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.

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COFUND

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.

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

The legal status that the EC has assigned to the organisation during the validation process has to be checked on the Funding and Tenders Opportunities Portal.

In addition, please note that non-academic placements can only take place in EU MS or HE AC, as clarified on p. 11 of the MSCA PF 2022 Guide for applicants.

Applicants can download the editable proposal templates by starting submission – it is not necessary to register the proposal, immediately at first step there is a button ’Download Part B templates’.

In the actual Part A of the European Fellowship proposal, there is no confusion. The PDF template has the Global Fellowship version of the budget table. In the submission system, European Fellowship applicants have the correct version.

This is an institutional decision of the organisation where the supervisor is meant to be recruited by the time the project starts: if it is possible for them to have somebody not employed acting as staff in a European project.

If the answer is yes, then the applicant should go ahead with that institution, they can include the information on the institution’s infrastructure and capacities.

If the answer is no, then the applicant should include information on the institution where the supervisor is recruited at present. In that case, if a change of host has to be asked for, it should happen at GAP stage.

Having in mind that the supervisor is the official contact for the beneficiary in the project proposal, another solution is that the applicant includes someone else as the main contact/ supervisor, for example head of the lab/ institute, and list the other one as co-supervisor. From the point of view of a reviewer, the fact that the actual supervisor is not yet employed by the organisation is a potential risk. It would make the proposal stronger, if the employment contract were already signed (with a future start date), or there would be something else in place to ensure that the person is employed by the start date of the project at the latest.

Yes, PACS is considered as an equivalent status to a marriage in France.

Staff Exchanges

The first thing to note is, that even though they cannot directly claim costs, it does not mean that they cannot indirectly receive some funding for the role they have in the DN. Typically for each unit cost, there is one part that goes to the researcher and then there is the institutional part, and this part should not be seen as funding for just this particular fellow, and this beneficiary. It is rather a common pot for the whole consortium to run the project. In the consortium agreement the consortium defines how this is split. This funding can be distributed to the different partners according to their needs in the project: some partners provide more trainings, for instance, the coordinator typically has more management costs, so this funding can be redistributed, and some of this money can go to associated partners to cover the costs of them hosting researchers for secondments, or for them to provide trainings. So these are internal arrangements within the consortium (in the broader sense with the associated partners) so they can get indirectly money for their action. Of course, there are also non-financial incentives; the interest for them to participate could be transfer of knowledge or being part of a dynamic network and being associated to the research project.

For PF, direct financial benefits may not be there but there are plenty indirect benefits – scientific contributions, networking, getting experience in this type of projects, hosting events.

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.