[CALL] Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action - Postdoctoral Fellowships [MSCA-PF]

11.09.2024

For young researchers with PhD

Deadline: 2024-09-11

Please notice the »internal submission procedure and get in contact with the Research Services [international funding]!


If you want to act as Supervisor of a MSCA-PF candidate you are kindle asked to complete the online form forschungsservice.univie.ac.at/foerdermoeglichkeiten/msca-pf/supervisors/ by 27 February 2024.


 

Objective of Postdoctoral Fellowships

The objective of PFs is to support researchers’ careers and foster excellence in research. The Postdoctoral Fellowships action targets researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. PFs help researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.

Who can apply for Postdoctoral Fellowships?

Interested researchers submit an application together with a host organisation, which can be a university, research institution, business, SME or other organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. All disciplines are eligible for Postdoctoral Fellowships, including research areas covered by the Euratom Research and Training Programme.

Researchers interested in PFs

  • should have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply
  • must have a maximum of eight years experience in research, from the date of the award of their PhD degree, years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe
  • should comply with mobility rules: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline

As from 2022, resubmission restrictions will apply for applications that received a score below 70% the previous year.

Seals of Excellence will be awarded to applications with a total score equal to or higher than 85%, but which cannot be funded due to lack of budget available under the call.

Types of Postdoctoral Fellowship

There are 2 types of Postdoctoral Fellowships:

  1. European Postdoctoral Fellowships. They are open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world to pursue their research career. These fellowships take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and can last between 1 and 2 years. Researchers of any nationality can apply.
  2. Global Postdoctoral Fellowships. They fund the mobility of researchers outside Europe. The fellowship lasts between 2 to 3 years, of which the first 1 to 2 years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.

Both types of fellowships may also include short-term secondments anywhere in the world during the fellowship (except during the return phase of a Global Fellowship).

In an effort to build bridges between the academic and non-academic sector, researchers can receive additional support to carry out a placement of up to 6 months in a non-academic organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. This placement needs to take place at the end of their fellowship.

For Postdoctoral Fellowships in research areas covered by the Euratom Research and Training Programme, researchers need to be nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or a Euratom Associated Country. The beneficiary organisation recruiting the researcher also needs to be established in an EU Member State or Euratom Associated Country.

What does the funding cover?

The beneficiary receiving EU funding needs to recruit the researcher for the total period of the fellowship.

The EU provides support for the recruited researcher in the form of

  • a living allowance
  • a mobility allowance
  • if applicable, family, long-term leave and special needs allowances

In addition, funding is provided for

  • research, training and networking activities
  • management and indirect costs

The Expression of Interest (EoI) programme

The Expression of Interest (EoI) programme is an additional process run internally by the University to proactively attract applications from excellent researchers worldwide who are interested in applying for a MSCA fellowship. Building on the success, experience and awareness created by the EoI programme in previous years, this year the Research Services and Career Development department (DLE FSNF) will return to running an EoI for the 2023 call.

Process for the 2024 call - EoI

For the 2024 call, Research Services and Career Development (DLE FSNF) will continue the Expression of Interest (EoI) programme. The EoI programme is an additional process run internally by the University to proactively attract applications from excellent researchers worldwide who are interested in a MSCA fellowship.
The EoI programme has been slightly updated this year, with supervisors communicating with applicants directly, rather than via the DLE FSNF.
The opportunity to apply for a MSCA-PF at the University will be externally advertised (through e.g. EURAXESS, The Guild, Funding and Tender Portal). Potential fellowship applicants will be able to review a list of supervisors at the University interested in supporting an application. Applicants will then submit an EoI including their project idea and C.V. to the supervisor directly. Supervisors will review the applicants and select their top candidate(s), informing them directly of their success, as well as those who were not successful (with msca.fsnf@univie.ac.at in cc). Once confirmed with the DLE, we will then work intensively with the candidate and the supervisor to prepare an application.

Extra Funding for a Third Year

The University of Vienna has again made additional funding available for the 10 top-ranked MSCA European Fellowships awarded to the University (based on the score given by the European Commission). An additional third year of salary will be funded, allowing the fellow and supervisor to carry out additional research, publication, training or grant writing. As this third year is funded separately by the University, the activities should be related, but distinct to what will be carried out during the first two years of the project. Please note all UNIVIE applicants, not just those who completed the EoI, will be considered.


for more details on the Expression of Interest (EoI) programme please see following webpage:

https://forschungsservice.univie.ac.at/foerdermoeglichkeiten/msca-pf/