Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Fellowships

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions offer the opportunity for Experienced Researchers (PhD holders or those with four years of research experience) to secure their own funding via Individual Fellowships to support their research training and career development. Any Experienced Researcher, from a recent PhD graduate to an emeritus professor, can apply for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship to be hosted at a research-performing organisation from any sector (public, private, non-profit, etc.). The scheme also supports the return and reintegration in Europe of researchers who have previously carried out research here, and the restarting of the research careers of those who have recently taken a break from their career.

The new Society and Enterprise panel provides a specific opportunity for researchers to carry out a fellowship in a non-academic organisation such as industry, a civil society organisation or a cultural body.  The generous annual budget includes funding for salary, mobility costs, research costs, and a contribution to the overhead costs of their host organisation. As mobility is key to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, a Mobility Rule (see below) is a key eligibility criterion.

There are two types of Individual Fellowship:

• European Fellowships – providing an opportunity for researchers to broaden their horizons by working at a research organisation in Europe, with a view to acquiring new skills or working in new sectors. The fellowships are open to researchers either moving within Europe or coming to Europe.
• Global Fellowships – facilitating European researchers to acquire new knowledge by working outside Europe for a time, then to transfer that knowledge back into Europe.

The main activity of an Individual Fellowship is a research training project, developed by the researcher in collaboration with their host organisation, and designed to provide training through research. An integral part of the fellowship is training in complementary and transferable skills, for example, research management, intellectual property rights, entrepreneurship, public engagement, inter-sectoral or interdisciplinary knowledge transfer, building collaborations, and organisational skills.

Secondments:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to incorporate a secondment to another organization into their fellowship plans. Ideally this secondment should be to an organization in another sector e.g. a researcher carrying out a fellowship at a university might consider a secondment in the public or private sector, a NGO, a museum or other appropriate organization.

Eligibility

All areas of research are covered by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, including STEM subjects and the social sciences, humanities and economic sciences.

Funding Available

For Experienced Researchers either moving from one country in Europe (a Member State or Associated country) to another, or moving to a country in Europe from outside.  Project Duration 12 to 24 months.  Typical Fellowship Budget ~ €85,000 per annum.

There are four options within the European Fellowships:

• Standard Fellowship: open to Experienced Researchers wishing to carry out a fellowship at a European host organisation. The researcher must adhere to the standard Mobility Rule: at the deadline for the submission of applications, they can have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the host organisation for no more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline.
• Career Restart Panel: A special Career Restart option for Experienced Researchers re-starting their research career at a European host organisation after being inactive in research for 12 months or more. The researcher must adhere to the Relaxed Mobility Rule: at the deadline for the submission of applications, they can have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the host organisation for no more than 3 years in the 5 years immediately prior to the deadline.
• Reintegration Panel: A special Reintegration option for Experienced Researchers previously active in research in Europe who seek to return to carry out a fellowship at a European host organisation. The researcher must adhere to the Relaxed Mobility Rule.
• Society and Enterprise Panel: A special option for Experienced Researchers who wish to carry out a fellowship outside of academia, e.g., in a company or an NGO or a museum etc. The researcher must adhere to the Relaxed Mobility Rule.

 2) Global Fellowships

• For Experienced Researchers moving from Europe (a Member State or Associated country) to a country outside, followed by a return period back in Europe.
• The researcher must adhere to the standard Mobility Rule: at the deadline for the submission of applications, they can have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the host organisation outside Europe for no more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline.
• Project Duration 24 to 36 months (including a mandatory 12-month reintegration period back to Europe after the completion of the outgoing stay).
• Typical Fellowship Budget ~ €85,000 per annum.

Useful Links

• For further details about funding categories, eligibility criteria and deadlines, click here.

Deadlines

Submitting Your Application

• Applications must be submitted via cuResearch, through which Departmental and Associate Dean’s approval must be provided to complete the online application process.
• More information on cuResearch can be found here.

Internal Contacts

If you would like assistance with proposal development and/or a substantive review of your proposal, please contact the appropriate Research Facilitator.