Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks Selection Process 2026
How Candidates are Selected
The selection process involves two main stages: 1. **Consortium Proposal Evaluation**: International consortia of academic and non-academic organisations submit detailed research and training programme proposals to the European Commission. These proposals are rigorously evaluated against specific criteria: Excellence (50% weighting), Impact (30% weighting), and Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation (20% weighting). 2. **Doctoral Candidate Recruitment**: If a consortium's proposal is selected for funding, the individual PhD vacancies within that project are then advertised internationally. The primary platform for these advertisements is the EURAXESS Jobs portal. Prospective doctoral candidates apply directly to these advertised positions with the recruiting host institutions. The selection of individual candidates is typically based on their academic qualifications (e.g., Master's degree), research experience, motivation, and references. This often includes personal interviews, where candidates may be required to present their Master's thesis and demonstrate their research, communication, and teamwork skills.
Verification Flow
Institute Nodal Officer Verification
Your college/school checks your bonafide status, fees paid, and marks cards against the database.
District Welfare Officer / State Board Sanction
The state/central department approves the budget release for verified records based on category quotas.
Fund Disbursement via DBT
The bank issues direct fund credits to Aadhaar-seeded accounts using treasury payment systems.
FAQs for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks
Q.What is the 'mobility rule' for MSCA Doctoral Networks?
The mobility rule is a key eligibility criterion stating that you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organization for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately preceding your recruitment date. Certain short stays, such as holidays, or time spent obtaining refugee status, are typically not counted.
Q.Does the MSCA Doctoral Networks scholarship cover tuition fees?
While the MSCA grant itself does not directly allocate a specific budget line for tuition fees, it is a mandatory condition of the grant that host institutions participating in Doctoral Networks must not charge tuition fees to the recruited doctoral candidates. This effectively means tuition fees are waived for MSCA fellows.
Q.How do I apply for a PhD position funded by MSCA Doctoral Networks?
As an individual PhD candidate, you do not apply directly to the European Commission for this funding. Instead, you need to search for specific PhD vacancies advertised by already funded MSCA Doctoral Network projects. These positions are primarily published on the EURAXESS Jobs portal. Once you find a suitable position, you apply directly to the recruiting university or institution that is part of the Doctoral Network.
Q.Is there an age limit to apply for an MSCA Doctoral Network position?
There is no explicit age limit for candidates applying to MSCA Doctoral Network positions. The primary eligibility criterion related to career stage is that applicants must not already possess a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment.