Important Information
Funding and Tenders Portal
The HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01-01 call is now open on the EC's Funding and Tenders Portal at this link.
2024 Important dates
Call opening date: 29 May 2024
Call deadline date: 27 November 2024
Roles and responsibilities
- Doctoral Candidates: researchers not yet in possession of a PhD who are recruited and appointed to work on the project via an employment contract;
- Supervisor: the Principal Investigator representing Imperial within the project, who is responsible for research and training on the project and acts as supervisor to the Doctoral Candidate(s) appointed by Imperial;
- Host Institution: Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (short name Imperial College London), with Participant Identity Code (PIC) 999993468, who will accept the funding through the signature of a Grant Agreement as a Beneficiary
Support and further information
- 2024 Horizon Europe Doctoral Networks FAQs
- National Contact Points network (MSCA-NET) Handbook on Doctoral Networks
- European Commission Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks
- UK National Contact Point Marie Skłowdowska Curie Actions
- Imperial in Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network Projects
What is it for?
MSCA Doctoral Networks are multi-beneficiary projects providing training to Doctoral Candidate ("DC") early stage researchers. Doctoral Networks give Doctoral Candidates experience of different working environments though secondments, as well as providing transferrable skills training to improve long-term employability. All recruited researchers must be enrolled on a PhD programme.
Who can apply?
Many different types of organisation can apply, from universities to SMEs to large commercial companies. At minimum, a consortium must consist of three independent organisations from three different EU Member States or Associated Countries, of which at least one must be established in a Member State.
Who can be recruited?
Doctoral Networks allow recruitment of researchers who do not yet hold a PhD (“Doctoral Candidate”).
Researchers must comply with mobility rule: the researcher must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their appointment.
Researchers of any nationality can be recruited.
Types of grants
‘Standard’ DNs – each beneficiary recruits at least one Doctoral Network who is largely based at that organisation throughout the project, with joint activities and secondments to maximise the training opportunities to each DC.
Industrial Doctorates – Consortia are made up of a mixture of academic and non-academic organisations and DCs spent at least 50% of their recruited period at a non-academic partner. If you want to take part in an Industrial Doctorate application, please contact the EU Team as there are some additional conditions to consider prior to submission.
Joint Doctorates – Consortia award joint PhDs; Imperial does not participate in this scheme.
What does the funding cover?
Researcher – includes a Living Allowance, a Mobility Allowance (in recognition of the additional cost of living outside of the home country) and a Family Allowance (if married and/or with responsibility for dependent children).
Institution – includes Research Costs for all project-related activities (secondment and other project travel, purchase of consumables, software, subscriptions, etc.) and a contribution to the beneficiary for overheads. A separate cost category for Management is available for running the consortium, part of which is usually used by the Coordinator to appoint a Project Manager.
What activities are typically included?
DCs follow a programme of doctoral training-through-research which contributes to an over-arching research project. The overall project and the DCs’ contributions to it, as well as joint activities such as summer schools, must be clearly defined in the proposal. Secondments between partners (and potentially to other identified organisations) are expected in order to broaden the training available to the DCs and to improve their long-term employability. Transferrable skills training should also be incorporated.
How to apply
A consortium is set up by researchers from several organisations, with one organisation designated the Coordinator which is responsible for submission of the application and overall management of the project if it is funded.
PIs should let their Department’s research manager or research facilitator and Faculty Research Services Manager know if they intend to participate. Any Imperial PI who wishes to coordinate a Doctoral Network application must also get approval from their Faculty prior to submission.