This is the edition of 12 October 2026. The dates and statuses below are as they stood on that day and may have changed since. Read the current edition.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions funding shapes research careers across Europe, and staying close to its cycles is one of the more practical things a doctoral or early-career researcher can do for long-term planning. The calls gathered here span doctoral and postdoctoral programmes, so there is likely something relevant regardless of where you are in your research trajectory.
Of the three calls below, two are applied for by institutions or consortia, with individual positions recruited after the grant is awarded, and one is applied for directly by the individual researcher, together with a host organisation.
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 funds institutions to design and run doctoral programmes that embed international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary dimensions into research training. For doctoral candidates, this matters because the positions created through funded programmes are designed to build a broader and more diverse range of research and transferable competences than a standard doctoral contract might offer. The expected outcomes also include enhanced networking and communication capacities, which can extend a researcher's impact well beyond the thesis itself. Because participating organisations are expected to strengthen their overall research and innovation capacity, funded programmes tend to attract supervisors and networks with genuine investment in researcher development.
Preparation step. Identify research groups and doctoral schools at European institutions whose training priorities align with your field, and monitor their vacancy pages so you are well positioned to respond when they advertise the doctoral roles that a funded programme will eventually produce.
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 COFUND for postdoctoral programmes is designed to fund organisations in creating fellowship schemes that offer concrete career prospects and greater researcher autonomy, rather than simply extending a postdoctoral contract. A distinctive feature of this call is its emphasis on aligning human resources practices with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, which means the fellowships it produces are embedded in institutions actively working to improve how research careers are structured and recognised. For an early-career researcher, that institutional commitment can translate into more transparent progression pathways and fairer evaluation criteria. The call also expects participating organisations to strengthen both research and teaching capacity, suggesting that fellows may gain experience across a wider range of academic activities.
Preparation step. Research which universities, research institutes, and other organisations in your field have previously run Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND postdoctoral schemes, follow their human resources and research pages, and build your profile so that when funded fellowship vacancies open you can present a compelling record of research independence and interdisciplinary engagement.
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 a postdoctoral researcher to develop and submit a project proposal together with a host organisation, making this a route through which you shape the research agenda rather than joining one already defined. The expected outcomes point to an expanded set of research and transferable competences gained through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience, which can open career paths within and outside academia. Participating organisations are expected to align working conditions with the European Charter for Researchers, so the fellowship is embedded in a framework that takes supervision quality and researcher wellbeing seriously. The call also emphasises enhanced communication with both scientific peers and the general public, reflecting an expectation that fellows will actively contribute to broader research and innovation impact.
Preparation step. Draft an outline of the research project you would pursue, identify a prospective host organisation whose expertise complements your own, and open a conversation with potential supervisors well before the submission deadline, verifying the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page before investing significant time.
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.