UKRO would like to provide an update on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) 2023-2024 Work Programme following a recent MSCA National Contact Point training.
The Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture (DG EAC) and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) are undertaking a review of the MSCA unit cost contribution/lump sums and the country correction coefficient as a result of the feedback from participants. The review was launched in May 2023 and the results are expected to be published in October 2023. The results will feed into future calls, starting with the 2024 ones.
DG EAC and REA have also proposed several updates to the Work Programme 2023-2024. These updates will need to be approved by the MSCA Programme Committee in June 2023. The proposed updates include:
- Changing the eligibility criteria for the Doctoral Networks Joint Doctorates so that – from the 2024 call – for the delivery of joint, double, or multiple doctorates, the degrees will need to be recognised in at least one EU member state or country associated to Horizon Europe. Currently they need to be recognised in at least two relevant countries.
- Part-time working for less than 50% full-time equivalent will be allowed for medical reasons for Postdoctoral Fellowships, Doctoral Networks, and COFUND starting from the 2024 calls.
- Clear criteria for defining a resubmission of applications to the Doctoral Networks calls. UKRO understands that a tool has been developed to help REA screen proposals to ensure they have correctly classified themselves as a resubmission.
- Environmental considerations, in line with the MSCA Green Charter, will be included in the ex-aequo criteria starting with the 2024 calls.
- Changes to the timetable for the 2024 Staff Exchange and COFUND calls. The 2024 Staff Exchange call will open on 19/09/24 and close on 05/02/25 and the 2024 COFUND call will open on 03/04/24 and close on 26/09/24.
- Direct reference to the new EIC Next Generation Innovation Talents Internship in the introduction.
Proposed call timetable for the MSCA 2025 calls
- Doctoral Networks: call opening on 29/05/25; call closing on 25/11/25
- Postdoctoral Fellowships: call opening on 09/04/25; call closing on 10/09/25
- Staff Exchange: call opening on 27/03/25; call closing on 08/10/25
- COFUND: call opening on 24/01/25; call closing on 24/06/25
- MSCA and Citizens: call opening on 17/06/25; call closing on 22/10/25