funDB - WerkD Funding Database

The objective of Doctoral Networks is to implement doctoral programs through partnerships with organizations from different sectors across Europe and beyond to train highly skilled doctoral candidates, stimulate their creativity, enhance their innovation capacities, and boost their employability in the long term. Lump sums for research, training and network costs, management, and indirect costs finance the Doctoral Networks. Doctoral students also receive a salary and mobility allowances as part of their full-time contract. Funding is provided for projects with a maximum duration of four years with a maximum funding of 540 person-months (full-time positions). MSCA Doctoral Networks will implement doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research institutions and research infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond. MSCA Doctoral Networks are indeed open to the participation of organisations from third countries, in view of fostering strategic international partnerships for the training and exchange of researchers. These doctoral programmes will respond to well-identified needs in various R&I areas, expose the researchers to the academic and non-academic sectors, and offer training in research-related, as well as transferable skills and competences relevant for innovation and long-term employability (e.g. entrepreneurship, commercialisation of results, Intellectual Property Rights, communication). Proposals for doctoral networks can reflect existing or planned research partnerships among the participating organisations. The selection procedure for doctoral candidates must be open, transparent and merit-based, in line with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The vacancy notice (to be widely advertised internationally, including on the EURAXESS website) must include the gross salary (not including employer’s social contributions) offered to the researcher. MSCA Doctoral Networks are encouraged to lead to Industrial or Joint Doctorates. Indicative timeline 28 May 2026: launch of the call for proposals (TBC) 24 November 2026: deadline for submitting proposals (TBC) April 2027: notification of call results to applicants (TBC) July 2027: grant agreement signature for successful projects (TBC) August 2027: first EU-funded projects start (TBC) Quelle: Uni Leipzig, Dez. 1, EU