This is the edition of 18 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, from structured doctoral training programmes to grants supporting researchers who are consolidating an independent research direction. Keeping track of these calls and understanding how each one is designed helps you plan your trajectory well before any deadline arrives.
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 doctoral training at scale. The programme is built around the idea that doctoral candidates benefit from structured exposure to multiple sectors and disciplines, alongside the development of skills that extend well beyond the thesis itself. For someone planning a doctoral path, understanding which consortia are active in your field tells you where future funded positions are likely to emerge. The organisations involved also tend to strengthen their supervision arrangements and inter-institutional ties as a direct result of participating.
Preparation step. Map the research groups and institutions in your field that have previously coordinated or partnered in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, then follow their vacancy pages and mailing lists so you are well placed to respond when they advertise the doctoral positions that a funded project will eventually 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 supports principal investigators who are at the stage of consolidating an independent research programme and can demonstrate research independence. For an early-career researcher approaching that stage, this call defines a concrete milestone to orient longer-term career planning around. The grant covers a substantial period of research activity and allows the principal investigator to build or expand a team, which shapes what a competitive research profile needs to look like several years in advance. Studying the scope and requirements of this call can help you set intermediate goals for publication, grant history, and team-building experience.
Preparation step. Draft a one-page outline of the independent research programme you would propose, identifying the core scientific question and the evidence of independence you would need to demonstrate; use this outline as a working document to discuss trajectory and mentorship with senior colleagues.
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, helping them broaden the international reach and interdisciplinary character of their training. The expected outcomes for doctoral candidates include a more diverse skills base and the kind of cross-sector and cross-border experience that shapes how researchers approach problems throughout their careers. For someone considering a doctorate, a COFUND-backed programme signals that the host institution has committed to a particular standard of training quality and sustainability. Positions within these programmes are advertised separately, after funding is secured.
Preparation step. Identify universities and research institutes in your field that run internationally oriented doctoral programmes, check whether they have previously received COFUND support, and subscribe to their doctoral school newsletters so you hear about recruitment rounds as soon as they are announced.
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 programmes and is explicitly connected to the European Charter for Researchers and the broader European framework for attracting and retaining research talent. One of its stated goals is to improve career stability and concrete career prospects for the researchers it supports, which reflects a deliberate policy emphasis on making European research environments more attractive over the long term. The call also asks participating organisations to align their human resources and recruitment practices with the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, which has practical implications for how your outputs and contributions will be evaluated. Postdoctoral positions arising from funded projects will be advertised once grants are in place.
Preparation step. Follow research institutes and universities that have publicly committed to the European Charter for Researchers or the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, since these are the kinds of organisations likely to participate in this instrument, and monitor their postdoctoral vacancy pages for the fellowship advertisements that will follow a successful award.
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 and carry out a project in partnership with a host organisation, with the expected outcome of broadening their research and transferable competences across international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary lines. The scheme also asks host organisations to align working conditions with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, which means the fellowship is embedded in a broader commitment to researcher welfare and career development. Because the researcher drives the proposal, this is an opportunity to define a project that genuinely reflects your own scientific direction rather than fitting into a pre-existing vacancy. Verifying the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page before investing significant preparation time is essential.
Preparation step. Begin by identifying two or three potential host groups whose ongoing work complements your research direction, then reach out to introduce yourself and explore whether a joint proposal would be a good fit, giving yourself enough lead time for the iterative drafting that a strong application 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.