The second call of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions-funded MSCA and Citizens action closed on 25 October 2023. 

The European Research Executive Agency (REA) received 134 proposals from coordinators based in 38 countries, including

• Italy: 17
• Turkey: 16
• Spain: 12
• France: 8
• Romania: 7
• Poland: 6
• Portugal and Slovenia: 5 each
• Germany, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom: 4 each
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, the Netherlands, Serbia, Sweden: 3 each
• Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary: 2 each
• Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Israel, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Malta, Norway, Slovakia, Tunisia and Ukraine: 1 each

For comparison, the previous call attracted 111 proposals.

This funding round will dedicate € 15.4 million to fund around 50 projects organising 

• two successive editions of the European Researchers’ Night in 2024 and 2025  

• the implementation of Researchers at Schools activities during two consecutive years 

About MSCA and Citizens 

MSCA and Citizens brings research and researchers closer to the public through science engagement activities, with a focus on families, pupils and students, and social groups that do not have easy access to and thus are less inclined to engage in STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) or research activities. 

It does so through 

• the European Researchers’ Night, the largest science engagement and communication event taking place across the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe. It takes place every year on the last Friday of September and attracts over 1.5 million visitors. Events combine education with entertainment through exhibitions, hands-on experiments, science shows, simulations, debates, games, competitions, quizzes, etc. 
• Researchers at Schools, which supports activities and direct interaction between researchers and primary and secondary education pupils throughout the year 

Aim of the initiatives 

The European Researchers’ Night and Researchers at Schools aim at 

• boosting exchanges between researchers and society 

• increasing awareness of research and innovation activities and boosting public recognition of science and research education 

• showing the role of the researcher for the society and economy, as well as the impact of researchers’ work on citizens’ daily lives 

• raising the interest of young people in research and scientific careers 

These activities will address various public, attracting people regardless of the level of their scientific background. 

Focus of the projects 

Selected projects should focus on inclusiveness with the objective of broadening access to science and research to all. 

Where appropriate, projects should cooperate with educational institutions to encourage formal and informal science education with the aim of improving the scientific knowledge base. 

This call will encourage applicants to focus on priorities linked to European Commission priorities, such as the EU Missions and the European Green Deal. 

Indicative timeline 

• October 2023 - February 2024: Evaluation by the European Research Executive Agency and external independent expert evaluators

• February 2024: notification of call results to applicants 

  • applicants will be able to access the results of the evaluation on their personal space of the Funding and Tenders Opportunities Portal

  • an overview of the evaluation results, will be published on the page of the call European Researchers' Night and Researchers at Schools 2024-2025

• March - April 2024: grant agreement signature for successful projects 

• April 2024: first EU-funded projects start