This is the edition of 23 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 those who plan well in advance, and the calls gathered here span doctoral training, postdoctoral programme development, and independent research leadership. Knowing the landscape early gives researchers and their networks the time needed to build strong, well-grounded proposals or to position themselves for the opportunities those proposals will eventually generate.
Of the four calls below, three 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 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 disciplines and sectors. The expected outcomes described for this call emphasise not only research skill development but also the conversion of ideas into products and services, alongside enhanced networking and communication capacities. For a prospective doctoral candidate, this means that funded projects are designed to produce researchers who can operate across organisational and disciplinary boundaries. Positions arising from awarded grants are typically advertised openly, making it worth tracking which consortia are active in your field.
Preparation step. Map the research groups, universities, and non-academic organisations in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Doctoral Networks, then follow their vacancy pages and mailing lists so you are well placed to apply 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 have already demonstrated independence and are in the process of consolidating their own research team or programme. The call description makes clear that the grant supports the principal investigator directly, allowing them to define and pursue an ambitious research agenda of their own design. For an early-career researcher approaching this stage, understanding what 'evidence of research independence' looks like in practice is central to preparing a credible application. The grant period and scale described in the call also signal that this is a long-horizon commitment, so early conceptual groundwork pays dividends.
Preparation step. Draft a concise outline of the independent research programme you would propose, identify a host organisation where that programme could be based, and open a preliminary conversation with the relevant research office or department well before the submission window opens.
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 stated aim of broadening the research training landscape through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience. The expected outcomes for this call highlight a deeper and more diverse skill set and improved career prospects both within and beyond academia. Because the programme works by enhancing institutional doctoral schemes rather than creating standalone projects, the doctoral positions it generates are embedded in established research environments. Researchers who want to benefit from this instrument should focus on identifying institutions whose training cultures align with their own research directions.
Preparation step. Research universities and research institutes in your field that have previously run COFUND doctoral programmes, note the thematic and disciplinary focus of those schemes, and build your profile and publication record in ways that make you a competitive candidate for the positions those institutions will advertise once funded.
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 places particular emphasis on career stability and concrete career prospects for supported researchers. Distinctively, the call's expected outcomes include better alignment of participating organisations with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, signalling an institutional commitment to researcher-friendly employment and evaluation practices. For a postdoctoral researcher, this framing means that positions arising from funded programmes may come with stronger career development structures than standard postdoctoral contracts. The call also stresses increased global attractiveness and visibility of participating organisations, which can benefit a researcher's own profile through association.
Preparation step. Identify research organisations in your area that are working toward alignment with the European Charter for Researchers and open research assessment frameworks, monitor their postdoctoral vacancy channels, and refine your research profile and outputs so they reflect the interdisciplinary and transferable dimensions that this type of programme is designed to support.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-COFUND-02-01
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.