are awarded, so tracking which consortia are active in your field is a strategic investment.
Preparation step. Map the research groups and organisations in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Doctoral Networks, follow their news channels and vacancy pages, and build a profile that speaks to the cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary ambitions these consortia typically pursue, so you are well positioned 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 at the stage of consolidating an independent research programme and can demonstrate evidence of research independence. The grant supports the development of a Principal Investigator's own team over a period of up to sixty months, giving substantial room to pursue ambitious, investigator-driven questions. For an early-career researcher approaching this career stage, understanding the grant's expectations around demonstrated independence is essential to timing an application well. The scope explicitly links grant size to the duration of the proposed work, so the research plan and the requested resources need to be carefully aligned.
Preparation step. Begin assembling a record of your independent research contributions, including publications, grants held in your own name, and evidence of team leadership, then draft a preliminary outline of the research programme you would propose, identifying a host organisation and opening an early conversation with their research office about institutional support.
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, enabling them to incorporate the international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary dimensions that the programme emphasises. The expected outcomes for candidates include a deeper and more diverse set of research-related and transferable skills forged through varied experience, alongside improved long-term career prospects. Because COFUND strengthens the quality and global attractiveness of the participating organisations themselves, funded programmes tend to carry strong reputational weight in subsequent career steps. Doctoral positions within these programmes are recruited after the grant is awarded, making it worthwhile to monitor institutions known for this type of programme.
Preparation step. Identify universities and research institutes in your field that have previously run COFUND doctoral programmes, subscribe to their doctoral school newsletters and vacancy portals, and use the period before positions are advertised to develop the interdisciplinary or inter-sectoral dimensions of your research profile that these programmes are designed to foster.
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 researchers and is explicitly linked to the European Charter for Researchers, the Council Recommendation on attracting and retaining research talent in Europe, and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. The programme aims to provide concrete career prospects and increased career stability, alongside a deeper set of academic and transferable competences leading to greater researcher autonomy. Its alignment with European frameworks for researcher careers means that positions funded through it are likely to be embedded in organisations actively reforming their human resources and career progression practices. Researchers who understand these frameworks will be better prepared to engage with the environments these programmes create.
Preparation step. Familiarise yourself with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, then identify organisations in your field that have publicly committed to these frameworks, follow their postdoctoral vacancy channels, and strengthen your profile in ways that reflect the career autonomy and cross-sectoral experience the programme description emphasises.
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 allow researchers to design an individual fellowship project in collaboration with a host organisation, with the expected outcome of broadening research and transferable competences through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience. The programme also expects host organisations to align working conditions with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, which shapes the environment a fellow works in. Because the fellowship is built around a researcher-led project, the scientific and personal development plan is central to the proposal from the outset. Verify the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page before investing significant preparation time.
Preparation step. Draft a concise outline of the research project you would pursue, identify a prospective host organisation whose expertise complements your own, and initiate contact with a potential supervisor well before the deadline, since host organisations need time to assess fit and provide the institutional support that a strong proposal requires.
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.