MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026

MSCA Doctoral Networks fund partnerships of universities, research institutions, infrastructures, businesses (including SMEs), and other socio-economic actors to implement doctoral programmes. These programmes aim to provide selected candidates with new research and transferable skills, enhance employability both within and beyond academia, and improve networking and communication capacities. Participating organisations are expected to benefit from improved doctoral training quality, strengthened cooperation, increased research integration, and boosted R&I capacity and internationalisation. The grant supports the development of innovative training modules, open science practices, knowledge valorisation, and the culture of research integrity. Joint or Industrial Doctorates are strongly encouraged. Each network must establish a supervisory board and ensure a Career Development Plan for each researcher.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	28 May 2026
End date	24 Nov 2026
Budget	593,033,846 EUR (2026, covering Joint Doctorates, Industrial Doctorates, and standard Doctoral Networks)

Grant application conditions

Eligibility of Applicants	Partnerships including universities, research institutions, research infrastructures, businesses (including SMEs), and other socio-economic actors from different countries in Europe and beyond.
Eligible Countries	Eligibility as described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Organisations from some non-EU/non-Associated Countries may participate if their governments provide funding.
Selection of Doctoral Candidates	The selection process must be open, transparent, and merit-based, in line with the European Charter for Researchers. Vacancies must be widely advertised, including on the EURAXESS website.
Programme Type	Doctoral programmes involving original research, training, and transfer of knowledge. Programmes may lead to Industrial or Joint Doctorates.
Supervisory Board	Each Doctoral Network must have a clearly identified supervisory board responsible for co-ordinating network-wide training, research, and supervision.
Joint Supervision	Joint supervision is mandatory for Industrial and Joint Doctorates.
Career Development Plan	A Career Development Plan must be jointly established at recruitment for each candidate, updated within 18 months, including research, training, and career needs.
Duration	Project duration and implementation period are determined according to the work programme and consortium agreement.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01-01

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements