Enhances the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD, wishing to acquire new skills through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility.

What is MSCA-PF?

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) are 1-3 years grants for Ph.D. researchers, wishing to execute their research either in the academic or the non-academic sector. The grants, financed by the European Commission, cover salaries and research costs and are open to excellent Ph.D. researchers of any nationality and country, including researchers wishing to reintegrate into Europe, researchers who are displaced by conflict, as well as researchers with high potential, aiming for a career restart in research. 

The fellowships focus on research and innovation projects and the career development of the Ph.D. researchers. They can include secondments in the academic or non-academic sector, thus private companies or research institutes can host the researchers for postdoctoral research.

Types of Postdoctoral Fellowships:

European Fellowships: Total of 12-24 months of recruitment in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country (e.g. Israel) + 6 optional months of placement in a non-academic sector.

Global Fellowships: Total of 24-36 months. 12-24 months are an outgoing phase to an organisation in a Third Country (TC), which is any country in the world outside of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, & 12 months mandatory return phase in an organisation located in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, + 6 optional months of placement in a non-academic sector.

Who can apply?

Researchers’ Eligibility Criteria:

1. Ph.D: The researcher is required to obtain a Ph.D. degree or present a successful defense of it by the call deadline.

2. Limited research experience: Up to 8 years of research experience after Ph.D. at the call deadline. The period may be extended per the cases detailed in the Guidelines on the Calculation of 8 years of Research Experience and the self-assessment tool.

3. Mobility Rule:

Ph.D. Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or in the country of the host organisation (for the outgoing phase of Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline. In that regard, vacations, holiday and any other stay that was not for the purpose of their main activity work will not be counted.

Researchers wishing to go to a Third Country (Global Postdoctoral Fellowship) must be:

Ph.D. Researchers wishing to reintegrate into Europe from a Third Country must:

*Long-term residency is defined as having lived continuously in the country for at least five consecutive years, with any periods of absence being shorter than six consecutive months and totaling no more than ten months within those five years.

4. Nationality:

European Fellowships – Researchers of any nationality are eligible for support.

Global Fellowships – Nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Associated Countries only.

Secondments:

Optional and can be worldwide in a single period or several shorter mobility periods.

European Fellowships – The duration of the secondment is limited to up to 1/3 of the entire Ph.D. researcher’s fellowship duration.

Global Fellowships – The duration of the secondment is limited to up to 1/3 of the Ph.D. researcher’s outgoing fellowship phase duration, out of which up to 3 months can be taken place at the beneficiary’s at the start of the project. In the return phase secondments are not allowed.

Placements at the end of Fellowships: 

MSCA-PF in low R&I countries increases the success rate! MSCA-PF offers an additional funding pathway through the ERA Fellowships grant for proposals with host organizations in ‘Widening Countries’ – EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries with low R&I performance.

Key points:

  1. Applicants submit their MSCA-PF proposal as standard.
  2. During submission, they can opt for consideration under the ERA Fellowships grant.
  3. High-scoring proposals that do not secure MSCA-PF funding are eligible for referral to the ERA Fellowships Grant committee.
  4. Successful referrals may receive funding equivalent to the MSCA-PF grant, subject to total score and budget availability.

This mechanism provides an additional opportunity for funding through a single application process, potentially increasing the success rate for proposals in Widening Countries.

Funding:

Contribution for the recruited Ph.D. researcher per person-month:

Living allowance: EUR 5,990 (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 1,000

Management and indirect contribution: EUR 650

* 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.

For more information, please refer to the MSCA-PF Applicable unit Contributions.

Project Start Date:

Successful proposals will have the possibility to choose one of the possible options as the starting date of their project:

1) “Fixed start date” to be notified, and not later than 1 September of year n+2 (Year N = the year of the call’s deadline)

2) First day of the month after Grant Agreement (GA) signature 

Submission Restrictions:

Please note that different scientific content does not define a different proposal but rather the organisations and individuals involved in the proposal. The eligibility criteria for resubmission are detailed in the MSCA 2023-2025 Work Programme, page 120, and further clarified on the Call for Proposal FAQ page.

For more information on the call please refer to: 

How ISERD can assist you:

It is highly recommended to read the unofficial PF 2024 Proposal Preparation Handbook, prepared by the network of the National Contact Points for MSCA based on their vast experience and knowledge of the programme, the procedures and the applicants.

Further Information:

MSCA-PF job offers

MSCA-PF 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 – Lists funded MSCA-PF projects

Example of the MSCA PF Application form

MSCA-PF Application Documents Guide

Success Stories

“Peaceful Mind” project – Evaluation of traditional and third wave emotion regulation strategies in youth, the experience of Ph.D fellow in Amsterdam, supported by Horizon 2020 Individual Fellowships Programme (MSCA-IF), 2017

Contact us

For questions regarding the call and its submission requirements please contact the MSCA team at ISERD.