The European Commission has awarded €417 million through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships to support 1696 outstanding researchers. These fellows were selected from 10,360 applicants, with a success rate of 16.6%. They will conduct research at leading universities, research centers, private and public organizations, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across 47 countries worldwide.
Indian Researchers Among the Top 5 Nationalities
Among the 1696 selected proposals, 144 involve an Indian postdoctoral researcher, representing 8.49% of the total awardees. This places India among the top five most represented nationalities in the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships program this year, highlighting the significant contribution of Indian researchers to global scientific advancements.
Funding Allocation
- €354.6 million awarded to 1528 researchers through European Postdoctoral Fellowships, allowing them to carry out research in the European Union or Horizon Europe-associated countries.
- €62.58 million allocated for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, supporting 168 researchers to conduct research outside the EU, primarily in the United States, Switzerland, and Canada, before returning to Europe.
Research Fields and Demographics
The selected projects span multiple scientific disciplines, with the highest representation in:
- Social Sciences and Humanities (22.94%)
- Life Sciences (20.93%)
- Information Sciences and Engineering
- Chemistry, Physics, Environmental and Geosciences, Mathematics, and Economic Sciences
The program continues to support diversity, with 43.8% of the awardees being women and researchers representing nearly 95 nationalities.
Three postdoctoral fellows have been selected for nuclear research under the MSCA-Euratom Research and Training Programme (2021-2025).
MSCA Seal of Excellence
Due to limited funding, 2940 applicants who scored 85% or higher in evaluations but were not funded will receive the MSCA Seal of Excellence, recognizing their high-quality research proposals. This certificate aims to help them secure alternative funding at the national or regional level.
Next Steps for Awardees
Successful applicants and host organizations have received formal notification and evaluation results via the Funding and Tenders Opportunities Portal. The first projects will start as early as April 2025, while 292 projects remain on a reserve list, potentially receiving funding if resources become available.
ERA Fellowships
An additional 41 fellowships will support researchers in "widening countries" under the European Research Area (ERA) Fellowships Action. Selected applicants will receive details on grant preparation procedures.
Upcoming Funding Opportunity
The next MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call is scheduled to open on 8 May 2025.