Intro duction

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) ensure excellent and innovative research training as well as attractive career and knowledge-exchange opportunities through cross-border and crosssector mobility of researchers. They are open to all domains of research and innovation, from basic research up to market take-up and innovation services. Research and innovation fields are chosen freely by the applicants. Support is foreseen for individual, trans-national fellowships awarded to the best or most promising researchers for employment in EU Member States (MS) or Associated Countries (AC). Mobility is a key requirement in the MSCA. Researchers receive funding on the condition that they move from one country to another to broaden or deepen their competences. Fellowships take form of European Fellowships or Global Fellowships.

Objectives of the calls

The call aims at enhancing the innovative potential of experienced researchers who wish to diversify their individual competence in terms of skill acquisition through advanced training, international and intersectoral mobility. This scheme supports the return and reintegration of researchers from outside Europe who have previously worked here. It also develops or helps to restart the careers of individual researchers that show great potential, considering their experience.

Structure

The call covers five different topics:

a) European Fellowships:

- Standard European Fellowship (MSCA-IF-EF-ST): held in EU MS or AC and open to researchers either coming to Europe from any country in the world or moving within Europe;

- Career Restart Panel (MSCA-IF-EF-CAR): multidisciplinary panel which provides financial support to researchers who wish to resume research in Europe after a career break;

- Reintegration Panel (MSCA-IF-EF-ST): multidisciplinary panel for researchers who wish to return and reintegrate in a longer term research position in Europe.

- Society and Enterprise Panel (MSCA-IF-EF-SE): multidisciplinary panel dedicated to career opportunities for researchers seeking to work on research and innovation projects in an organisation from the non-academic sector.

b) Global Fellowships (MSCA-IF-GF) are composed of an outgoing phase during which the researcher undertakes a secondment to a partner organisation in a Third Country (TC) between 12 and 24 months, and a mandatory 12-month return period to a host organisation located in a MS or AC.

Eligible activities

a) training;

b) communication and dissemination;

c) public engagement to create awareness of the research work performed

Eligible applicants

A) Legal Entities Beneficiaries are organisations, from the academic or the non-academic sector. For European Fellowships: organisations in MS or AC that host the researcher during secondments and provide training; for Global Fellowships: organisations in TC that host the researcher during the initial outgoing period and provide training.

B) Researchers Researchers must be in possession of a doctoral degree or have at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience. Additional criteria:

B.1) European Fellowships (IF-EF)

- Standard European Fellowship: researchers can be of any nationality and must move or have moved from one any country to a MS or AC. At the time of the deadline researchers shall not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline.

- Career Restart Panel: researchers can be of any nationality and must move or have moved from one country to a MS or AC; they may not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organisation for more than 3 years in the 5 years immediately before the reference date. They must have undertaken a career break in research and not have been active for at least 12 months prior to the deadline.

- Reintegration Panel: researchers must be nationals or long-term residents of a MS or AC. They must move or have moved from a TC to the MS or AC where the beneficiary is located. Researchers may not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organisation for more than 3 years in the 5 years immediately before the reference date

- Society and Enterprise Panel: the beneficiary must be an entity from the non-academic sector, which includes: non-academic workplaces of researchers, from industry to business, government, civil society organisations, some cultural institutions, museums, hospitals, international organisations. Researchers may not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organisation for more than 3 years in the 5 years immediately before the reference date.

B.2) Global Fellowships (IF-GF):

researchers must be nationals or long-term residents of a MS or AC. They must not have resided or carried out the main activity in the TC where the initial outgoing phase takes place for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to the deadline. They must move or have moved from any country to the MS or AC where the beneficiary is located.

Partnership criteria

The proposals are submitted by a single host organization in liaison with the researcher. Optionally, other partner organisations can be involved to provide additional training and host the researcher during secondments. Additionally, and only for IF-GF, it is compulsory to have a second partner located in a third country where the initial outgoing phase must take place.

Funding

The financial support takes the form of a grant covering 100% of the costs. The following costs are covered: a) allowances of the researcher; b) research, training and networking costs; c) management and indirect costs.

Projects duration

IF European: 12-24 months. IF Global: 12-24 months for the outgoing phase plus 12 month return phase in Europe.

More information at http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/2226-msca-if- 2016.html

In case of interest please contact the Research Support Office (Leonor Norton, lnorton@fsjd.org, recerca@fsjd.org)