[OGAP-l] Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) - application deadlines and conditions of individual subprogrammes 2026 (English version)

[Ivana Herglová]

Dear colleagues,

the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) 2026 Calls within the Horizon Europe programme have been announced.

MSCA offers, within the framework of Pillar 1 of Horizon Europe "Excellent Science", opportunities for further education (including a mobility element) especially for young researchers at Ph.D. level or postdocs. In addition to individual funding of postdocs, MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, MSCA enables also support for the creation of training networks for doctoral students within consortia of several institutions or companies (MSCA Doctoral Networks), or co-financing of new or existing study programmes for doctoral students and postdocs at one institution (MSCA COFUND).

COFUND requires co-financing from the institution involved; Postdoctoral Fellowships and Doctoral Networks are fully funded by the EU.

MSCA also includes the MSCA and Citizens programme, which serves to support activities primarily connected to the European Researchers' Night. This sub-programme is offered each second year - the next possibility to apply will be in the year 2027.

The last classical MSCA programme is MSCA Staff Exchanges, which enables staff mobility in research to gain new experience and knowledge. The programme is intended for scientific and technical employees.

In 2025, in addition to these opportunities, a new MSCA subprogramme was introduced - MSCA Choose Europe for Science. The next deadline for submitting proposals will be in 2027. MSCA Choose Europe for Science projects offer a longer-term perspective for postdoctoral researchers, who are funded for up to five years in total. MSCA funds the first 2-3 years and institutions provide funding (from internal or external sources) for the remaining 2 years. Each project should admit at least 3 postdoctoral applicants. MSCA Choose Europe for Science and MSCA COFUND, due to the higher co-financing required, should be submitted at the section or faculty level, or university level.

Details on all MSCA programmes in the Call 2026 can be found below.

Please, note that from 2027 (applies to the European MSCA PF call 2026), the Czech complementary funding MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships will no longer be offered. MSCA Fellowships CZ financed from the Operational Programme Johann Amos Comenius (OP JAK) provides national funding from the OP JAK programme and is available to all EU-unfunded MSCA PF applicants up until the 2025 call evaluated above 70%. Our office has already prepared application materials for this competition for candidates from the MSCA PF call 2025. If any of you have a relevant candidate who has not yet been reported to OGAP (Department of Grants and Projects), please, contact us immediately; the application documents for this call had to be submitted to the Rectorate by the end of February 2026, but we can offer advisory services also concerning other alternative means of funding.

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OVERVIEW OF MSCA PROGRAMMES:

Ph.D. students who will finish their doctoral studies by 09/09/2026 and postdocs can apply for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA PF) with an application deadline on September 9, 2026.
Call 2026: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-2026 and https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships_en
General information on MSCA PF: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships

In addition to the EU rules, submissions are also governed by the relevant Rector's Directive at Charles University (CU): https://cuni.cz/UK-14759.html (in Czech, English translation for download here: https://cuni.cz/UKEN-714.html, Rector's Directive Nr. 20/2025) - i.e. candidates who want to apply for the MSCA PF at CU must obtain the approval of the Rectorate (RUK). Registration is sent to RUK via the Department of Grants and Projects (OGAP) until 1 August 2026.

In the frame of MSCA PF, postdoctoral fellows apply for 12-24 months of financial support to work at a foreign workplace.
It is possible to apply for support both for candidates from Charles University going abroad and foreign applicants who would like to carry out their postdoctoral fellowship at CU.
Internships can take place both in Europe and associated countries of Horizon Europe as well as in third countries not associated to Horizon Europe.

A distinction is made between European Postdoctoral Fellowships and Global Postdoctoral Fellowships.
In the first case, the host institution is in Europe and the duration of the internship is 12-24 months. Candidates from all over the world can apply.
In the case of the Global variant, European citizens and long-term residents can apply for fellowships at workplaces outside Europe and countries associated to Horizon Europe. The fellowship abroad lasts again 12-24 months, but there is also a mandatory return phase of 12 months at the home workplace in the sending country.
At the time of application, the applicant must hold a Ph.D. and have a maximum of 8 years of full-time research experience since obtaining it. The project proposal is prepared by the future fellow in cooperation with the potential supervisor at the host institution; the topic is not limited. The applicant writes the vast majority of the application - but the supervisor must arrange with the applicant the focus of the fellowship and its conditions.

In the case of Widening countries, which include also the Czech Republic, it is possible to apply for support from the Widening budget of the ERA Fellowships and thus increase the chance of the application being successful. For the application to ERA Fellowships, the classic MSCA PF application on EU Portal is used; the applicant only needs to mark there that they are also interested in being included in the ERA Fellowships selection process.

Information valid up until MSCA PF 2025 call: If an MSCA PF project proposal was well-rated (above 70%) but did not receive EU funding, in the Czech Republic it is possible to subsequently apply for funding from the Operational Programme Johann Amos Comenius (OP JAK), MSCA Fellowships CZ - the possibility is valid until spring 2026. Unfortunately, this funding will no longer be available in the year 2027 (for the applicants of the MSCA PF 2026 call). (Note: OP JAK can also support MSCA COFUND projects until 2026; again, this applies to the last European call from the previous year, i.e. 2025; further Czech funding from OP JAK will no longer be available.)

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Other support options from MSCA programme are:
1) MSCA and Citizens - not open for application in 2026

This subprogramme is about supporting activities aimed at popularisation of science, in the first place European Researchers' Night and Researchers at Schools.
The funding scheme is only offered each second year, including 2025 and 2027. The financing is for a period of 2 years, the previous call 2025 was for support in the years 2026-2027.

General information on MSCA and Citizens: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/msca-and-citizens

Previous call 2025: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-and-citizens-european-researchers-night-and-researchers-at-schools-2026-2027 and https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions/msca-and-citizens_en





2) MSCA Doctoral Networks - deadline: November 24, 2026 (the call will open on May 28, 2026)

This programme offers an opportunity to create a consortium for the preparation of Ph.D. students with partner universities or other research institutions as well as businesses. The Doctoral Network is intended to offer a possibility of further education for a group of approximately 10-15 Ph.D. students - these should be ideally hosted equally between all participating institutions. Each participating institution must host at least 1 Ph.D. student as part of a fellowship for 3-36 months. In addition to the standard programme, there is also the option of Industrial Doctorates, where a training with the involvement of businesses/companies is added, and Joint Doctorates, in which doctoral students aim to obtain a joint doctoral diploma from several institutions involved in the project. The programme typically lasts for 4 years, individual fellowships for doctoral students 3-36 months (Joint Doctorates are for 5 years). The application for support is submitted by a consortium of min. 3 institutions from min. 3 programme countries (EU and associated countries of HE), of which at least 1 must be a member of the EU. Ph.D. students apply to already existing Doctoral Networks; they can search for places available for example via the EURAXESS portal.
General information on MSCA DN: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/doctoral-networks
Call 2026: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-doctoral-networks-2026 and https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions/msca-doctoral-networks_en



3) MSCA COFUND - deadline: April 8, 2026

In this case, it is possible for one institution to create a programme for hosting doctoral students or postdocs (with stays of at least 3 months) for a total project duration of a maximum of 5 years, with the condition of hosting at least 3 young researchers during this time. It can also be support for an existing programme for the education of doctoral students or postdocs - but MSCA support can only be used for new applicants, not already existing programme participants. Funding from MSCA is limited to the support (i.e. scholarship or salary) of the given young researchers; the rest of the programme is co-financed (hence the name COFUND) by the institution that organizes the programme. Ph.D. candidates or postdocs apply to an already existing MSCA COFUND programme. They can search for vacancies for example through the EURAXESS portal.
General information on MSCA COFUND: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/cofund
Call 2026: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-cofund-2026 and https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions/msca-co-funding-regional-national-and-international-programmes-cofund_en

The differences between MSCA Doctoral Networks and MSCA COFUND are nicely summarized for example by this video of Luxembourg production on the topic of "Financing early career researchers":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfm56Jpm2c4
Information valid up until European MSCA COFUND call 2025: If the project proposal receives the Seal of Excellence, but cannot be financed from EU sources due to a lack of funds, in the Czech Republic it is possible to apply for financing from the Operational Programme Johann Amos Comenius (OP JAK).


In both cases (MSCA DN and MSCA COFUND), as well as by MSCA PF, the following mobility rule applies: the applicant must not have lived in the country where they apply for MSCA fellowship for more than 12 months in the last 36 months (3 years) prior to the application deadline. The same rule also applies to the new MSCA Choose Europe for Science programme.





4) MSCA Staff Exchanges - deadline: April 16, 2026

This programme is aimed at the exchange of academic and technical staff involved in scientific or innovation projects in order to gain and share experience from a foreign workplace for a period of 1 month to 1 year. Both academic and scientific institutions, as well as companies, can participate. The project can last for a total of up to 4 years and the application is submitted by a consortium of partners. There must be at least 3 participating institutions, min. 2 of them from EU countries or countries associated with Horizon Europe. For support within one sector (e.g. only academic institutions or only companies), it is a condition that one of the partners is from a non-associated HE country. As far as cooperation in the academic sector only is concerned, interdisciplinary exchanges (max. 1/3 of the mobilities) should take place in EU countries and HE associated countries and the remaining 2/3 of the mobilities outside these countries, which may already be in the same field.
General information on MSCA Staff Exchanges: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/staff-exchanges
Call 2026: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-staff-exchanges-2026 and https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions/msca-staff-exchanges_en
Recording from a Czech-Slovak information day on MSCA SE in March 2023 (the infoday was held in English): https://www.horizontevropa.cz/en/news/yiifnews/1805




5) MSCA Choose Europe for Science - not open for application in 2026
This programme was first offered in 2025; the next call will be in 2027. MSCA Choose Europe for Science projects offer a longer-term perspective for postdoctoral researchers, who are funded for up to 5 years in total; MSCA funds the first 2-3 years and institutions provide funding (from internal or external sources) for the next 2 years. Projects should offer places for at least 3 postdoctoral candidates. Applications are submitted by a single institution. Based on consultation with the Rector's Office of Charles University regarding the 2025 call, faculties should apply for this programme directly if they are interested, given the high level of co-financing. This may also be covered by other grants or other external sources, not necessarily institutional funds. In any case, however, the institution undertakes to ensure that funding for researchers will be available for the last two years of the grant, if necessary.
General information on MSCA Choose Europe for Science: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/choose-europe-for-science

Previous call 2025: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-choose-europe-for-science-2025 and https://rea.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-grants/horizon-europe-marie-sklodowska-curie-actions/msca-choose-europe-science_en





If you have any questions about any of these programmes, we are at your disposal.



Best regards,



Ivana Herglová





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PhDr. Ivana Herglová, Ph.D.
Oddělení podpory grantů a projektů
Matematicko-fyzikální fakulta Univerzity Karlovy
Ke Karlovu 3, 121 16  Praha 2
tel: 951 551 682
www.mff.cuni.cz<http://www.mff.cuni.cz>




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