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The European Commission has announced more than €210 million in additional funding for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in 2026 and 2027. The increase is intended to support Postdoctoral Fellowships and Doctoral Networks and is expected to reach more than 700 additional researchers; it is a forecast, not a report of grants already awarded.
What the additional MSCA funding covers
Announced on 1 October 2026 as part of the Commission’s Choose Europe initiative, the funding boost targets two MSCA actions: Postdoctoral Fellowships, for postdoctoral researchers, and Doctoral Networks, which support doctoral training. The Commission linked the increase to strong demand and announced it at an event marking the programme’s 30th anniversary. It reports that the 2026 Postdoctoral Fellowships call received a record 21,627 applications. European Commission announcement, 1 October 2026.
The Commission’s stated goal is to help researchers build careers in Europe. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: “Researchers are choosing Europe. They know that we value and support science, and that Europe offers an environment where talent and ideas can thrive. For 30 years, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions have helped researchers from around the world build their careers in Europe. With this additional funding, we are strengthening our commitment to world-class research and ensuring that European societies and economies can benefit from cutting-edge knowledge, ideas and innovation.”
Published action budgets and researcher estimates
The figures below are the published full budgets for each action and call year, not a breakdown of how the additional €210 million or more will be divided. The Commission announcement does not specify that allocation.
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| Call year | MSCA action | Published action budget | Commission’s current beneficiary estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Postdoctoral Fellowships | €434 million | Not stated in the announcement |
| 2026 | Doctoral Networks | €628 million | Not stated in the announcement |
| 2027 | Postdoctoral Fellowships | €459 million | More than 1,800 postdoctoral researchers |
| 2027 | Doctoral Networks | €645 million | Over 2,000 doctoral candidates |
The Commission separately expects the added funding to benefit more than 700 additional researchers across the two actions. That additional-reach forecast is not the same as the estimates for all beneficiaries of the 2027 calls, and none of these estimates is a final award count.
How to interpret “more than 700 researchers”
The headline figure describes expected additional reach from the top-up, not 700 named recipients or 700 awards already approved. The Commission has not published a final beneficiary count or an action-by-action split of the additional funding. Individual chances of success cannot be inferred from these figures: the announcement reports application demand, budgets and forecasts, but does not provide an independently established success-rate estimate.
Which opportunity may fit your career stage?
- Postdoctoral Fellowships: Relevant to researchers at the postdoctoral stage. Consult the call-specific guidance for eligibility, host and mobility requirements, and the application process.
- Doctoral Networks: Relevant to doctoral candidates and the organisations involved in doctoral training. Check the specific call guidance rather than assuming that its eligibility or application route matches a fellowship.
MSCA is funded by the European Commission and supports research careers through mobility and innovative doctoral and postdoctoral training. The Commission says more than 150,000 researchers have participated since the programme began in 1996, including 23 Nobel laureates.
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The European Research Executive Agency’s MSCA funding opportunities and applicant guidance page provides call information, eligibility details, application-process guidance, templates and applicant support. Check the relevant action’s live call page for current dates and requirements before preparing or submitting an application.
When accessed for the Commission’s October 2026 announcement, the REA page listed 24 November 2026 as the deadline for the 2026 Doctoral Networks proposal and said the 2026 Postdoctoral Fellowships call had closed on 9 September 2026. It also listed the next Staff Exchanges and COFUND calls as opening in December 2026. These dates and statuses can change; verify them on the official page.
The amended Horizon Europe 2026–2027 Work Programme is described as providing the last MSCA funding opportunities under the current 2021–2027 Horizon Europe framework. The Commission says more than €1.3 billion is foreseen for MSCA in 2027. That programme-wide figure is distinct from the action budgets shown above.
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