A new version of the MSCA COFUND Guide for Applicants has been released for the 2025 programme year.
The guide provide essential information about the structure of the Doctoral and Postdoctoral COFUND programmes, as well as guidance on planning COFUND projects, and instructions for completing Parts A and B of the proposal.
Key facts:
- COFUND projects are monobeneficiary, must recruit at least three researchers, with a minimum duration of 3 months and maximum duration of 60 months.
- The maximum for the EU contribution is 10 million EUR.
- Only the beneficiary sign the grant agreement and can directly claim unit costs, but (unique to COFUND) Implementing Partners are able to recruit researchers themselves.
- If Implementing/Associated Partners are not known at time of application, they may be added during the lifetime of the project with the Project Officer’s approval.
- No letters of commitment are required at the evaluation stage for any partner. If the proposal is shortlisted, Implementing Partners must provide letters of commitment before grant signature. Associated Partners do not have to provide letters of commitment.
- Proposals can cover any research discipline, but exceptionally can focus on specific disciplines, for instance when based on national or regional Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3 strategies).
- Recruited researchers may be of any nationality and must comply with the MSCA mobility rule (i.e. must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the recruiting beneficiary or Implementing Partner for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline (24th June 2025).
All prospective applicants are encouraged to study the Guide for Applicants before preparing their application materials.