This is the edition of 10 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 fixed cycles, and knowing what is on the horizon gives you time to prepare thoughtfully rather than reactively. The calls gathered here span doctoral training, postdoctoral fellowship, and consolidator-level grant instruments, reflecting the range of career stages that European programmes address.
Of the four calls below, two 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 are one of the principal European mechanisms through which structured, cross-sector doctoral training is funded. When consortia receive awards under this call, they recruit doctoral candidates into projects designed to build research skills alongside competences that translate across sectors and disciplines. The programme explicitly targets improvements in the quality and sustainability of doctoral supervision arrangements, which matters when you are evaluating where to pursue or continue your doctorate. Keeping track of which research groups and institutions are active in this instrument means you will be well placed when vacancy calls open after grants are awarded.
Preparation step. Map the research communities and institutions in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, then follow their news channels and vacancy boards so you are ready to respond when recruited positions are advertised once this round's funded projects begin.
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 building or consolidating their own research programme, making it a meaningful milestone to plan toward in the years following your doctorate. The grant supports a substantial period of research and allows the principal investigator to request additional funding for costs that are genuinely necessary to carry out the proposed work, giving considerable scope to design an ambitious project. Understanding the expectations around demonstrated independence and team-building can help you structure your early postdoctoral years with this trajectory in mind.
Preparation step. Draft a one-page outline of the independent research programme you would want to pursue, identify a host institution whose environment fits that programme, and open an exploratory conversation with a potential departmental contact well before the submission window, since ERC proposals require significant internal preparation time on the host side.
Official topic page: ERC-2027-COG
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 COFUND postdoctoral programmes, funded under the Choose Europe for Science strand, support organisations in designing fellowship schemes that align with the European Charter for Researchers and with the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, two frameworks that are reshaping how research careers are evaluated across Europe. For a postdoctoral researcher, institutions running COFUND programmes tend to offer structured career development within a recognised European framework, which can strengthen the coherence of your CV. Monitoring which organisations receive awards under this call gives you advance notice of fellowship cohorts that will open for applications once the grants are in place.
Preparation step. Identify universities, research institutes, and other organisations in your field that have hosted Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND postdoctoral programmes in previous rounds, subscribe to their researcher recruitment pages, and note how their fellowship profiles align with your research interests so you can respond promptly when positions are advertised.
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 in pursuing a project with a chosen host organisation, with the programme explicitly aiming to broaden fellows' approaches to research through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience. The call also expects outcomes around enhanced networking and communication with both scientific peers and the general public, so proposals that articulate a clear plan for research impact and engagement tend to reflect the programme's stated goals well. This is a directly researcher-driven instrument, meaning the intellectual direction of the project is yours to shape in collaboration with your prospective host.
Preparation step. Before investing significant time in a proposal, verify the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page, then begin a genuine scientific dialogue with a prospective host researcher whose group complements your expertise, since the strength of the proposed collaboration is central to what this fellowship is designed to support.
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.