New MSCA Seal of Excellence scheme kicks off in Estonia

The Estonian Research Council (ETAG) has opened a new call under the Support for the Internationalization of Research and Development and Participation in the International Knowledge Market (Mobilitas 3.0) programme.  

This call will support researchers with projects that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) European Postdoctoral Fellowships call and whose proposals have been evaluated with a score of at least 85%, but were not funded due to budget constraints.  

The call targets applicants who

• did not prepare their original MSCA proposal in cooperation with an Estonian host institution  
• want to carry out their high-quality research project in Estonia

About the call

The grant is paid based on the unit cost. The unit cost of an incoming postdoctoral project is €76,000 per year, which is divided as follows 

• €60,800 for direct costs
• €15,200 for overheads.  

The grant application guidelines do not specify the researcher’s salary. It must comply with the salary regulations of the host institution. The distribution of the unit cost between salary and research expenses is agreed upon between the researcher and the host institution, taking into account the specifics of the project.  

The eligibility period for the support is from 1 January 2023 until 31 August 2029. The support is provided for a period of up to 2 years (24 months), starting on the date agreed upon in the support agreement, but no later than six months after the notification of the funding decision.

Main conditions for transferring a project to Estonia

• the applicant participated in the most recent MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship call (MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowship)
• the application received at least 85% in the evaluation and was awarded the Seal of Excellence
• the postdoctoral project must be related to at least one of the smart specialization areas outlined in the Estonian Research, Development, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Development Plan 2021–2035
  • digital solutions in all areas of life
  • health technologies and services
  • valorisation of local resources
  • smart and sustainable energy solutions
• the scientific content of the project may not be changed when transferring it to Estonia

How to apply

The call is open until 8 September 2025, 16.00 CEST.

Proposals must be submitted through the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS).

The full details and eligibility conditions are available on the ETAG website in both English and Estonian.

About the MSCA Seal of Excellence  

The MSCA Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded to applicants under Postdoctoral Fellowships and COFUND who achieved a high score in their applications (85% or higher) but unfortunately were not awarded funding due to budgetary constraints.  

The MSCA Seal of Excellence  

• underlines the value of these projects and aims to support applicants in securing alternative funding  
• allows other funding bodies such as national, regional, and local authorities, public and private institutions to support MSCA proposals that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence and to take advantage of the Horizon Europe evaluation process.

More information  

Find out more about the Estonian Research Council (ETAG)

New opportunity for postdoctoral researchers: ETAG funding now available also to those whose initial MSCA project was not written in cooperation with an Estonian institution

Information on available support at national/regional level