NZ - MSCA | EURAXESS

The Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (MSCA)

Schemes and programmes

MSCA grants cover all stages of the research career spectrum, from PhD candidates through to highly experienced researchers.

Beneficiaries of MSCA grants can develop:

research expertise,
innovation skills,
entrepreneurism, through the involvement of industry and other non-academic institutions.

All of the schemes solicit "bottom-up" research projects, leaving complete freedom to develop proposals that best suit the trainees and their host organisations.

Go to the Participant Portalto check the calls available or get informed on how to apply.

INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIPS

Individual fellowships through MSCA Horizon 2020 supports experienced researchers (who must have a doctoral degree, with at least 4 years of full time research experience included in their doctorate).

Mobility is the key eligibility factor, training-through-research another important aspect, with the possibility for secondments to other organisations in Europe.

Some practical considerations:

- The applicant is free to choose the research field.

- The application is made jointly by the researcher and the host organisation in the academic or non-academic sectors in an EU Member State or Associated Country.

- It is the host organisation that signs the grant agreement and who is the beneficiary of the grant. The host organisation then recruits researchers.

- The grant usually covers salary as well as a mobility allowance, research costs and overheads for the host institution.

Types of Individual Fellowships:

1. European Fellowships (Australian/New Zealand researchers can apply)

These are hosted in an EU Member State or Associated Country and are open to researchers either coming to Europe or moving within Europe with funding for one to two years. The potential Australian/ New Zealand Fellow needs to find a host organisation in an EU Member State or Associated Country.

2. Global Fellowships (long-term residents in Europe visit an Australian/New Zealand institution)

These fund secondments outside Europe for researchers based in the EU or Associated Countries provide funding for two to three years, with a mandatory one-year return period.

The partner institution receiving the fellow does not sign the Grant Agreement. But the Australian/New Zealand partner has to supply an up-to-date letter of commitment to demonstrate their real and active participation in the proposed action as well as a half page form on the organisation’s capacity.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION STAFF EXCHANGES (RISE)

This supports short-term mobility of research and innovation staff at all career levels, from the most junior (post-graduate) to the most senior (management), including administrative and technical staff.

Support is provided for the development of partnerships in the form of joint research and innovation activities between the participants. This is aimed at knowledge sharing via international as well as intersectoral mobility, based on secondments of research and innovation staff (exchanges) with an in-built return mechanism.

Some practical considerations:

RISE projects are carried out by consortium of research institutions and companies and must be established in at least three different countries of which two must be EU Member States and/or Associated Countries.

If all participants are from the same sector (either only academic or non-academic), at least one participant must be from a third country. Australia/New Zealand can participate as a partner organisation.

The exchanges of Australian/New Zealand employed researchers are normally not funded. There can be exceptional funding where their participation is deemed essential for carrying out the action.

Secondments may be split into several stays not exceeding 12 months in total and not going beyond the project duration. The splits must be justified and considered beneficial for the transfer of knowledge activities.

The exchanged staff members should be guaranteed full reintegration into the sending institution thus maximising the impact of the action for knowledge sharing and long-term collaboration.

INNOVATIVE TRAINING NETWORKS (ITN)

Support competitively selected joint research training and/or doctoral programmes.

Some practical considerations:

Three types of ITNs: European Training Networks (ETN); European Industrial Doctorates (EID); and European Joint Doctorates (EJD).

ITN projects are carried out by partnerships of universities, research institutions, and non-academic organisations.

These projects must have at least three different organisations from three EU Member States or Associated States for ETN and EJD.

The EID programme must have at least two different organisations from two EU Member States.

Australian/New Zealand academic and non-academic organisations can be a ‘Partner Organisation’ and as such cannot directly claim any costs of the project and are not signatories to the grant agreement.

Individual Australian/New Zealand researchers are eligible to take part in a successful ITN project as long as they meet the criteria of undertaking transnational mobility and receive funding for their participation in the doctorate programme.