Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fund people rather than topics: researcher mobility, doctoral programmes and training. Payments are made at fixed monthly unit rates rather than against actual costs, and both individual researchers and institutions can apply.
- Action type
- TMA, 100% rate
- COFUND
- 70%
- 2026 budget
- ~€1.2bn
- Consortium
- Not needed for fellowships
MSCA funds people, not topics. There are no thematic topics: you propose your own research project and a host organisation, and what is assessed is your trajectory, your plan and what the move will do for your career.
It is the most accessible entry point into Horizon Europe for an individual researcher: most schemes require no consortium.
How the funding works
MSCA are training and mobility actions, funded not against actual costs but at fixed monthly unit rates per researcher, with country coefficients. The funding rate is 100%.
The exception is COFUND at 70%, which co-finances an institution's own doctoral or postdoctoral programmes. Indicative rates: €2,800 per month for doctoral candidates and €3,980 for postdocs.
The budget is around €1.2bn for 2026 and the same again for 2027.
Main schemes
Postdoctoral Fellowships – individual fellowships for those who already hold a PhD, applied for by the researcher together with a host. No consortium. The most popular scheme and the clearest first step.
Doctoral Networks – joint doctoral programmes run by consortia, training candidates through mobility between partners.
Staff Exchanges – secondments across sectors and countries.
COFUND – co-financing of an institution's existing programmes.
MSCA and Citizens – science communication for a wide audience.
Calendar
Schemes have one deadline a year, with no cut-offs, and the dates are fairly stable year on year: postdoctoral fellowships in early September, doctoral networks in late November, staff exchanges and COFUND in April.
Exact dates shift, and a director-general may postpone a deadline by up to two months, so check the call page.
For Ukrainian researchers
Ukraine is an associated country with full access to MSCA on general terms.
Separately, MSCA4Ukraine supports displaced Ukrainian researchers with around €35m and has supported over 170 of them. Do not confuse it with the ERC: MSCA4Ukraine belongs to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
The 2026–2027 programme also includes a COFUND call under Choose Europe for Science worth over €50m, aimed at attracting researchers to Europe generally.
Frequently asked questions
Can you apply to MSCA without a host institution?
No. Even in individual fellowships the proposal is submitted together with a host organisation, and it is the host that becomes the beneficiary of the grant. But a consortium of several institutions is not needed for fellowships.
Is MSCA4Ukraine the same as ERC for Ukraine?
No, they are different things. MSCA4Ukraine is a support programme for displaced researchers, worth around €35m, within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. ERC for Ukraine is not a funding scheme but a mentoring initiative and a call on ERC grant holders to employ Ukrainian researchers.
Why is there no budget to calculate in MSCA?
Because the funding is provided as fixed monthly rates per researcher with a country coefficient, not against actual costs. The exception is COFUND, with a rate of 70%.
Official materials
- Document · European Commission Work Programme 2026–2027, part 2: MSCA Schemes, rates, budgets and deadlines at first hand
- Document · European Commission Official MSCA website Descriptions of the schemes and materials for applicants
- Document · EURAXESS ERA4Ukraine Entry point for Ukrainian researchers: vacancies, support, MSCA4Ukraine
Read on GetGrant
Sources
- HE Work Programme 2026-2027, Part 2 (MSCA) ec.europa.eu · checked 27.07.2026
Data current as of 27.07.2026. Verify the terms with the donor’s official portal before applying.
Updated 27.07.2026 · Reviewed by: GetGrant editorial team
