Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchanges (MSCA-SE) 2024: open call

The programme Horizon Europe has announced the call for proposals of international projects Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchanges (MSCA-SE). Deadline is 5. 2. 2025.

On 24. 10. 2024, National Contact Points organise an online international info day on this call. It will include a pitching session to contact potential partners. About the event and registration.

On 15. 11. 2024, the European Research Executive Agency organise an information event for applicants that includes opportunity to find potential partners. Event webpage and registration – Programme – Brokerage even webpage.

If you plan to participate in a proposal submitted to this call, please, contact well in advance, if possible, 1 month before the deadline at the latest, the Project Management Department (Martina Holíková, martina.holikova@natur.cuni.cz).
See also Horizon Europe – practical information on faculty website.

September 2024: At this point there probably is not enough time to prepare a high-quality application in the role of a coordinator, as this preparation is very demanding. Nevertheless, please contact us as soon as possible – ca. 4 months before the deadline at the very latest – if you are seriously considering coordinating an MSCA-SE project so that we can plan the preparation of the proposal for the 2025 call with the deadline 8. 10. 2025.

• Call on Funding & Tenders Portal – scope of the call, links to relevant documents, frequently asked questions, interface for proposal submission.
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme 2023-2025
  – call text pp. 43 and 46–49, rules and eligibility criteria pp. 125–131.
• MSCA-SE projects supported in previous calls.
• Staff Exchanges call 2024 bitesized overview – 9-minute video perfectly summarising key features of these projects.
• MSCA Staff Exchanges Handbook 2023 – annotated application form prepared by the network of National Contact Points MSCA-NET with detailed advice on individual parts of the application.
• About MSCA-SE by European Commission.
• About MSCA by the Czech National Contact Point – news, events etc.

MSCA-SE supports international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary research stays (secondments) of researchers (doctoral candidates and PhD holders) or other staff members in the frame of a joint research/innovation project. The projects are to be carried out by international consortia, participation of non-academic sector and/or partners from outside Europe is required (see below).

One person can spend 1–12 months on secondment(s) in one project. Maximal project size is 360 “person-months” of such secondments. Maximal project duration is 48 months. Timetable of the secondments must be already included in the project proposal (however, justified changes are possible during implementation).

By participating in these projects, research teams can strengthen their international collaborations.

Supported secondments

• Within EU and Horizon Europe associated countries, the exchanges should be international and simultaneously inter-sectoral: a staff member from an academic institution should be seconded to a non-academic institution in another EU or Horizon Europe associated country, or vice versa. (In MSCA projects, the non-academic sector includes not only enterprises, but also e.g. hospitals, museums, libraries, national parks, non-governmental organisations, public authorities etc.)
• If the project includes secondments between EU or Horizon Europe associated countries that take place within the same sector (e.g. between two academic institutions), such secondments must be interdisciplinary and must be limited to a maximum of one third of the total secondments (total “person-months” spent on secondments) funded within the project.
• Exchanges with a partner in a “third country” (neither an EU member state nor a Horizon Europe associated country) don’t have to be interdisciplinary even if they happen within the same sector (e,g. from an academic institution to an academic institution in a third country).
• Exchanges within one country or between third countries are not supported.

Consortium composition

• At least 3 entities from 3 different countries must participate in a project. Out of that at least 2 partners must be from 2 different in EU or Horizon Europe associated countries, other partners can be from Third Countries.
• When all consortia members are based in EU or Horizon Europe associated countries, at least one must be from academic and at least one from non-academic sector.
• Recommended consortia size is ca. 6–10 partners.

Budget

• Project budget is directly determined by the number of months spent by seconded researchers and other staff members on the secondments – for 1 “person-month”: EUR 2710 for travel expenses; EUR 1300 for research, training and networking costs; and EUR 1000 for management and indirect costs.
• Therefore, especially in case of more expensive travels, the secondments need to be rather longer and without interruption (usually at least ca. 2–3 months) in order for the budget to cover the expenses.
• Maximal project size is 360 person-months.

News published by Ludmila Součková on 20. 9. 2024.
Updated 24. 10. 2024 (links to infoday on 15. 11. 2024 added).
Updated 18. 11. 2024 (proposals in the role of a coordinator should be planned for the next deadline).

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