MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 call, under the Horizon Europe program, aims to enhance the potential of postdoctoral researchers by providing opportunities for international mobility and advanced training. This initiative allocates a total budget of approximately €399 million, divided into two categories: €339,192,721 for European Fellowships and €59,857,539 for Global Fellowships. The call opens on April 9, 2026, and the submission deadline is September 9, 2026.

Eligible applicants include postdoctoral researchers of any nationality who hold a PhD, either coming to or moving within EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries for European Fellowships, or European nationals and long-term residents undertaking projects in non-associated Third Countries for Global Fellowships, which require a return phase to Europe.

The fellowship structure involves joint applications made by researchers and host organizations, which may include universities, research centers, and private or public sector organizations. Funding is provided as grants to cover living allowances, mobility expenses, and project-related costs. The program emphasizes discipline and sector flexibility, encouraging research in a wide variety of fields, particularly those involving collaboration with the non-academic sector.

Additionally, the program promotes the development of transferable skills and research integrity. Applicants are tasked with creating a Career Development Plan that outlines their training needs and career goals. The program also offers optional secondment opportunities and placements aimed at expanding researchers' experiences and career paths.

While no formal co-funding is required, host organizations must commit to support for Global Fellowships, particularly during the return phase. The application process is single-stage and features ongoing submission within the established timeline, with evaluations conducted by experts.

The initiative reflects the EU's commitment to enhancing research and development, knowledge transfer, and fostering excellence across Europe. Expected outcomes will include improved employability for researchers, increased quality of research training, and enhanced visibility of participating organizations in the global research landscape. Overall, the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 seeks to build a robust foundation for future leaders in research and innovation across multiple sectors.

The HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01-01 call, part of the Horizon Europe program, focuses on MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships for the year 2026. The call is divided into two types of actions: European Fellowships (HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF) and Global Fellowships (HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF). Both types of actions utilize the HORIZON Unit Grant [HORIZON-AG-UN] Model Grant Agreement and follow a single-stage deadline model. The planned opening date for submissions is April 9, 2026, and the deadline for submissions is September 9, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The European Fellowships have a budget of 339,192,721 EUR for 2026. These fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality who wish to engage in Research and Innovation projects by either coming to Europe from any country in the world or moving within Europe. The standard duration of these fellowships must be between 12 and 24 months. Secondments for European Postdoctoral Fellowships cannot exceed half of the requested duration of the action, excluding any additional period for a non-academic placement, and should align with the project objectives, adding significant value and impact to the fellowship.

The Global Fellowships have a budget of 59,857,539 EUR for 2026. These fellowships are open to European nationals or long-term residents who wish to engage in Research and Innovation projects with organizations outside EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. These fellowships require an outgoing phase of a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 24 months in a non-associated Third Country, and a mandatory 12-month return phase to a host organization based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country. Optional secondments are permitted for up to half of the outgoing phase. A maximum of three months of such secondments can be spent at the start of the project at the beneficiary, allowing the researcher to spend time there before going to the associated partner in the Third Country. This period of maximum three months will be considered as part of the outgoing phase. Secondments cannot take place during the mandatory twelve-month return period to the host organization in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.

For both European and Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, researchers may opt to include a secondment phase within the overall duration of their fellowship in any country worldwide. The secondment phase can be a single period or divided into shorter mobility periods.

Postdoctoral Fellowships can provide an additional period of up to six months to support researchers opting for a placement at the end of the project to work on Research and Innovation projects in an organization from the non-academic sector established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. While this possibility is also available to fellows recruited in the non-academic sector, such a placement must be implemented at a different non-academic host organization established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. The request for such a non-academic placement must be an integral part of the proposal, explaining the added-value for the project and for the career development of the researcher, and will be subject to evaluation. This incentive aims at promoting career moves between sectors and organizations and thereby stimulate innovation and knowledge transfer while expanding career opportunities for researchers. If the placement does not meet the requirements (taking place in an academic organization or in a Third Country), the proposal will be evaluated without taking into account the placement, which might affect the final score.

Training activities implemented under the Postdoctoral Fellowships should integrate key transferable skills and competences common to all fields, including digital ones (e.g., generative AI), and foster the culture of Open Science, knowledge valorization, and when applicable, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as good scientific conduct such as research integrity. The Postdoctoral Fellowships should empower fellows to pursue a career in research and adequately prepare them for increased research collaboration and information-sharing made possible by new (digital) technologies (e.g., collaborative tools, opening access to publications and to other research outputs including data, FAIR data management, societal engagement, and citizen science, etc.).

A Career Development Plan should be established jointly by the supervisor(s) and the researcher to equip MSCA postdoctoral fellows with skills that enhance and expand their career opportunities inside and outside academia. In addition to research objectives, this plan should comprise the researcher's training and career needs, including training on transferable skills, teaching, planning for publications, and participation in conferences and events aiming at opening science and research to citizens. The Plan will have to be submitted as a project deliverable at the beginning of the action and can be updated when needed.

Organizations active in nuclear research established in one of the EU Member States or countries associated with the Euratom Research and Training program are eligible to participate. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships in this area of research will be supported by the Euratom Research and Training Programme through an indicative annual financial contribution of EUR 1 million to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call.

ERA Fellowships, implemented through Work Programme Annex 11, Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area, provide specific support to researchers to undertake their fellowship in a widening country. This will help spread excellence and contribute to fostering balanced brain circulation in widening countries.

The goal of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships is to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD and who wish to acquire new skills through advanced training, international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships will be open to excellent researchers of any nationality. The scheme also encourages researchers to work on research and innovation projects in the non-academic sector and is open to researchers wishing to reintegrate in Europe, to those who are displaced by conflict, as well as to researchers with high potential who are seeking to restart their careers in research.

Through the implementation of an original and personalized research project, MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships aim to foster excellence through training and mobility and to equip researchers with new skills and competences in order to identify solutions to current and future challenges. Postdoctoral researchers are encouraged to engage with society at large to make the results of their research visible to citizens and to involve citizens, civil society, and end-users in co-creation of research content when relevant.

The expected outcomes of the project include an increased set of research and transferable skills and competences, leading to improved employability and career prospects of MSCA postdoctoral fellows within academia and beyond; new mind-sets and approaches to Research and Innovation work forged through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary experience; enhanced networking and communication capacities with scientific peers, as well as with the general public that will increase and broaden the research and innovation impact. For participating organizations, the expected outcomes include increased alignment of working conditions for researchers in accordance with the principles set out in the European Charter for Researchers; enhanced quality and sustainability of research training and supervision; increased global attractiveness, visibility, and reputation of the participating organization(s); stronger Research and Innovation capacity and output among participating organizations; better transfer of knowledge; and regular feedback of research results into teaching and education at participating organizations.

The call aims to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD and wishing to diversify their individual competences and skills through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral mobility while implementing excellent research projects across all sectors of research; strengthen Europe's human capital base in Research and Innovation with better trained, innovative, and entrepreneurial researchers; enhance the quality of Research and Innovation contributing to Europe's competitiveness and growth; contribute to Europe's attractiveness as a leading destination for Research and Innovation and for good working conditions of researchers; facilitate knowledge transfer and brain circulation across the ERA; and foster the culture of open science, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the MSCA part of the Work Programme.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), HE Unit MGA, and call-specific instructions in the "HE-MSCA-PF Guide for Applicants" and other useful documents. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and other related documents.

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 call is a significant opportunity for researchers holding a PhD to enhance their skills and career prospects through international mobility and advanced training. It supports both European and Global Fellowships, encouraging researchers to engage in Research and Innovation projects in academic and non-academic sectors. The call emphasizes the importance of open science, knowledge valorization, and the development of transferable skills, aiming to foster excellence in research and contribute to Europe's competitiveness and growth. The indicative budget for European Fellowships is approximately 339 million EUR, while the budget for Global Fellowships is approximately 60 million EUR. The call opens on April 9, 2026, and closes on September 9, 2026.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicants are postdoctoral researchers of any nationality who hold a PhD. Applications are made jointly by the researcher and a beneficiary organization, which can be either academic or non-academic. Organizations active in nuclear research established in one of EU Member States or countries associated to the Euratom Research and Training programme, are eligible to participate.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a unit grant under the Horizon Europe program.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, consisting of the postdoctoral researcher and a beneficiary organization. The application is made jointly.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility varies depending on the type of fellowship:

European Postdoctoral Fellowships: Open to researchers of any nationality coming to or moving within Europe (EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries).
Global Postdoctoral Fellowships: Open to European nationals or long-term residents who wish to engage in R&I projects with organizations outside EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, with a mandatory return phase to an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
ERA Fellowships: Specific support to researchers to undertake their fellowship in a widening country.

Target Sector: This program targets all sectors of research and innovation (R&I). Specific emphasis is given to enhancing nuclear expertise and excellence through the Euratom Research and Training Programme. The program also aims to foster Open Science, knowledge valorisation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and good scientific conduct such as research integrity.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and Third Countries not associated with Horizon Europe. Specific mention is made of widening countries in the context of ERA Fellowships.

Project Stage: The project stage is aimed at researchers holding a PhD, indicating a development stage where researchers are expected to enhance their skills and competences through advanced training and mobility.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01-01 call is divided into two main categories:

European Fellowships: EUR 339,192,721
Global Fellowships: EUR 59,857,539
Additionally, the Euratom Research and Training Programme contributes an indicative annual financial contribution of EUR 1 million to MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships in nuclear research.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their research and training activities. The fellowships also provide opportunities for secondments and placements in the non-academic sector, enhancing career development.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 call, under the Horizon Europe program, aims to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD through international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility. The call is divided into European Fellowships, which support researchers moving within or coming to Europe, and Global Fellowships, which support European researchers undertaking projects in Third Countries with a mandatory return phase to Europe. The program encourages researchers to work on R&I projects in both academic and non-academic sectors and supports those seeking to reintegrate into Europe or restart their careers.

The fellowships provide funding for excellent researchers to undertake original and personalized research projects, fostering excellence through training and mobility. The program also emphasizes the development of transferable skills, the culture of Open Science, knowledge valorisation, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research integrity. A Career Development Plan is required to equip fellows with skills that enhance their career opportunities.

The call also includes specific support through Euratom for nuclear research and ERA Fellowships for widening countries, aiming to enhance nuclear expertise and excellence and to foster balanced brain circulation within Europe. The application process is a single-stage submission, with detailed guidelines and support available through the Funding & Tenders Portal, National Contact Points, and other resources. The expected outcomes include increased skills and competences for fellows, enhanced quality of research training, and increased attractiveness and reputation for participating organizations.