The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships are funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme and are managed by the European Research Executive Agency (REA). For the 2026 call the action carries a total budget of around 260 million euros and supports researchers who already hold a PhD and want to gain new skills through advanced training and international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral mobility. There are 2 strands: European Postdoctoral Fellowships, open to researchers of any nationality for a project of 1 to 2 years inside the EU or a country associated to Horizon Europe, and Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, reserved for EU nationals or long-term residents who spend a phase in a third country before a 12-month return phase in Europe. Each fellow receives a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and, where applicable, family, long-term-leave, and special-needs allowances, plus a research, training, and networking budget paid to the host; a typical fellowship is worth roughly 60,000 to 100,000 euros (est.) over its duration depending on the country correction coefficient and family situation. Fellows may also request an extra 6-month non-academic placement in Europe at the end of the fellowship. To apply, choose the strand that fits your project, build the proposal with a host organisation, and submit through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal before the deadline, which falls around 10 September 2026 (est.). Because the exact allowances, country coefficients, and closing date are set for each call, confirm the current 2026 figures and deadline on the official MSCA page before you apply.
Applications are submitted as a research proposal jointly with a host organisation through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal during the annual call.
Researchers displaced by conflict and those restarting a research career after a break are explicitly encouraged to apply. Euratom research topics are also covered.
All countries (European Postdoctoral Fellowships), EU nationals and long-term residents (Global Postdoctoral Fellowships)
Proposals are evaluated by independent expert reviewers against 3 criteria: excellence of the research and the researcher's two-way knowledge transfer with the host, impact through skills, career development, and dissemination, and the quality and efficiency of the implementation. Each criterion is scored and weighted, and only the highest-ranked proposals within the available budget are funded. The fit between the researcher, the host supervisor, and the training plan is central, so a clear, well-justified proposal built jointly with the host is essential.
The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are the European Union's flagship funding programme for doctoral and postdoctoral training and research mobility, part of Horizon Europe and managed by the European Research Executive Agency (REA). MSCA has supported well over 100,000 researchers across all disciplines since 1996 and funds international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral mobility for researchers at every career stage.
Answers below are best-effort estimates from the most recent application cycle. Values marked ~ or (est.) may shift year-to-year — confirm specifics on the official scholarship page.
Researchers of any nationality who hold a PhD (or have defended their thesis by the deadline) and have at most 8 years of full-time research experience after the PhD, applying with a host organisation in Europe.
European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to all nationalities for a project in the EU or an associated country; Global Postdoctoral Fellowships are for EU nationals or long-term residents who spend a phase in a third country before returning to Europe.
European fellowships last 1 to 2 years; Global fellowships last 2 to 3 years including a mandatory 12-month return phase in Europe.
A living allowance, a mobility allowance of about 600 euros (est.) per month, family and other allowances where applicable, and a research and training budget for the host, worth roughly 60,000 to 100,000 euros (est.) overall.
You apply jointly with a host organisation; you must secure a supervisor and host institution before submitting the proposal.
No; eligibility is based on post-PhD research experience (up to 8 years), not on age.
You must not have lived or worked mainly in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the deadline.
Yes; researchers restarting a career and those displaced by conflict are explicitly encouraged, and certain breaks can extend the experience window.
All scientific disciplines are eligible, including Euratom research, as the call is open across the full research spectrum.
Yes; fellows may request an extra 6-month placement in a non-academic organisation in Europe at the end of the fellowship.
The annual call closes around 10 September 2026 (est.); confirm the exact current-cycle date on the official MSCA and EU Funding and Tenders Portal pages.
On the official Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and EU Funding and Tenders Portal pages linked in the sources section.