The European Commission has opened the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks 2026 call, with an indicative budget of approximately €593.034 million to support international doctoral training and research partnerships.
The programme enables universities, research institutions, research infrastructures, businesses, SMEs and other organisations to establish doctoral programmes that train researchers across academic and non-academic environments.
Importantly, participation is not restricted to organisations within Europe. Organisations from third countries can also participate, helping create international partnerships for researcher training and exchange.
The 2026 call opened on 28 May 2026, and proposals must be submitted by 24 November 2026 at 17:00 CET.
MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 at a Glance
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks 2026
Reference: HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01
Funding Organisation: European Commission
Indicative Budget: €593.034 million
Opening Date: 28 May 2026
Application Deadline: 24 November 2026 at 17:00 CET
Expected Results: April 2027
Expected Grant Agreements: July 2027
First EU-Funded Projects Expected to Start: August 2027
Geographic Scope: Europe and international partner countries
What Are MSCA Doctoral Networks?
MSCA Doctoral Networks are designed to develop doctoral programmes through partnerships involving organisations from different countries.
These partnerships can include:
- Universities
- Research institutions
- Research infrastructures
- Businesses
- Small and medium-sized enterprises
- Other socio-economic organisations
The central objective is to train doctoral candidates while providing them with research experience, transferable skills and exposure to different sectors.
Rather than limiting doctoral researchers to traditional university environments, the programme encourages collaboration between academia, industry and other sectors.
International Organisations Can Participate
One of the significant features of MSCA Doctoral Networks is their international dimension.
The programme is open to participation from organisations in third countries, enabling institutions outside Europe to contribute to strategic international partnerships involving researcher training and exchange.
This makes the call relevant not only to European universities but also to research institutions and organisations interested in developing international research partnerships.
Proposals can also build upon existing or planned research partnerships between participating organisations.
What Type of Doctoral Training Is Supported?
Doctoral programmes developed through MSCA Doctoral Networks should respond to clearly identified needs across different research and innovation fields.
Researchers should receive exposure to both academic and non-academic sectors.
Training can extend beyond the doctoral candidate’s primary research topic and include transferable competencies that improve innovation potential and long-term career prospects.
These can include areas such as:
Entrepreneurship
Researchers can develop an understanding of how research and innovation can contribute to entrepreneurial activities.
Commercialisation of Research Results
Training can help researchers understand pathways for translating research outcomes into practical applications.
Intellectual Property Rights
Researchers may gain knowledge of intellectual property issues relevant to research, innovation and commercialisation.
Communication
Doctoral candidates can strengthen their ability to communicate research findings effectively to different audiences.
These transferable skills are intended to support researchers’ long-term employability both within and beyond academia.
Industrial and Joint Doctorates Are Encouraged
The European Commission encourages MSCA Doctoral Networks to lead to Industrial Doctorates or Joint Doctorates.
This can create stronger connections between doctoral education and organisations outside traditional academic environments.
Industrial Doctorates can expose researchers to both academic and business environments, while Joint Doctorates can involve cooperation among institutions delivering integrated doctoral training.
This approach reflects the programme’s broader goal of preparing researchers for diverse careers across research, innovation and industry.
Who Actually Applies for MSCA Doctoral Networks?
An important distinction should be made between the organisations applying for funding and the doctoral candidates who may eventually receive funded research positions.
The 2026 Doctoral Networks call is primarily a funding opportunity for eligible organisations and international partnerships seeking to establish doctoral programmes.
Universities, research institutions, businesses and other eligible organisations form partnerships and submit proposals under the call.
Doctoral candidates generally do not submit individual applications directly to this €593 million call.
Instead, once Doctoral Network projects receive funding, participating organisations recruit researchers for the doctoral positions created under those projects.
How Will PhD Candidates Be Recruited?
The recruitment process for doctoral candidates must be:
Open
Transparent
Merit-based
Recruitment must follow the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
Vacancies should also be advertised widely at the international level, including through the EURAXESS platform.
This means students interested in MSCA-funded PhD opportunities should monitor individual doctoral vacancies advertised by successful MSCA Doctoral Networks rather than treating the November deadline as an individual PhD application deadline.
Salary Information Must Be Published
Another important requirement concerns transparency around researcher compensation.
Vacancy announcements for doctoral candidates must include the gross salary offered to the researcher, excluding the employer’s social contributions.
Therefore, applicants considering future MSCA Doctoral Network PhD positions should be able to see the relevant gross salary when individual vacancies are advertised.
Specific compensation may depend on the project and applicable MSCA funding arrangements, so prospective doctoral candidates should check each individual vacancy carefully.
Indicative €593 Million Budget
The European Commission lists an indicative budget of:
€593.034 million
This substantial funding allocation is intended to support successful Doctoral Network proposals under the 2026 call.
The budget is listed as indicative, meaning applicants should consult the official call documentation and EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the definitive conditions governing funding.
Important MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 Dates
The indicative timeline currently provided for the programme is:
28 May 2026
Launch of the call for proposals.
24 November 2026
Deadline for submitting proposals.
The application portal is scheduled to close at 17:00 CET.
April 2027
Applicants are expected to receive notification of the call results.
July 2027
Grant agreements are expected to be signed for successful projects.
August 2027
The first projects receiving EU funding are expected to begin.
Some elements of the published timeline are marked as tentative, so participating organisations should continue checking the official programme information for updates.
Why MSCA Doctoral Networks Matter for PhD Researchers
Although doctoral candidates are not generally the organisations submitting proposals under this call, the programme can eventually create significant opportunities for prospective PhD researchers.
Successful networks will establish doctoral programmes and recruit candidates internationally.
Researchers recruited through these projects can gain experience involving multiple institutions, countries and sectors.
The emphasis on transferable skills also means candidates may develop expertise extending beyond academic research.
Exposure to entrepreneurship, intellectual property, commercialisation, communications and non-academic organisations can help prepare doctoral researchers for careers across academia, business, industry, government and other sectors.
Opportunities for Universities and Research Institutions
For universities and research institutions, the programme provides an opportunity to create structured international doctoral training partnerships.
Institutions can use Doctoral Networks to strengthen collaboration with research organisations, businesses, SMEs and other partners.
The ability to involve organisations from third countries can also expand the international reach of research collaborations.
Institutions with existing research partnerships can potentially build proposals around those relationships, while organisations planning new partnerships can use the call to establish collaborative doctoral programmes.
Opportunities for Businesses and SMEs
Businesses, including SMEs, are specifically identified among the organisations that can participate in Doctoral Networks.
Their involvement can help doctoral researchers understand how research operates outside universities.
Companies can also contribute practical expertise, innovation environments and exposure to the commercial application of research.
This interaction between universities and businesses is particularly important for Doctoral Networks seeking to develop industrial doctoral training.
How to Apply
Organisations interested in the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call should first review the complete call requirements and determine whether their proposed consortium and doctoral training programme meet the eligibility conditions.
Applications are handled through the European Union’s Funding & Tenders system.
Prospective applicants should carefully review:
- Call conditions
- Consortium requirements
- Eligibility rules
- Funding conditions
- Proposal requirements
- Evaluation criteria
- Submission requirements
- Relevant MSCA guidance
Because Doctoral Networks involve partnerships between organisations, potential applicants should allow sufficient time for consortium development and proposal preparation.
Application Deadline
The deadline for the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call is:
24 November 2026 at 17:00 CET
Organisations considering an application should avoid waiting until the final day to submit because consortium-based Horizon Europe applications can involve substantial documentation and coordination between multiple partners.
What Prospective PhD Students Should Do
Students looking specifically for an MSCA-funded PhD position should understand that the current call is not the same as an individual scholarship application.
The European Commission first selects and funds successful Doctoral Network projects.
Those projects subsequently advertise doctoral researcher vacancies through international recruitment processes.
Vacancies are expected to be widely advertised, including through EURAXESS.
Students interested in these opportunities should therefore monitor future MSCA Doctoral Network vacancies as successful projects move toward implementation in 2027.
Final Thoughts
The MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call represents a major European Commission investment in international doctoral education, researcher mobility, innovation and cross-sector collaboration.
With an indicative budget of approximately €593.034 million, the programme will support partnerships involving universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs and other organisations across Europe and internationally.
The call also has longer-term importance for students seeking funded PhD opportunities because successful Doctoral Networks will subsequently recruit doctoral candidates through open, transparent and merit-based processes.
Organisations have until 24 November 2026 at 17:00 CET to submit proposals, while the first EU-funded projects are currently expected to begin around August 2027.
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