Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions MSCA Doctoral Networks

Network of at least three organisations from three different EU Member States (MS) or Horizon Europe Associated Countries (AC) and at least one from an MS.

• Eligibility: Doctoral Networks are open to international consortia of universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs and other non-academic organisations. At least three independent legal entities from three different MS or AC have to participate in the consortium, and at least one of them has to be based in an MS. On top, other institutions from any country in the world can join. Every beneficiary of the MSCA-DN has to recruit at least one doctoral researcher.
  For resubmissions, restrictions apply for those proposals that received a score below 80% the previous year.
• Duration: Up to 4 years.
• Funding conditions: All areas of research may be funded. The duration of each doctoral fellowship is between 3 and 36 months. For each doctoral researcher a living allowance, a mobility allowance and, if applicable, family, long-term leave and special needs allowances are provided. In addition, the EU provides funding for research, training and networking activities as well as management and indirect costs. Secondments of doctoral students to the other institutions in the network are possible. Doctoral students must be enrolled in a doctoral program.
• Mobility rules: The doctoral researchers funded by a MSCA Doctoral Network must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the recruiting institution for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.

Doctoral Network with a substantial involvement of the non-academic sector. 

• Eligibility: In addition to the above criteria for standard Doctoral Networks, at least two of the minimum three independent legal entities have to be from different sectors (academic or non-academic respectively). Doctoral researchers funded by this kind of Doctoral Network should spend at least 50% of their time outside academia.
• Duration: Up to 4 years.
• Funding conditions: See standard Doctoral Network above.
• Mobility rules: See standard Doctoral Network above.

Doctoral network enabling joint or multiple doctoral degrees.

• Eligibility: In addition to the above criteria for standard Doctoral Networks, the following criteria apply: Out of a minimum of three independent legal entities entitled to award doctorates, at least two institutions must have the right to award joint, double or multiple doctorates and be based in an MS or AC.
• Duration: Up to 5 years.
• Funding conditions: See Standard Doctoral Network above. However, in case of Joint Doctorates a doctoral fellowship may last between 3 and 48 months.
• Mobility rules: See standard Doctoral Network above.

For the doctoral candidates recruited in the context of an MSCA Doctoral Network, the EU provides a living allowance, mobility allowance and, if applicable, a family allowance. These allowances together amount to the employer gross sum ("Arbeitgeberbrutto") to be used for the candidates employment at Heidelberg University. Against this background, an MSCA doctoral candidate will, in contrast to other doctoral students, not be employed according to the collective agreement for the public sector in the German federal states ("Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder", TV-L). It may be that their salary is lower or higher than the salaries of other doctoral students. Also, part-time employment of doctoral students is not permitted under the MSCA regulations. MSCA doctoral candidates will, therefore, receive a full-time contract.

Please get in touch with the contact person for your institute at the Human Resources Division (D5), if you have questions.

D5: Human Resources