MSCA Doctoral Networks — doctoral positions

The objective of Doctoral Networks is to implement doctoral programmes by partnerships of organisations from different sectors across Europe and beyond to train highly skilled doctoral candidates, stimulate their creativity, enhance their innovation capacities and boost their employability in the long-term.

Doctoral Networks implement doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research institutions and infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond. These doctoral programmes will respond to well-identified needs in various research and innovation areas, expose the researchers to the academic and non-academic sectors, and offer research training, as well as transferable skills and competences relevant for innovation and long-term employability.

Besides standard Doctoral Networks, incentives have been introduced to promote two specific types of doctorates as well.

Industrial Doctorates. They train PhD candidates who wish develop their skills and step outside academia, in particular in industry and business. Individual participants must be enrolled in a doctoral programme and jointly supervised by the academic and non-academic partners.

Joint Doctorates. They provide a highly integrated type of international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration in doctoral training leading to a joint doctoral degree or multiple doctoral degrees awarded by the participating institutions. PhD candidates must be enrolled in a joint programme and be jointly supervised.

Doctoral Networks are open to international consortia of universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs and other non-academic organisations. They should include

at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and with at least one of them established in an EU Member State

on top of this minimum, other organisations from any country in the world can also join

specific conditions apply to Industrial and Joint Doctorates

As from 2022, resubmission restrictions will apply for applications that received a score below 80% the previous year.

Candidates wishing to apply for PhD positions under Doctoral Networks should apply to funded Doctoral Network projects by consulting their open vacancies advertised internationally, including on the EURAXESS portal.

• EURAXESS ↗

All areas of research may be funded and Doctoral Networks can last for up to 4 years (up to 5 years in the case of Joint Doctorate projects).

The duration of each fellowship is between 3 and 36 months (between 3 and 48 months in the case of Joint Doctorate fellowships).

Each beneficiary must recruit at least one doctoral candidate and can also organise secondments for them anywhere in the world.

Researchers funded by Doctoral Networks

must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment

can be of any nationality

should be enrolled in a doctoral programme during the project

should spend at least 50% of their time outside academia, for Industrial Doctorates

should comply with the mobility rules: in general, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date

The EU provides support for each recruited researcher in the form of

a living allowance

a mobility allowance

if applicable, family, long-term leave and special needs allowances

In addition, funding is provided for

research, training and networking activities

management and indirect costs

Applications to MSCA Doctoral Networks can be submitted at any time from the opening date of the chosen call. The completed proposal, including all annexes, should be submitted by the specified submission deadline of the chosen call.

Applicants can

find open and forthcoming calls on our page on funding

find partners and apply through the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal

All relevant documents are available on the dedicated call page on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal, including

MSCA work programme and general annexes

guide for applicants

specific FAQs

application and evaluation forms

online manual on how to submit an application

For more information on the application and evaluation process and contact points for further guidance

visit our page on how to apply

visit the European Research Executive Agency website

• find open and forthcoming calls on our page on funding ↗
• find partners and apply through the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal ↗
• MSCA work programme ↗
• general annexes ↗
• online manual ↗
• visit our page on how to apply ↗
• visit the European Research Executive Agency website ↗

If you are a researcher looking for a PhD position funded by MSCA Doctoral Networks projects, take a look at the list of vacancies published on EURAXESS updated daily.

EURAXESS is the EU's portal for researchers. You will

find the full requirements of the position you are interested in

be able to apply directly to the institution or project of your choice

find advice about visas, pensions, taxation, recognition of qualifications and other issues related to working as a researcher abroad

For more information visit our page on how to apply .

Last updated:

• list of vacancies published on EURAXESS ↗
• visit our page on how to apply ↗