Non-Thematic development actions by SMEs
Coordinators European Defence Fund
- All sectors
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships
- All sectors
- EU Open Calls
- Coordinators: Horizon Europe
- Opening of application: 9 April 2025
- Allocated budget: depends on the number of person/months requested, EUR 200 000 on average
- End of applications: 10 September 2025
- Project duration: Between 12 and 24 months for European Postdoctoral Fellowships/24 to 36 months for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Project submitted on: Open calls
Objective
Improve researchers’ employability and career prospects within academia and beyond, with a strong focus on interdisciplinarity and intersectoral experience.
Priorities
All domains of research and innovation are eligible for funding, including those covered by the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
Applicants are therefore free to choose the field(s) of their proposed research in a fully bottom-up manner.
Eligible activities :
Two types of Fellowship :
European Postdoctoral Fellowships open to researchers of any nationality who wish to engage in R&I projects by either coming to Europe from any country in the world or moving within Europe. The standard duration of these fellowships must be between 12 and 24 months.
Global Postdoctoral Fellowships open to European nationals or long-term residents who wish to engage in R&I projects with organisations outside EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. These fellowships require an outgoing phase of minimum 12 and maximum 24 months in a non-associated Third Country, and a mandatory 12-month.
Mandatory activities :
Training activities
- training for key transferable skills, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, (e.g. commercialisation of results, Intellectual Property Rights, communication, public engagement and citizen science),
- foster good scientific conduct such as research integrity and promote Open Science practices (open access to publications and to other research outputs including data, FAIR data management, societal engagement and citizen science etc.).
Carrer Development Plan
- should be established jointly by the supervisor(s) and the researcher and comprise the researcher’s training and career needs, including training on transferable skills, teaching, planning for publications and participation in conferences and events aiming at opening science and research to citizens.
- return phase to a host organisation based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
Non-mandatory activities
Secondments
Researchers receiving a postdoctoral fellowship may include a secondment phase, either as a single period or multiple shorter mobility periods, in any country during their fellowship duration.
- For European Fellowships, secondments cannot exceed one-third of the total project duration (excluding any additional non-academic placement period) and must align with the project objectives, adding significant value.
- For Global Fellowships, secondments are allowed up to one-third of the outgoing phase, including up to three months at the start of the project at the beneficiary or an associated partner before moving to the third country.
- Secondments cannot take place during the mandatory 12-month return period in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
Placements in the non-academic sector
Postdoctoral fellowships can include an additional placement period of up to six months in a non-academic organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
- This aims to promote sector mobility, stimulate innovation and knowledge transfer, and expand researchers’ career opportunities.
- The placement must be at a different non-academic host organisation than the fellow’s host and be part of the proposal, explaining its added value for both the project and the researcher’s career.
- Proposals not meeting these requirements will be evaluated without considering the placement, potentially impacting the final score.
Eligibility
Researchers (Only one proposal per individual researcher can be submitted) :
- Doctoral degree: The researcher must be in possession of a doctoral degree or have successfully defended their doctoral thesis before call deadline.
- Mobility: The researcher cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately prior to the call deadline.
- Research experience (full time equivalent) Maximum 8 years from date of award of the (first) doctoral degree.
Pariticipating organization (Beneficiary):
- Single independent legal entity (government entities, regional authorities, funding agencies, universities, research organisations, enterprises) established in Member State or Associated Country.
