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.

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.