MSCA Doctoral Networks 2027

MSCA Doctoral Networks 2027 support the implementation of doctoral programmes via partnerships among universities, research institutions, research infrastructures, businesses (including SMEs), and other socio-economic actors from across Europe and beyond. The aim is to foster high-quality doctoral training, boost research and innovation (R&I) capacity, enhance cooperation between sectors and disciplines, and increase internationalisation and attractiveness of doctoral training in Europe. The programme emphasises open, transparent, and merit-based selection of doctoral candidates; high-quality supervision and mentoring; and well-structured training in research and transferable skills to improve employability and career prospects within and beyond academia.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	26 May 2027
End date	23 Nov 2027
Budget	574,616,274 EUR (for the 2027 call)
Coverage	Eligible costs and funding rates as defined in the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement. Budget allocation and coverage are subject to specific call conditions and rules established in the MSCA part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme.

Grant application conditions

Admissibility Conditions	Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Use the standard application form (HE MSCA DN).
Eligible Countries	Detailed in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Participation is open to organizations from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also participate with specific provisions.
Eligible Applicants	Consortia comprising universities, research institutions, research infrastructures, businesses (including SMEs), and other socio-economic actors. Third-country organizations can participate as well.
Legal and Financial Capacity	Applicants must have the financial and operational capacity to carry out the proposed actions as detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Exclusion Criteria	Entities subject to EU financial regulations or those that do not meet eligibility conditions defined in MSCA part of the Work Programme are excluded.
Evaluation and Award Criteria	Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in the MSCA part of the Work Programme. The selection procedure for doctoral candidates must be open, transparent, and merit-based.
Supervision	Each network must have a supervisory board coordinating network-wide training, research, and supervision activities according to the MSCA supervision guidelines.
Career Development Plan	A Career Development Plan must be jointly developed by the supervisor and each recruited doctoral candidate at the start of recruitment, and revised within 18 months or as needed.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-MSCA-2027-DN-01-01

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements