Doctoral funding radar ·
Doctoral and Early-Career Research Funding Calls Worth Preparing For
This collection spans several instruments relevant to researchers at different career stages, from doctoral training through to independent research consolidation. Whether you are scoping out structured training programmes or preparing a research proposal of your own, each call rewards careful planning well before the deadline.
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.
ERC Consolidator Grant
ERC Consolidator Grant
Open Closes on 73 days left
Who applies. The individual researcher applies directly, together with a chosen host organisation.
The ERC Consolidator Grant targets principal investigators who are building on demonstrated research independence and consolidating their own team or programme. It funds projects of up to 60 months, with the possibility of requesting additional funding for costs necessary to carry out the proposed work. For early-career researchers approaching this stage, it represents a significant opportunity to establish a sustained, independent line of inquiry.
Preparation step. Draft a concise scientific case that foregrounds the independence you have already demonstrated and articulates why additional resources, including any supplementary funding for specific cost categories, are essential to the proposed work; then identify a host institution whose infrastructure aligns with your plans and open a conversation early.
MSCA COFUND (doctoral programmes)
MSCA COFUND 2027
Opens on Closes on 157 days left
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
This Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND call funds organisations to set up or strengthen doctoral programmes that offer international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary training. Doctoral candidates do not apply through this call themselves; instead, funded programmes will later advertise individual positions through open recruitment. For prospective doctoral applicants, the programmes that emerge from this instrument can provide a broad skill set and structured career development.
Preparation step. Identify universities, research centres, or consortia that have previously run Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND doctoral programmes and monitor their channels for recruitment announcements once new grants from this round are awarded.
MSCA COFUND (postdoctoral programmes)
MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2027
Opens on Closes on 157 days left
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Under this Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND call for postdoctoral programmes, organisations receive funding to create fellowship schemes that emphasise career stability, skill diversification, and alignment with the European Charter for Researchers. The call description highlights concrete career prospects and greater researcher autonomy as intended outcomes. Postdoctoral researchers benefit not by applying here, but by tracking the fellowship vacancies that funded organisations will publish later.
Preparation step. Start building a shortlist of institutions known for hosting Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND postdoctoral schemes, and set alerts for their vacancy pages so you can respond quickly when positions from this funding round are advertised.
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2027
Opens on Closes on 312 days left
Who applies. The individual researcher applies directly, together with a chosen host organisation.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships support researchers in developing new skills through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience at a host organisation. The call emphasises improved employability within and beyond academia, enhanced networking capacity, and alignment of host working conditions with the European Charter for Researchers. This is a route through which a postdoctoral researcher can propose and lead their own research and training project.
Preparation step. Before investing significant time, verify the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page; then reach out to a prospective supervisor whose group complements your research profile, and co-develop a training and research plan that clearly articulates how the fellowship would broaden your competences.
MSCA Doctoral Networks
MSCA Doctoral Networks 2027
Opens on Closes on 388 days left
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks fund multi-partner consortia to deliver structured doctoral training that integrates research across sectors and disciplines. The call description stresses new knowledge creation, improved cooperation between organisations, and enhanced career prospects for doctoral candidates both inside and outside academia. Positions within funded networks are filled through open recruitment after the grant is awarded, not during the proposal stage.
Preparation step. Keep track of research groups and organisations active in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks by reviewing past funded projects in your field, then watch for the open position calls these consortia will publish once their 2027 grants are confirmed, and use the intervening time to strengthen your research profile and methodological skills.