MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026: €593 million for doctorates with universities and companies, deadline 24 Nov

Through the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01-01), the European Commission funds doctoral programmes run by international consortia of universities, research institutes, companies and other organisations. The budget is 593 million euro, for more than 130 projects and around 1,950 doctoral candidates. The call is open, and proposals must be submitted by 24 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time.

In brief

• Programme: Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Doctoral Networks 2026
• Authority: European Commission, through the European Research Executive Agency (REA)
• Beneficiaries: consortia made up of universities, research institutes, companies (including SMEs), public institutions, NGOs and other socio-economic actors
• Total budget: €593 million, for more than 130 projects and around 1,950 doctoral candidates
• Project duration: up to 4 years (up to 5 years for Joint Doctorates)
• Submission period: 28 May 2026 – 24 November 2026, 17:00 (Brussels)
• Status: call open

What does the call fund?

An MSCA doctoral network is a joint doctoral training programme proposed by an international consortium. Once approved, the network recruits doctoral candidates through open, merit-based competitions and trains them through research, courses, placements with partners and networking activities.

The call has three formats:

• Standard Doctoral Networks, focused on international and intersectoral cooperation;
• Industrial Doctoral Networks: doctoral candidates are supervised jointly by the academic and non-academic sectors and should spend at least 50% of their time outside academia;
• Joint Doctoral Networks: integrated programmes that lead to joint, double or multiple doctoral degrees.

New for 2026, the Commission is introducing the pilot component "RAISE Doctoral Networks for AI in Science", funded from Cluster 4 of Horizon Europe. It provides additional funding for projects that use artificial intelligence in research.

The funding covers the living allowance and mobility allowance of doctoral candidates and, where applicable, the family, long-term leave and special needs allowances. It also covers research, training and networking activities, as well as management and indirect costs. The per-person-month rates are set out in the MSCA 2026–2027 work programme and in the applicant's guide on the Funding & Tenders portal.

Who can apply and how must the consortium be formed?

The consortium must have at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or in a different country associated to Horizon Europe, and at least one of them must be from an EU Member State. Beyond this minimum, organisations from any country can join, either as beneficiaries or as associated partners.

For Joint Doctorates, at least three entities must award the doctoral degree, and one of them must be from an EU Member State or an associated country.

Universities, institutes and companies from Romania can be coordinators or partners in a consortium, like any organisation from a Member State.

What conditions must doctoral candidates meet?

• they must not hold a doctoral degree at the time of recruitment;
• they may be of any nationality;
• they must be enrolled in a programme leading to a doctoral degree in an EU Member State or an associated country;
• mobility rule: in the 36 months before recruitment, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity for more than 12 months in the country of the organisation recruiting them;
• they are employed for 3–36 months (3–48 months for Joint Doctorates).

In standard networks, secondments to other partners may take up no more than half of the recruitment period. For industrial doctorates and Joint Doctorates, this limit does not apply.

How and by when do you apply?

The proposal is submitted once, in a single stage, via the European Commission's Funding & Tenders portal, by 24 November 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time). The coordinator submits the proposal on behalf of the consortium. Organisations taking part in an EU-funded programme for the first time must register on the portal and obtain a PIC code. The evaluation panel is determined by the first project descriptor chosen in the form. The forms, the applicant's guide and the model grant agreement are published on the call page.

What this means for your business

The recommendations below are the opinion of our consultants, not official conditions.

• For universities and institutes: there are almost eight weeks left until the deadline. If you are only just starting, it is more realistic to join an existing consortium as a partner than to coordinate one. Contact the networks you already work with now.
• For companies, especially technology SMEs: the Industrial Doctorates format lets you host a doctoral candidate who spends at least half of their time with you on a research topic useful to your company, with the costs covered by the grant. As an associated partner, the administrative burden is lower.
• The common pitfall: the mobility rule. A Romanian doctoral candidate who has lived in Romania for the past three years cannot be recruited by a Romanian organisation in this project. Plan your recruitment around this rule.
• The quality of the training programme matters: evaluators look at the training programme, supervision and the involvement of the non-academic sector, not just the research topic.

If you would like to know what other funding suits your organisation, complete the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can a company from Romania take part in MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026?

Yes. Consortia can include private companies, including SMEs, alongside universities and research institutes. A company can be a beneficiary, meaning it employs doctoral candidates and receives funds, or an associated partner, meaning it hosts placements and takes part in training.

What is the submission deadline?

The deadline is 24 November 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. The call opened on 28 May 2026 and has a single submission stage, via the European Commission's Funding & Tenders portal.

How many organisations must a consortium include?

At least three independent legal entities from three different EU Member States or countries associated to Horizon Europe, at least one of which is from an EU Member State. Organisations from any country can be added to this minimum.

What is the mobility rule for doctoral candidates?

The doctoral candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity for more than 12 months in the country of the recruiting organisation, in the 36 months before recruitment. The rule applies at the date of recruitment, not at the date the proposal is submitted.

How long does a project last, and how long is a doctoral candidate's contract?

Networks last up to 4 years, and Joint Doctorates up to 5 years. A doctoral candidate is employed for between 3 and 36 months, or between 3 and 48 months for Joint Doctorates.

Official sources

• Funding & Tenders Portal – HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01-01, MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026
• European Commission – Doctoral Networks 2026 call opens for submission (28 May 2026)
• European Commission – Doctoral Networks call: 6 steps to prepare your application
• European Commission – MSCA Doctoral Networks

Information checked on 2 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.