This is the edition of 7 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 calls align with your trajectory can shape the next several years of your professional life. This radar brings together Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and ERC calls drawn from the current Horizon Europe cycle, covering doctoral training, postdoctoral development, and independent research leadership.
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 consortia of universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners to design and deliver structured doctoral training at scale. The expected outcomes for participating organisations include improved quality and sustainability of doctoral programmes, deeper cross-sector knowledge transfer, and greater internationalisation of training environments. For doctoral candidates recruited into funded networks, the programme is designed to build research competence alongside communication and networking capacity that extends beyond the immediate scientific community. Understanding this instrument helps prospective candidates identify the kinds of research environments likely to advertise funded positions once grants are awarded.
Preparation step. Map the research groups, graduate schools, and industry partners in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Doctoral Networks, then follow their vacancy channels and institutional news so you are well positioned when funded 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 have already demonstrated independence and are at the stage of consolidating their own research team or programme. The grant supports a substantial period of work and can include additional funding for costs that are necessary to carry out the proposed research. For an early-career researcher approaching this career stage, understanding the grant's scope and the evidence of independence it requires is essential groundwork for a credible application.
Preparation step. Draft a concise narrative of your research programme that articulates your independent scientific vision and the evidence of independence you have accumulated so far, then identify a prospective host organisation and open a conversation with their research support office 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 existing or new doctoral schemes at participating organisations, with the aim of enriching them through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary dimensions. The expected outcomes for organisations include enhanced quality and sustainability of research training and increased global visibility. For doctoral candidates, positions created through funded COFUND programmes are designed to cultivate a broad and diverse set of research-related competences alongside approaches to research and innovation shaped by cross-border and cross-sector exposure. Tracking which institutions pursue this instrument helps you anticipate where well-structured doctoral opportunities will emerge.
Preparation step. Identify universities and research institutes in your field that run structured doctoral programmes with an international profile, and monitor their funding announcements and doctoral school pages so you can respond promptly when COFUND-supported positions are advertised following a successful grant award.
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 COFUND instrument aimed at postdoctoral programmes, with an explicit focus on concrete career prospects and increased career stability for supported researchers. Notably, the expected outcomes for participating organisations include better alignment with the European Charter for Researchers, the Council Recommendation on attracting and retaining research talent in Europe, and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, which signals that funded programmes are expected to reflect evolving norms around researcher working conditions and career development. The instrument also targets increased global attractiveness and stronger research and teaching capacity at participating organisations. Researchers who understand these institutional expectations are better placed to engage with the positions that will eventually be advertised.
Preparation step. Familiarise yourself with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, since organisations funded under this instrument are expected to align with both; this knowledge will help you engage credibly with host institutions and articulate your own values around research culture when positions open.
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 focused on expanding research and transferable skills, developing new approaches to research and innovation through cross-sector and cross-border experience, and strengthening communication with both scientific peers and broader audiences. The fellowship also expects participating organisations to align working conditions with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, which matters when evaluating the quality of a potential host environment. This is an instrument where the researcher drives the proposal in collaboration with a host, making early relationship-building with prospective supervisors a practical priority.
Preparation step. Before investing significant time in a proposal, verify the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page, then reach out to a prospective host supervisor whose research agenda complements yours to explore whether a joint application would be scientifically coherent and mutually beneficial.
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.