MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 receives record number of 17,066 proposals
This year’s annual MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call has attracted considerable interest from the research community with 17,066 proposals submitted.
The fifth call of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships, part of the EU’s research and innovation framework programme Horizon Europe, closed on 10 September 2025.
The European Research Executive Agency received 17,066 proposals. This is the highest number of proposals ever for any funding action in the 40 years of EU research and innovation framework programme. By comparison, 10,360 proposals were submitted in 2024. This represents an increase of 64.6%.
The 2025 call has seen a higher increase of applications from researchers based outside the EU compared to previous calls, including in Horizon Europe associated countries and in non-associated third countries. Around 50% of applications have come from researchers currently based outside the EU.
Through this call, the European Commission is expected to fund about 1,650 projects, with an indicative budget of €404.3 million.
This year’s submitted proposals are distributed as follows.
- European Fellowships: 15,828 proposals
- Global Fellowships: 1,238 proposals
A chart illustrating the type of proposals received. The Commission has received 17,066 proposals, of which 15,828 are for European Fellowships, whilst 1,238 are for Global Fellowships.
Proposals are coordinated by organisations in 42 countries in the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe.
A chart illustrating the proposals by country of coordinator. The top countries are the United Kingdom (21%), Spain (11.5%), Italy (9.49%), France (8.56%), Germany (7.75%) and Switzerland (4.88%).
Applicants to Global Fellowships submitted proposals to carry out part of their research projects in organisations based in 48 countries worldwide not associated to Horizon Europe. The second part of their research projects will be carried out in the organisations coordinating the projects in the EU and Horizon Europe associated countries.
A chart illustrating the proposals by outgoing country - Global Fellowships. The top countries are the United States (47.8%), Canada (14.5%), Australia (9.4%, Japan (5.1%) and Brazil (4.4%).
Funding for excellent research
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD and who wish to acquire new skills in Europe and elsewhere in the world through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to excellent researchers of any nationality.
The scheme encourages researchers to work on research and innovation projects in the non-academic sector. It is open to researchers wishing to reintegrate in Europe as well as to those with high potential who are seeking to restart their careers in research.
Organisations from all socioeconomic sectors in any country can host and train talented researchers through Postdoctoral Fellowships.
ERA Fellowships
Researchers applying for a European fellowship with a host organisation from a “widening country” (i.e. a country with low participation rates in Horizon Europe) can have the chance to be considered for the ERA Fellowships call.
The ERA Fellowships will fund high-scoring proposals submitted under the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships which cannot be funded due to budget constraints.
Seal of Excellence
The European Commission will also award Seal of Excellence certificates to researchers who applied under the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call in 2025 but whose proposals cannot be funded due to budgetary constraints.
This label recognises the value of these high-quality proposals and helps individual applicants secure alternative funding, whilst host institutions gain international visibility and attractiveness.
Indicative timeline
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mid-September 2025 to mid-February 2026
evaluation by the European Research Executive Agency and external independent expert evaluators
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mid-February 2026
notification of call results to applicants, including those eligible for ERA fellowships
- applicants will be able to access the results of the evaluation on their personal space of the Funding and Tenders Opportunities Portal
- o an overview of the evaluation results, cut-off scores and statistics will be published on the page of the call Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025
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by end February 2026
award of Seal of Excellence certificates for eligible applicants
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April-May 2026
expected signature of the grant agreement with the European Commission for successful projects
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as of April 2026
first EU-funded projects start. Projects can start at the latest up to two years after the call deadline (i.e. September 2027)
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