MSCA Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes (MSCA-COFUND)

Co-finances new or existing doctoral programmes and postdoctoral fellowship schemes with the aim of spreading the best practices of the MSCA including international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary research training, as well as transnational and cross-sectoral mobility of researchers at all stages of their career.

What is MSCA-COFUND?

MSCA-COFUND supports the recruitment and the research training activities of doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers in international mobility, promotes high standards in the recruitment process, and offers excellent working conditions.

Types of MSCA-COFUND programmes:

  • Doctoral Programmes: Supporting the recruitment and research training activities of doctoral candidates, i.e. researchers without a doctoral degree at the deadline of the co-funded programme's call, that are enrolled in a doctoral programme during the project.
  • Postdoctoral Programmes: Supporting the recruitment and research training activities of postdoctoral researchers, i.e. researchers with a doctoral degree at the deadline of the co-funded programme's call.

Who can apply?

  • The application can be made by a single legal entity (beneficiary) established in Member State (MS) or Horizon Europe Associated Country (AC) (e.g. Israel), from any sector or discipline. 
  • The beneficiary will submit a co-funding proposal for new or existing doctoral or postdoctoral programs that contribute to the R&I by enhancing the human resources at the regional, national or international level.
  • The beneficiary will manage the doctoral or postdoctoral programmes.
  • Collaboration with additional organisations (associated partners), including organisations from different sectors, that may host, train or offer secondment opportunities in their facilities, will be positively taken into account during the evaluation.
  • Proposals can cover any research discipline.  

Target Group:

  • Career stage beginning from doctoral candidates to postdoctoral researchers
  • Researchers can be of any nationality 

Duration:

  • The entire action duration is up to 5 years (60 months)
  • The duration includes the time to select and recruit the researchers
  • The minimum supported fellowship duration per supported researcher is 3 months on a basis of full-time employment
  • Secondments duration will be up to 1/3 of the entire fellowship duration

Conditions:

  • Recruitment of minimum 3 researchers per project under an employment contractor or 'equivalent direct contract' with full social security coverage
  • Upon recruitment, the supervisor and the researcher shall jointly establish a career development plan that will be revised (and updated if needed) within 18 months of employment.
  • Mobility Rule: 
    • Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
  • Doctoral Programmes:
    • Researchers must be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
  • Postdoctoral Programmes:
    • If the main part of the research training activity takes place in a non-EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country then a mandatory return period of 12 months (outgoing phase) at the premises of the beneficiary or the recruiting implementing partner is required. During the mandatory 12 months return period to the host organisation, there will not be secondments to an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. A maximum of 3 months can be spent at the beneficiary by the researcher at the start of the action before the outgoing phase.
    • Postdoctoral researchers who were employed by the hosting organisation before the project began will not be supported.
    • If the main part of the research training activities takes place in a non-EU Member State (MS) or Horizon Europe Associated Country (AC), the researcher must be a national or long-term resident of a MS or AC.  

Funding:

  • Maximum €10 million per beneficiary per call
  • Contributions for recruited researchers and institutional contributions per person-month:
    • COFUND allowance: EUR 2 800 for Doctoral Programmes and EUR 3 980 for Postdoctoral Programmes
    • If applicable, allowances for long-term leave and special needs 

For more information please refer to the MSCA-COFUND Applicable unit Contributions.

Calls:

  • 10 October 2023 – 8 February 2024

For more information on the call please refer to the full MSCA-COFUND work programme, the MSCA-COFUND Guide for Applicants and How to Apply to Horizon Europe MSCA.

 

Call Information

Further Information:

 

Contact Us

For questions regarding the call and its submission requirements please contact the MSCA team at ISERD.