European Commission Calls for Proposals: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2022 Grant

The European commission (EC) is calling for proposals for its Marie Sklodowska–Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks grant for 2022. The aim of this grant is to implement doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research institutions and research infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond. MSCA Doctoral Networks are indeed open to the participation of organisations from third countries, in view of fostering strategic international partnerships for the training and exchange of researchers.

Objectives:

• Promoting international, inter-sectoral and multi/inter-disciplinary collaboration in doctoral-level training in Europe.
• Participating organisations will cooperate to recruit researchers and provide them with opportunities to undertake research in the context of a joint research training or doctoral programme.
• To grant a doctoral degree and to pay the salaries of the recruited students.
• Training highly-skilled doctoral candidates and stimulating entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation in Europe and beyond. 

Composition of the Network

Doctoral Networks (DN):

• The consortium must be of at least 3 independent legal entities, each established in a different EU member state o Horizon Europe associated country and with at least one of them established in a EU Member state.
• Recommended size of 6-10 beneficiaries.
• Participation of the non-academic sector is expected and highly recommended.

Industrial Doctorates (DN-ID):

• The consortium must be of at least 3 independent legal entities, each established in a different EU member state o Horizon Europe associated country and with at least one of them established in a EU Member state.
• Recommended size of 3 beneficiaries.
• The doctoral candidates must spend at least 50% of their time in the non-academic sector.

Joint Doctorate (DN-JD):

• The consortium must be of at least 3 independent legal entities, each established in a different EU member state o Horizon Europe associated country and with at least one of them established in a EU Member state.
• Recommended size of 4-8 beneficiaries.
• Entities from the non-academic sector may also participate.

Areas of focus:

• There are no pre-defined priority areas. Research fields are chosen freely by the applicants.

Eligibility:

• Researchers may be of any nationality.
• Shall at the time of recruitment be in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree
• 360 person-months per network for regular DNs (e.g. 10 Doctoral candidates for 36 months each)
• 540 person-months per network for DN-IDs and DN-JDs (e.g. 15 Doctoral candidates for 36 months each)
• Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date
• All beneficiary entities must recruit and host at least 1 researcher.
• No more than 40% of the total EU financial contribution may be allocated for the benefit of organisations within one country.

Funding details:

• Will be automatically calculated based on the number of person-months to be recruited. It is limited to a maximum 540 person-months.
• Costs will be awarded for both researchers (living, family and mobility allowances) and for hosting institutions (management overhead, training, fees etc.)
• Each researcher will be supported for a minimum of 3 months and up to 36 months.

Read more here

Application deadline November 15, 2022.