This is the edition of 26 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 ahead, and the calls gathered here span doctoral training, postdoctoral co-funding, and independent investigator grants across Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the European Research Council. Knowing what each instrument is designed to do, and who moves first in each process, shapes how you invest your preparation time in the months ahead.
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 borders and sectors. The expected outcomes described for this call include new research and transferable skills, enhanced networking and communication capacities, and improved career prospects both inside and outside academia. For a doctoral candidate, the real significance is that these networks are designed to produce researchers who can translate ideas into products and services and engage effectively with the wider public. Positions funded through this instrument tend to offer structured supervision arrangements and cross-sector exposure that a single-institution doctorate may not provide.
Preparation step. Identify research groups, departments, and non-academic organisations in your field that have previously participated in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, follow their news channels and vacancy pages, and build a profile that reflects the interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral training emphases this call describes, so you are well positioned 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 independent research leadership and are at the stage of consolidating their own team or programme. The grant supports a substantial period of work and allows the principal investigator to request additional funding for costs that are necessary to carry out the proposed research. For an early-career researcher approaching this stage, understanding the Consolidator Grant's scope and the evidence of independence it requires helps you plan the trajectory of your research profile strategically. Opening conversations with a prospective host institution well before the deadline is essential, since the proposal must be developed jointly.
Preparation step. Draft a concise outline of the independent research programme you would propose, mapping it against the Consolidator Grant's stated focus on consolidating a team or programme, and use that outline to open an early conversation with a host institution's research office.
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 national or institutional doctoral schemes, allowing participating organisations to align their training with European standards and broaden the international reach of their programmes. The expected outcomes for doctoral candidates include a deeper and more diverse set of research-related skills forged through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience. For a prospective doctoral candidate, programmes that receive COFUND support tend to offer structured, internationally connected training environments. Recruitment into these programmes happens after the grant is awarded, through the participating organisations' own open calls.
Preparation step. Research universities and research institutes in your field that run internationally oriented doctoral programmes, and monitor their websites and the EURAXESS portal so you can respond promptly when they advertise COFUND-backed positions following a successful 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 funds postdoctoral programmes with a particular focus on concrete career prospects, increased career stability, and greater researcher autonomy. A distinctive feature of this call is its emphasis on aligning institutional human resources practices with the European Charter for Researchers and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, which signals a commitment to transparent and fair recruitment at participating organisations. For an early-career researcher, positions emerging from funded programmes under this call are likely to sit within institutions actively reforming how they support and evaluate researchers. Funded positions will be advertised by participating organisations after the grant is awarded.
Preparation step. Look into which research organisations in your field have publicly committed to the European Charter for Researchers or the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, as these are the kinds of institutions likely to participate in this instrument, and set up alerts for their postdoctoral vacancy announcements.
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.