Skip to main content
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions home page Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions home page

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Developing talents, advancing research

Published:  12 Apr 2024

MSCA Seal of Excellence awarded to outstanding researchers

This recognition will allow MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships applicants to seek alternative funding for their excellent projects. 

The European Commission awarded Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Seal of Excellence certificates to 1,737 applicants for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships in 2023. These applicants  submitted excellent proposals but did not receive funding from the scheme.

The proposals that received the certificate had host organisations in 32 countries.

CountryNumber of proposals
Austria59
Belgium84
Bulgaria1
Switzerland11
Cyprus9
Czechia31
Germany192
Denmark94
Estonia3
Greece15
Spain272
Finland41
France224
Croatia4
Hungary7
Ireland39
Israel8
Italy269
Lithuania5
Luxembourg7
Latvia1
Malta2
The Netherlands124
Norway71
Poland6
Portugal53
Romania3
Republic of Serbia2
Sweden79
Slovenia12
Slovakia3
Turkey6

High quality applications

Postdoctoral Fellowships are highly competitive. The third call of the scheme under Horizon Europe received a total of 8,039 proposals, of which 1,249 received funding.

The MSCA Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded to applicants for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships who scored 85% or higher in the assessment.

The Seal of Excellence is a guarantee of the outstanding value of the research project, recognized by a comprehensive and thorough assessment process. Beneficiaries can use this award to obtain alternative funding for their research.

Thanks to the MSCA Seal of Excellence, other funding bodies can use the Horizon Europe evaluation process if they wish. A proposal which has earned the MSCA Seal of Excellence may be supported by .

As of 2024, 16 European countries have such support schemes in place at different levels.

Widening participation

The MSCA Seal of Excellence also supports low research and innovation performing countries in the European Union and Associated Countries, usually referred to as “widening countries”.

Supporting these countries through an integrated approach promotes a more balanced circulation of scientists in Europe. This is in line with the new Widening Strategy for Horizon Europe.

The Seal of Excellence allows research institutions and national authorities to implement a funding scheme in line with their own strategies. Through these schemes, the institutions and national authorities can attract leading talent from abroad, including diaspora researchers, and increase the visibility and attractiveness of their host institutions internationally.

Next steps for successful applicants

Applicants with an evaluation score equal or above 85% have already received their certificate to support them in securing alternative funding from national or regional authorities.

Awardees have received a notification in the Funding and Tenders Opportunities Portal, where they can download their Seal of Excellence certificate from the “Process documents” section, Seal of Excellence.

Please contact your supervisor or the host organization to which you submitted your application if you are not able to access the portal.

The European Commission advises recipients to consult the list of available support at national/regional level for MSCA Seal of Excellence holders. MSCA National Contact Points in your host country can also help finding alternative funding sources.

Next funding round is coming soon

The next call for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships will open on 23 April 2024.

See more information on how to apply.

Tagged in:  Postdoctoral Fellowships
Published:  12 Apr 2024