MSCA COFUND 2025

Research, Internationalization

What?

Research programme
As always, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions focus on research training through excellent research in an international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral context. Particular attention is paid to the quality of supervision and mentoring arrangements as well as career guidance for the recruited researchers.

Proposed programmes can cover any research disciplines ("bottom-up"), but exceptionally can also focus on specific disciplines, notably when they are based on national or regional Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3 strategies). Funding synergies with Cohesion policy funds and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) are strongly encouraged.

What?

Funding and duration
COFUND project focus either on doctoral or postdoctoral programmes. In each project, a minimum of three researchers (either doctoral candidates or postdocs) need to be recruited. The EU contribution is limited to EUR 10 million per beneficiary per call. If an applicant submits two or more successful applications totalling more than EUR 10 million within one call, the applicant will be required to decide which of these proposals to implement.

The maximum duration of the action must be 60 months from the starting date set out in the Grant Agreement. Normally, the duration of the programmes varies between 36 and 60 months. The minimum duration of each individual fellowship (on the basis of full-time employment) must be 3 months.

The EU contribution for MSCA COFUND will take the form of unit contributions: 3300 EUR per person-month for doctoral candidates and 4700 EUR per person-month for postdocs. Long-term leave and/or special needs allowances are available if needed. These EU contributions are to be used for the researcher’s remuneration, training, research expenses, transfer of knowledge and networking activities of researchers, costs of managing the action and indirect costs.

Who?

Researchers
For COFUND Doctoral Programmes, researchers must be doctoral candidates (no PhD yet) and be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State (MS) or Horizon Europe (HE) Associated Country.

For COFUND Postdoctoral Programme, researchers must be in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the co-funded programme's call. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis, but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered as postdoctoral researchers and will be considered eligible to apply.

Recruited researchers can be of any nationality and must comply with the mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting Beneficiary or Implementing Partner for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the deadline of the co-funded programme's call.

In principle, researchers should be employed full-time. Part-time work due to professional reasons can be requested by COFUND postdoctoral researchers only. In cases of part-time work, researchers must work at least 50% of the full working time in their recruiting organisation for the action co-funded by the MSCA.

Who?

Beneficiaries (claiming costs, recruitment, secondments, training)
MSCA COFUND are mono-beneficiary actions. The beneficiary is one legal entity established in an EU MS or HE Associated Country that funds or manages Doctoral Programmes or Postdoctoral Programmes for researchers. Only this beneficiary signs the Grant Agreement, can claim costs, and takes the full responsibility for the proper implementation of the proposed action.

Who?

Implementing partners (recruitment, secondments, training)
Implementing partners recruit Doctoral or Postdoctoral researchers and must be established in an EU MS, the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to a MS, HE Associated Country, or low- and middle-income third countries included in the list of countries eligible for funding provided in the HE Programme Guide. Implementing partners can receive financial support from the beneficiary, need to be listed in Section 5 of Part B2 (not in Part A) and need to provide a letter of commitment only after a positive evaluation of the proposal.

Who?

Associated partners (secondments, training)
Associated partners (APs) can be established anywhere in the world and can be from any sector. They can be added at any stage during the project implementation, but known partners should be listed in both parts A and B of the proposal. APs can bring their own funding (in-kind contribution or funds) but cannot charge costs or claim contributions. They may not employ the researchers under the action. APs are not required to provide a letter of commitment.

Regulations?

Secondments
Secondments of the researcher to other partners are encouraged, but should be relevant, feasible and beneficial for the researchers, and in line with the project objectives. They are an integral part of the proposal and must be described in the proposal. The normal practice during secondments is for the recruited researchers to keep their contract with the sending institution, which also pays their travel and subsistence expenses. During their secondment, researchers receive supervision and training at the premises of the Beneficiary or of the Associated/Implementing Partners. The premises of these institutions must be independent from each other and therefore the secondment must involve physical mobility of the fellow, with specific supervision arrangements. Secondments should be differentiated from short visits, i.e. of a few days. The duration of the secondments should be limited to a maximum of one third of the actual months spent implementing the research training activities under the action.

For Postdoctoral Programmes where the main part of the research training activity does not take place in an EU MS or a HE Associated Country (i.e. outgoing phase), the researcher should carry out a mandatory return period of 12 months at the premises of the beneficiary or the recruiting implementing partner. A maximum of three months can be spent at the start of the action at the beneficiary (or any other organisation mentioned in the description of the action), allowing the researcher to spend time there before the outgoing phase. Secondments cannot take place during the mandatory twelve-month return period to the host organisation in an EU MS or HE Associated Country.

More information?

Further reading
MSCA Guide for Applicants
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme 2023-2025
MSCA-NET COFUND Handbook 2024

Deadline intern

13.06.2025, 24.06.2025

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail ward.ceunen@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211268945