Aims to train creative, entrepreneurial, innovative and resilient doctoral candidates, able to face current and future challenges and to convert knowledge and ideas into products and services for economic and social benefit.
What is MSCA-DN?
The MSCA Doctoral Networks programme (MSCA-DN) implements international partnerships from the academic and non-academic sectors and provides training and intersectoral mobility opportunities to highly skilled doctoral candidates. The MSCA-DN focuses on career development planning, supervision, training, research and transferable skills.
The MSCA-DN raises the attractiveness and excellence of doctoral training in Europe, equips researchers with the right combination of research-related and transferable competencies and provides them with enhanced career perspectives on both the academic and non-academic sectors through international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility combined with an innovation-oriented mindset.
Types of MSCA-DN programmes:
Standard (DN-ST): Training of doctoral candidates in both academic and non-academic organisations, with academic supervision.
Industrial Doctorates (DN-ID): Training of doctoral candidates in both academic and non-academic organisations with joint-supervision. Both organisations can be in the same EU member state country or Horizon Europe associated country (e.g. Israel).
Joint Doctorates (DN-JD): Training of doctoral candidates in both academic and non-academic organisations with joint selection and supervision by the participating entities, leading to joint/multiple doctoral degrees. Training will take place in different countries and in different disciplines; pre-agreement for joint degrees is required.
Who can apply?
- At least three independent legal entities (“Beneficiaries”), each established in a different EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country (e.g. Israel), at least one of which is from an EU member state country.
- In addition, any entity from any other country in the world can join as an “associated partner,” without being eligible for to receive EU funding.
- The consortium may consist of universities, research institutions and research infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors.
For DN-ID: At least one beneficiary should come from the academic sector and at least one beneficiary should be from the non-academic sector.
For DN-JD: At least three independent legal entities must be entitled to award doctoral degrees, of which, at least one institute that confers a joint/multiple degrees must be established in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country.
Target group
Doctoral candidates, i.e. researchers without a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment, of any nationality, enrolled in a doctoral programme in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country, during the project.
Duration
- For DN-ST and DN-ID: The entire action duration is up to 4 years (48 months).
- For DN-JD: The entire action duration is up to 5 years (60 months).
Fellowship duration
- The duration of the fellowship for each researcher is 3 – 36 months for DN-ST and DN-ID, and up to 48 months for DN-JD.
- Optional: 180 additional person-months; a total of up to 540 person-months.
- For DN-ID: At least 50% of the fellowship duration will be in the non-academic sector.
Secondments duration
- No limitation on the duration of the secondments for DN-ID and DN-JD.
- Up to 1/3 of the entire researcher’s fellowship duration for DN-ST.
- For DN-ID: The secondment can be in the same country as the academic host organisation.
Conditions
- For DN-JD: At least three independent legal entities must be entitled to award doctoral degrees, out of which, at least two institutes that confer a joint/multiple degrees must be established in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country.
- The consortium will submit and recruit the doctoral candidates upon proposal approval. There must be a minimum of 1 researcher recruitment per beneficiary, with a total of up to 10 researchers for the standard programme – DN-ST, and up to 15 researchers for DN-ID and DN-JD.
- For each recruited researcher, the supervising organisations, together with the researcher, will prepare a career development plan that includes the researcher’s training plan, planned publications, teaching, career needs and participation in conferences. The plan, established upon the researcher’s recruitment, will be revised (and updated if needed) within 18 months.
Mobility rule
Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
Funding
Contribution for the recruited researcher per person-month:
- Living allowance: EUR 4,010 (total salary)*
- Mobility allowance: EUR 710
- If applicable, allowances for family EUR 660, long-term leave** and special needs***
- Institutional unit contribution per person-month:
- Research, training and networking contribution: EUR 1,600
- Management and indirect contribution: EUR 1,200
* Country correction coefficient is added to ensure equal treatment. Applicants hosting in Israel will add 21.5% to the living allowance. – See country list for all correction coefficients.
** EUR 4,720 * % covered by the beneficiary
*** Unit * (1/number of months): The pre-defined categories are as follows: EUR 3,000, EUR 4,500, EUR 6,000, EUR 9,500, EUR 13,000, EUR 18,500, EUR 27,500, EUR 35,500, EUR 47,500 and EUR 60,000.
Up to 40% of the grant budget may be allocated to beneficiaries from the same country.
For more information on the funding please refer to the MSCA-DN Applicable unit Contributions.
Restrictions
Resubmission: Proposals with 70% or more of the same recruiting organizations in a prior MSCA Doctoral Networks submission under Horizon Europe that received a score of less than 80% will be assessed for resubmission. External evaluators will analyze the similarity of the objectives and scientific approach.
For more information on the call please refer to the:
- MSCA-DN 2023-2025 Work Programme
- European Commission page on Doctoral Networks
- MSCA-DN Guide for Applicants
- How to Apply to Horizon Europe MSCA
How ISERD can assist you
- Proofreading and evaluation feedback. Full proposals must be submitted at least one month in advance of the call’s deadline.
- Guidance and support
- Partner search
It is highly recommended to read the unofficial DN 2023 Handbook, prepared by the network of the National Contact Points for MSCA based on their vast experience and knowledge of the programme, procedures and applicants.
For further information:
MSCA DN Job Offers and Partner Search
MSCA Doctoral Networks FAQ at the MSCA.NET Blog – Unique FAQ asked by applicants worldwide and explained by the National Contact Points of the programme
Net4Mobility+ Blog – The MSCA Horizon 2020 programmes (2014-2020) explained by National Contact Points
CORDIS Portal – Funded MSCA-DN projects
Success stories
“SENSEIVER” project – University of Novi Sad, Serbia, supported by the 7th European Framework Programme (FP7) Innovative Training Network (MSCA-ITN), 2016
“Answer” project – Antibiotics and mobile resistance elements in wastewater reuse applications, University of Cyprus, supported by Horizon 2020 Innovative Training Network (MSCA-ITN), 2017
Contact us
For questions regarding the call and its submission requirements please contact the MSCA team at ISERD.