MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2027

MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2027 co-funds institutional talent recruitment programmes that provide researchers holding a doctoral degree with excellent opportunities and career prospects. Programmes seek to deepen researchers' skills, autonomy, and professional visibility while aligning participant institutions with best practices in recruitment, career progression, and research assessment. Supported fellowships include an EU-funded phase and a beneficiary-funded phase, aiming to enhance research and innovation capacity, career development, and institutional attraction in Europe's academic environment. The initiative addresses brain drain and precarious researcher careers, offering open, merit-based, transparent candidate selection and concrete long-term pathways toward stable academic roles.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Government organization, NGO, Company, Other
Start date	8 Dec 2026
End date	6 Apr 2027
Budget	51,251,165 EUR (total budget for 2027 for all grants in this action)
Coverage	Phase 1: EU co-funded phase (24–36 months) – EU funding covers direct and indirect programme costs. Phase 2: Beneficiary-funded phase (24 months) – fully funded by the applicant institution(s), with requirement for nationally attractive salaries and sufficient resources.

Grant application conditions

Eligible Applicants	Institutions proposing talent recruitment programmes for researchers holding a doctoral degree. Proposals must meet legal and financial capacity requirements as per Horizon Europe rules.
Eligible Countries	Applicants from EU Member States and associated countries. Non-associated countries may participate under specific provisions (see Horizon Europe Programme Guide).
Researcher Profile	Researchers must hold a doctoral degree.
Programme Structure	Two phases: (1) EU-funded (24–36 months), (2) Beneficiary-funded (24 months). Applicant institution may choose the order of the phases in its programme proposal.
Discipline Coverage	All research disciplines are eligible.
Selection Process	Selection must be open, merit-based, and involve transparent international peer-review, in alignment with the European Charter for Researchers. Selection criteria must be based primarily on excellence and alignment with institutional, regional, or national HR strategies.
Career Development Plan	A Career Development Plan must be maintained for each researcher, outlining career needs and projected progression, and must be updated throughout the fellowship.
Vacancy Notice Requirements	Internationally advertised, including gross salaries for both phases. Clear alignment with local HR needs in relevant strategies.
Working Conditions	Programmes must offer excellent working conditions including salary, resources, and professional/career development. Should provide fair, equal, inclusive, and transparent career progression systems aligned with relevant EU recommendations.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-MSCA-2027-COFUND-02-01

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements