FAQs
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The list of FAQs, which contains questions for the current Framework Programme (Horizon Europe), is updated with questions taken from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Q&A Blog. Make sure that you visit the blog for the latest FAQs on MSCA.
For MSCA FAQs pertaining to the previous Framework Programme (Horizon 2020) visit the old blog which the project will also update on a regular basis.
COFUND
For calls with deadlines in 2022 and beyond, once a project proposal is selected for funding following evaluations, consortium partners concerned by the eligibility criterion will have until Grant Agreement signature to confirm they have a GEP in place.
This is mainly for statistics purposes.
External evaluation agencies would be seen as service providers, the applicant shall explain that they will be using an external agency when describing the evaluation and selection process under excellence, no need of letter of commitment in this case as they are not partners.
Own resources mean all resources – beneficiaries + implementing partners + associated partners (if applicable).
Yes, they will assess if the appropriate level of co-financing is committed to effectively implement the proposal.
Doctoral Networks
The deadlines and procedures are set out in the evaluation result letter. For more information on complaints about proposal rejection: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/funding-tenders-opportunities/display/OM/Complaints+about+proposal+rejection.
This option is fine. It is important to clearly state that all fellows will be enrolled into doctoral studies. It is quite difficult for beneficiaries to commit to the awarding of a doctoral degree to each recruited researcher at a specific date, given that the PhD programmes duration can be different from an institution to another and that unpredictable events can delay the PhD thesis completion.
Yes, each student must be enrolled in a double degree awarded by two participating organisations from MS/ AC. If an associated partner from a third country delivers a degree to a student, there should also be two other beneficiaries/ associated partners from MS/ AC delivering a degree to the same student.
An anti-plagiarism tool is used to flag any potential cases but REA are aware that a certain percentage of similarities will be explained by the templates or some standardized parts from institutions. REA only focuses on most critical cases.
MSCA & Citizens (Night)
All Open Science aspects are moved under Excellence in the methodology. Open Access should not be described under Impact and Dissemination as it is assessed under Excellence.
This requirement should be applicable to beneficiaries and not to associated partners.
For calls with deadlines in 2022 and beyond, once a project proposal is selected for funding following evaluations, consortium partners concerned by the eligibility criterion will have until Grant Agreement signature to confirm they have a GEP in place.
For calls with deadlines in 2022 and beyond, once a project proposal is selected for funding following evaluations, consortium partners concerned by the eligibility criterion will have until Grant Agreement signature to confirm they have a GEP in place.
This is mainly for statistics purposes.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Yes. For eligibility purposes, weeks outside the host country are taken into account. The most important thing is to clearly indicate it in the application forms and researcher’s CV (proposal Part A & B2).
To get rid of the warning message blocking the submission, applicants should link the deliverables with WP1.
An official resubmission is a proposal with the same host organisation and researcher. Since the host institution for both GF and EF would be the European partner, a proposal with the same beneficiary would be considered a resubmission.
There are no limitations as to when the researcher can go on maternity leave during the fellowship. An issue might be the employment contract. Some employment contracts stipulate that for paid parental leave the researchers need to have been employed for a set period of time. This doesn’t mean they can’t take the leave, just that it isn’t paid.
It is possible to postpone the actual start date without losing the grant. The initial start date in the contract cannot be further away than the legally allowed date, but it can be further postponed then with an amendment. The researcher needs to contact the project officer and explain the situation.
Staff Exchanges
There are no such templates beyond the standard consortium agreement template, such as the one provided by DESCA (https://www.desca-agreement.eu/desca-model-consortium-agreement/).
For Associated Partners, applicants have to click on the button on the Funding and Tenders Portal and then apply the PIC. For further steps in Form A and description of their role in Part B, applicants should follow instructions in the template.
For associated partners linked to a beneficiary, similar steps apply, but the type of link and description of the activities must be described in Part B.
There are three types of IMPACT in SE:
1. Economic Impact: boosts global & inter-sectoral collaborations
Triggers global inter-sectoral networking & innovation in TC and mobility flows between TC and Europe/ AC Increases active involvement of industry partners Consists on fostering innovation Facilitates technological development Transfers knowledge and deploys solutions It may include the impact the project will generate on participating companies in terms of revenues and profits, employment creation, market share, etc.
2. Social Impact: is a positive contributor to MSCA careers and employment for both male and female researchers
Concentrated on the generation of knowledge Involves R&I in developing, supporting and implementing Union policies Applies innovative solutions in industry (including SMEs), and addresses global challenges
3. Scientific Impact: contributes to fertilize advances across disciplines
Consistent fair representation in all the main research disciplines (majority of RISE projects ≥2 fields of science) Includes in particular the promotion of scientific excellence Creates high-quality new knowledge, skills, training and mobility of researchers
These three impacts are tracked with Key Impact Pathways (KIPs) which are divided as: ·
Scientific impact:
o Creating high-quality new knowledge
o Strengthening human capital in R&I
o Fostering diffusion of knowledge and Open Science ·
Societal Impact:
o Addressing EU policy priorities & global challenges through R&I
o Delivering benefits and impact via R&I missions
o Strengthening the uptake of R&I in society
Economic/ Technological Impact:
o Generating innovation-based growth
o Creating more and better jobs o Leveraging investments in R&I
When talking about impact, this is prospective, it is in the future, assuming that the project is successful and that it achieves everything that it set up to achieve. The applicants could base themselves on some other studies to strengthen or build their case about the impact they could have, before the impact is actually achieved.
There are different scientific panels and proposals are ranked within their scientific panel. Proposals in some panels are more STEM-oriented and would have a different kind of impact than proposals in the SOC panel for instance, but these proposals would not compete against the STEM-oriented proposals. It should also be considered that the impact is now broadened to encompass not only a purely scientific impact but also impact on the society at large. This can be an area where the SSH proposals could actually have a competitive advantage.