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15/10/2021

Research and innovation projects through mobility - MSCA Staff Exchanges

Categories: News

Tags: MSCA | MSCA SE | Staff exchange | RISE | Mobility | non-academic sector | SMEs | international collaboration

The call 2021 is closed. The call 2022 is due on 6 October 2022. The information below is for reference only.

With an overall budget of €72.5 million in 2021, the Marie Sklowdowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges (MSCA SE) support up to 4-year joint research and innovation projects implemented by seconding and/or hosting eligible staff members. 

The call is open to international consortia of universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs and other non-academic organisations to exchange their staff for up to 12 months. LAC institutions eligible.
 

Previously known as Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges (RISE), these exchanges offer unique opportunities for researchers and innovators. They can use Staff Exchanges actions to enlarge their networks, share knowledge and turn cutting-edge research into innovative products and services.

Objective of Staff Exchanges

The MSCA Staff Exchanges (SE) action funds short-term international and inter-sectoral exchanges of staff members involved in research and innovation activities of participating organisations. The aim is to develop sustainable collaborative projects between different organisations from the academic and non-academic sectors (in particular SMEs), based in Europe and beyond. Exchanged staff benefit from new knowledge, skills and career development perspectives, while participating organisations increase their research and innovation capacities.

Who can apply for Staff Exchanges?

Staff Exchanges are open to international consortia of universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs and other non-academic organisations. They need to include

  • at least three organisations in three different countries, two of which need to be located in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country
  • above this minimum, the participation of organisations from any country is possible*
  • if all participating organisations are from the same sector (academic or non-academic), at least one must be from a non-associated Third Country

Individual staff members are selected by their sending organisations to take part in the planned exchanges. Secondments between institutions established in third countries or within the same EU Member State or Horizon 2020 Associated Country will not be supported.

What does the funding cover?

Staff Exchanges projects can last up to four years. The grant funds the mobility of seconded staff members from one month to one year. Staff involved should return to their sending organisations after the secondment, to pass on their knowledge.

Staff exchanges between organisations in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries are required to be between different sectors (academic or non-academic), except if they are interdisciplinary. For partnerships with non-associated Third Countries, exchanges within the same sector and the same discipline are allowed.

Staff funded by Staff Exchanges:

  • can be researchers at any career stage, from PhD candidates to postdoctoral researchers, as well as administrative, technical or managerial staff involved in research and innovation activities
  • can be of any nationality
  • must be engaged in, or linked to, research and innovation activities at their sending organisation for at least one month prior to the secondment
  • should return to their sending organisation after the secondment, to pass on their knowledge and foster collaboration

Note that the call is not open to individual researchers.

Seconded staff receive:

  • a top-up allowance (for travel, accommodation, subsistence costs), which is on top of the salary paid by their organisation
  • a special needs allowance, if applicable

In addition, funding is provided for:

  • research, training and networking activities
  • management and indirect costs

The MSCA Staff Exchanges' call for proposals is open with a deadline on 9 March 2022.

check the MSCA SE call 2021 here

(HORIZON-MSCA-2021-SE-01)

Dedicated webinars

 

  • Info session in Spanish for LAC institutions: MSCA Staff Exchanges call 2021,Thursday 28 October, at 12:00 in CO, MEX / 14:00 in AR, CL, UY: http://bit.ly/MSCASEparaLAC

  • Official info session about Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges for potential applicants, 19 November 2021, 10:30 to 12:30 CET. More here

 

Additional resources

* Organisations from LAC (and from everywhere else) and from any sectors can join any consortium to submit a proposal.

In the case of MSCA SE, only legal entities that are established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can be beneficiaries. 

Eligibiliy to funding

=> In Latin America and the Caribbean, the countries automatically eligible for institutional funding by the European Commission are: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic). Legal entities established in countries not listed in the Programme Guide will be eligible for funding if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.

In the case of institutions from Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay, they are eligible to participate but they must fund their own participation or bring their co-funding.

Attachments

msca_staff_exchanges_flyer_2022.pdf (1.53 MB)