ERA Fellowships

The ERA Fellowships HORIZON-WIDERA is a European grant initiative designed for excellent postdoctoral researchers in Widening countries. This program is part of the Horizon Europe framework, aimed specifically at enhancing research and innovation capacities in underperforming regions of Europe. Eligible applicants include individual researchers from any nationality who must possess a doctoral degree by the application deadline or have completed their thesis defense. They are required to have no more than 8 years of research experience post-PhD, excluding specific career breaks or time spent outside of research. Applicants must also adhere to mobility requirements, having not resided in their host country for over 12 months within the last 36 months. The joint application must be made with a legal entity based in a Widening country, which can be either academic or non-academic. The funding type is categorized as a grant under HORIZON-AG-UN. Each successful applicant may receive between €100,000 and €500,000, with a total budget of €8 million for approximately 50 fellowships. The range indicates a select number of grants, implying moderate competition. The geographical scope requires that host organizations be located in Widening countries while allowing researchers to come from any international context, thereby encouraging increased mobility and knowledge circulation. The initiative targets all fields of research and innovation, with no restrictions on specific sectors. The fellowships will last between 12 and 24 months, with a single-stage application process set to open on April 9, 2026, and close on September 9, 2026. Applications will be evaluated on a single round basis, with success rates estimated between 10% to 39% based on previous data from similar programs. Importantly, there is no requirement for co-funding from the applicants. Additional opportunities within the fellowship include the possibility of international secondments, up to one-third of the fellowship duration, and placements in non-academic sectors for up to six months. The program encourages participation in training activities to develop transferable skills and insights into research integrity and open science practices, enhancing the overall employability and competencies of the researchers involved. In summary, this initiative aims to attract talented postdoctoral researchers to Widening countries through competitive grants that significantly improve local research environments while promoting mobility, collaboration, and career development in the field of research and innovation.

The HORIZON-WIDERA call, also known as the HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships European Fellowships, is part of the Horizon Europe program and specifically targets host organizations located in Widening countries. This action builds upon the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 initiative (HORIZON-MSCA-PF-2026). The call aims to provide fellowships to excellent researchers, promoting cross-border mobility and enhancing research and innovation capacity in Widening countries.

The expected outcomes of this call are multifaceted:

For supported ERA Fellows:The program aims to increase the research and transferable skills of fellows, enhancing their employability and career prospects both within and outside academia. It also seeks to foster new mindsets and approaches to research and innovation through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experiences. Furthermore, it aims to enhance networking and communication capacities with scientific peers and the general public, broadening the impact of research and innovation.

For participating organizations in Widening countries:The call aims to increase the alignment of working conditions for researchers with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers. It also seeks to enhance the quality and sustainability of research training and supervision, increase global attractiveness, visibility, and reputation, strengthen research and innovation capacity and output, and improve the transfer of knowledge.

For Widening countries:The call aims to attract more postdoctoral researchers to Widening countries by offering competitive grants and attractive working and employment conditions.

The scope of the call includes several key elements:

Fellowships for Excellent Researchers:The program provides fellowships to excellent researchers who undertake cross-border mobility.

Joint Applications:Applications must be made jointly by the researcher and a legal entity (academic or non-academic) located in a Widening country.

Location of Fellowships:ERA Fellowships must take place in a Widening country.

Open to All Nationalities:The fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality who wish to engage in research and innovation projects by either coming to the EU from any country or moving within the EU to a Widening country.

Secondments:Researchers can include a secondment phase within their fellowship, allowing them to spend time in any country worldwide. This phase can be a single period or divided into shorter periods but cannot exceed one-third of the standard fellowship duration. The secondment should align with the project objectives and add significant value and impact.

Placements in the Non-Academic Sector:Fellowships can include an additional period of up to six months for researchers to work on research and innovation projects in a non-academic organization established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. This placement should be at a different host organization if the fellow was initially recruited from the non-academic sector. The request for this placement must be part of the proposal, explaining its added value for the project and the researcher's career development.

Training Activities:Training activities should include key transferable skills, foster innovation and entrepreneurship (e.g., commercialization of results, Intellectual Property Rights, communication, public engagement, and citizen science), promote good scientific conduct (research integrity), and promote Open Science practices (open access to publications and research outputs, FAIR data management, societal engagement, etc.).

Career Development Plan:A Career Development Plan should be established jointly by the supervisor and the researcher to enhance career opportunities inside and outside academia. This plan should include research objectives, training needs (including transferable skills), teaching, planning for publications, and participation in conferences and events. The plan must be submitted as a project deliverable and can be updated as needed.

The general conditions for admissibility include:

Proposal Page Limit and Layout:Described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible Countries:Described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Other Eligible Conditions:Host organizations must be located in a Widening country.

Financial and Operational Capacity and Exclusion:Described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and Award:

Award Criteria, Scoring, and Thresholds:Seals of Excellence will be awarded to applications exceeding evaluation thresholds but cannot be funded due to budget limitations. Criteria are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Submission and Evaluation Processes:Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Indicative Timeline:Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and Financial Set-Up:Described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions include details outlined in the MSCA part of the Work Programme.

Application and Evaluation Forms and Model Grant Agreement (MGA):

Application Form Templates:Available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE MSCA PF).

Evaluation Form Templates:Standard evaluation form (HE MSCA) will be used with necessary adaptations.

Guidance:HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA):HE Unit MGA.

Call-Specific Instructions:"HE-MSCA-PF Guide for Applicants" and other documents (tbc).

Additional Documents:Include HE Main Work Programme sections, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme, EU Financial Regulation, and other relevant documents.

The budget overview indicates that the topic HORIZON-WIDERA HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships European Fellowships has a budget of €8,000,000 for the year 2026. The call is a single-stage process, opening on 09/04/2026 and closing on 09/09/2026. The contributions range from 100,000 to €500,000, with an indicative number of 50 grants.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests. The submission system is planned to open on the date stated in the topic header.

Support resources include the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and Partner Search tools.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for excellent researchers to apply for postdoctoral fellowships in Widening countries under the Horizon Europe program. It aims to enhance research capacity, promote researcher mobility, and foster career development through comprehensive training and development plans. The call is specifically targeted at host organizations in Widening countries, with the goal of increasing their attractiveness and research output. The application process requires a joint submission by the researcher and a host organization, with opportunities for secondments and placements in the non-academic sector. The program emphasizes the development of transferable skills, innovation, and open science practices.

Eligible Applicant Types:The eligible applicants are excellent researchers of any nationality who wish to engage in R&I projects. The applications must be made jointly by the researcher and a legal entity (academic or non-academic) located in a Widening country. Host organizations must be located in a Widening country.

Funding Type:The funding type is a grant, specifically a unit grant under the Horizon Europe program. This is indicated by the "Type of MGA: HORIZON Unit Grant [HORIZON-AG-UN]" designation. The action type is HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships European Fellowships.

Consortium Requirement:A consortium is required, consisting of a researcher and a legal entity (host organization) in a Widening country. The application must be made jointly.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The geographic eligibility focuses on "Widening countries." Fellowships should take place in a Widening country. Researchers of any nationality are eligible, provided they are either coming to the EU from any country in the world or moving within the EU to a Widening country. Secondments can take place in any country worldwide. Placements in the non-academic sector must be in an organization established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.

Target Sector:This program targets all sectors of research and innovation (R&I) as it is open to researchers of any nationality who wish to engage in R&I projects. It also targets career development, training, and mobility of researchers, innovation, entrepreneurship, open science, and knowledge transfer.

Mentioned Countries:EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and Widening Countries are mentioned. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding are also indirectly mentioned.

Project Stage:The project stage is aimed at the postdoctoral level, focusing on fellowships for excellent researchers. This suggests a project stage of research, development, and potentially validation, depending on the specific project.

Funding Amount:The contributions range from €100,000 to €500,000. The total budget for the topic is €8,000,000, with an indicative number of 50 grants.

Application Type:The application type is a single-stage call, as indicated by "Deadline model: single-stage." The call is forthcoming, with a planned opening date of April 9, 2026, and a deadline of September 9, 2026.

Nature of Support:The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant. The program also provides non-monetary services such as training activities, career development support, and access to networks.

Application Stages:There is one application stage, as it is a single-stage call.

Success Rates:The success rate cannot be determined from the provided text. However, the indicative number of grants (50) and the budget (€8,000,000) can give an idea of the number of projects that will be funded.

Co-funding Requirement:The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

This opportunity is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship program under Horizon Europe, specifically designed to support excellent researchers in Widening countries. The program, called ERA Fellowships, aims to enhance the research and innovation capacity of these countries by attracting postdoctoral researchers through competitive grants and attractive working conditions. The fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality, provided they apply jointly with a host organization located in a Widening country. The program supports cross-border mobility, offering opportunities for secondments in any country worldwide and placements in non-academic sectors within the EU or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The fellowships emphasize training activities, career development, and the development of transferable skills. The funding ranges from €100,000 to €500,000 per project, with a total budget of €8,000,000 allocated for approximately 50 grants. The application process is a single-stage call, with a planned opening date of April 9, 2026, and a deadline of September 9, 2026. This initiative seeks to increase the employability and career prospects of researchers, foster new mindsets in R&I, enhance networking and communication capacities, improve working conditions for researchers, and strengthen the overall R&I capacity and output of Widening countries.