Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships
We actively support proposals and welcome postdoctoral researchers under the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA PF), previously known as Individual Fellowships (MSCA IF). The grants are provided by the European Commission in the framework of the research programme Horizon Europe for 2021-2027.
- the 2025 call is NOW OPEN!
- deadline for applications: 10 September 2025
Why MSCA PF at UCT Prague?
It is an outstanding opportunity for you to:
- advance your career in research, under the guidance of an internationally recognised UCT-based supervisor (check the list of UCT Prague departments and research groups to find the right match for you)
- get qualified support with the preparation and implementation of your project, underpinned by our rich experience with EU-funded projects, including MSCA
- substantially increase your chances to implement the MSCA proposal thanks to national funding schemes for proposals with high evaluation scores (> 70 %)
Thanks to additional sources of funding available in the Czech Republic, 64-67% of submitted UCT Prague proposals received funding in the past 3 years.
Success rates
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MSCA (Horizon) |
National funding (OP JAK) |
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min. score for funding |
93 % |
70 % |
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% of proposals |
15 % |
80 % |
What is it about?
The MSCA PF is an individual research project, in any area of research, prepared by the postdoctoral researcher in cooperation with the supervisor based at the host institution.
The aim is to support creativity, innovativeness and new skills through advanced training and international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility.
Watch video about MSCA PF.
Applicants wishing to apply with UCT Prague as the host institution prepare a European PF, lasting 12-24 months.
Two types of fellowships
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European PF |
in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country |
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postdocs of any nationality |
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12 – 24 months |
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Global PF |
from EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country to other (third) countries |
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only EU nationals or long-term residents |
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24 – 36 months, consisting of 12-24 months of an outgoing phase in a third country, followed by mandatory 12-month return phase in EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated country |
Key features
- individual research projet
- free choice of research topic
- innovative, excellent research going beyond the state-of-the-art
- training through research, incl. transferable skills
- guidance of experienced supervisor and a two-way exchange of knowledge
- international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility
- focus on career perspectives, in or outside academia
- optional secondment in another institution and/or a non-academic placement
- employment contract with the host institution
What is the grant size?
There is a fixed budget (unit cost) of 1000 EUR per month for research, training and networking cost and 650 EUR to cover management cost for the host institution. Allowances for the postdoc depend on the destination country and cover all the employment cost, incl. social security and health insurance contributions. For incoming fellowships in Czechia the resulting gross salary amounts to 4743 EUR (living + mobility allowance), increased by 493 EUR of family allowance if applicable. Salary is paid out in Czech crowns (CZK), the national currency.
Who can apply?
Researchers of any nationality meeting the below eligibility conditions may apply for the fellowship at UCT Prague:
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PhD degree |
obtained by 10 September 2025 (PhD thesis successfully defended) |
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Max. 8 years from PhD award |
PhD degree received after 10 September 2017 The period may be extended by periods of maternity or paternity leave, compulsory national service, long-term sick leave or work outside research, see details in Guidelines and tool. |
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Mobility rule |
cannot have resided in the Czech Republic for more than 12 months since 10 September 2022 (= in the 36 month immediately prior to the 2025 call deadline) |
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Resubmisson rule |
proposals involving the same host organisation and individual researcher submitted in the MSCA PF 2024 call and having received a score of less than 70% must not be resubmitted in 2025 |
For detailed definition of the eligibility criteria, please see Work Programme (point 2.3) and Guide for Applicants (point 2).
- Documents proving the eligibility of candidates applying for incoming fellowship with UCT Prague must be provided by email to anna.konecka@vscht.cz by 29 May 2025 (see Supporting documents below)
Supporting documents
| Eligibility criterion |
Supporting documents |
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PhD degree
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PhD diploma (scan). Replaced by an official confirmation by the Faculty/University of the successful PhD thesis defence in case of a pending diploma award. |
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Maximum 8 years from PhD |
In case your (first) PhD degree was awarded before 10 September 2017, scans of evidence justifying the extension (translated in English), incl. exact dates (of e.g. maternity leave, compulsory national service, long-term sickness etc.). For details see Postdoctoral Fellowships Self-assessment tool for the calculation of the 8-years research experience |
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Mobility rule |
Please provide a list of exact dates of the periods + countries in which you have legally resided and/or had your main activity (work, studies, etc) during the last 5 years up until 10 September 2025. A detailed CV is enough. Short stays (as defined in the Guide for Applicants) shall not be included. |
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Family allowance |
Scans of documents such as marriage or your child´s birth certificate, with translation in English if possible |
Preparation timeline and UCT webinars
The deadline for applications is 10 September 2025.
For incoming fellowships, full support will be provided only to eligible applicants complying with the below timetable.
Outgoing candidates (leaving UCT Prague to go abroad) need to follow instructions and deadlines of their future host institution. They are however welcome to joing the online seminars below and to consult their proposals with the UCT Project Centre (proof-reading and feedback). A specific additional session for outgoing candidates will be organised on 29 May (register via anna.konecka@vscht.cz).
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Date |
Step |
Comment |
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29 May (at the latest) |
Eligibility check CV Supervisor |
Provide supporting documents (to anna.konecka@vscht.cz) linked to all eligibility criteria Provide your CV in the template format Your Supervisor has agreed to host you |
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Online seminars for accepted UCT Prague candidates – 2 complementary sessions (exact timing tbc): |
Only accepted eligible candidates will be invited (ie. supporting documents and correct CV provided on time) |
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3 June (9-12 am CET) |
Online seminar 1
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All you need to know to prepare a quality proposal: decoding template instructions, designing a project Examples and tips |
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10 June (9-12 am CET) |
Online seminar 2
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Remaining parts of the project proposal explained Tips to develop your CV to gain the evaluator |
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5 August |
Part B1 + B2 drafted |
Full draft of Part B provided to the Supervisor/Project Centre for check and feedback, (first come – first served) |
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26 August |
Part A completed |
Project proposal created on the EU Funding Portal, Part A completed by the candidate (check by the Project Centre) |
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8 September |
Proposal submission |
Submission via the EU Funding Portal (ahead for technical reasons; updates possible up until the call final deadline) |
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10 September 17:00 CET |
CALL DEADLINE |
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Timeline for successful projects
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February 2026 |
Notification of call results to applicants |
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March – May 2026 |
Grant agreement preparation for successful projects |
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Summer / Autumn 2026 |
Projects selected for funding by MSCA PF start |
Key documents
- MSCA PF application form (9 April 2025) – proposal template with instructions = KEY DOCUMENT, getting familiar with its entire text is a MUST!
- CV template
- MSCA Work Programme 2023-2025 – p. 39, p. 126 (Award criteria)
- MSCA PF Guide for Applicants (9 April 2025) - eligibility, definitions
- Guidelines on the calculation of 8-years research experience
- Self-assessment tool for the calculation of the 8-years research experience
- MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships Handbook - information valid also for 2025 call
- MSCA Guidelines on Supervision
- MSCA PF Green Charter
Useful links
- Funding Portal of European Commission – 2025 call details
- MSCA website, video
- MSCA evaluation criteria - video by Technology Centre Prague
- CORDIS – database of previously supported projects
Support to your application
The UCT Prague Project Centre will assit you with:
- eligibility check
- guidance on call rules and proposal drafting
- proposal creation and submission via the Funding Portal
- administrative check of the proposal (Part A)
- proof-reading and feedback to draft proposal
The sooner you contact us, the more we can do for you!
Contact
Project Centre
Ms Anna Konecká
Anna.Konecka@vscht.cz
(00420) 220 444 403
Ms Karolína Friessová
Karolina.Friessova@vscht.cz
(00420) 220 443 210
PIC number
999867853
This is the unique "Participant Identification Code" of UCT Prague at the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, to be inserted in your project proposal.