The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions support excellent researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. With 9,830 applications for Individual Fellowships from researchers across the world, this year’s call is the biggest ever in terms of applications under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. The results will be announced within 5 months.

Candidates come from a wide variety of disciplines ranging from physics to linguistics and from health-sciences to mathematical modelling. A total budget of €273 million will allow the EU to offer around 1,400 researchers a fellowship in January 2019 that will be worth on average €200,000. A grant provides an allowance to cover living, travel costs and support for family. It also supports researchers to restart their careers in Europe after a break, such as a parental leave. The grant is awarded to the host organisation, usually a university, research centre or a company in Europe.

Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, said: “This is the biggest ever call under Horizon 2020 in terms of submissions. The enormous interest is proof of the success of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – and it shows that we are right in seeking to strengthen them in the EU’s next long-term budget. It is good to see an increase of 47% in applications by researchers looking for a host institution in the private sector. This gives excellent researchers the necessary skills for job opportunities in companies where their expertise is in high demand.” 

The Actions are a key part of Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation programme. During the current financing period (2014–2020), with a budget of €6.2 billion, the programme is expected to support around 65,000 researchers. For the period after 2020, the Commission has proposed to raise the budget to €6.8 billion over seven years.

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Press release

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Horizon 2020