Researcher application tracker
Official PF preparation is six steps. Doctoral Network candidates skip the consortium portal and go to EURAXESS. Planning tool only.
Doctoral Networks: apply to a job, not a call
The official Doctoral Networks page is explicit. Candidates apply to funded projects by consulting open vacancies advertised internationally, including on EURAXESS. You apply directly to the institution or project. You do not upload a personal proposal to HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01.
EURAXESS also covers visas, pensions, taxation, and recognition of qualifications. MSCA National Contact Points in the future host country can explain participation rules. Official how-to: How to apply for funding and MSCA jobs.
Postdoctoral Fellowships: six official steps
- Get familiar with how funding works — action page and Work Programme.
- Make sure you can apply — PhD, 8-year cap, mobility, and (from 2026) resubmission.
- Find a host and supervisor — EURAXESS hosting offers, MSCA Matchmaking, Partner Search.
- Draft the application — award criteria Excellence 50%, Impact 30%, Implementation 20%.
- Check the draft — supervisor, NCP, Marie Curie Alumni Association.
- Submit on the Funding & Tenders Portal. You can update until the deadline.
The 2026 call opened 9 April 2026 and closed 9 September 2026, 17:00 CEST. Evaluation takes about five months; results are expected in February 2027. Source: 6 steps page (updated 29 May 2026).
Organisations use a different door
Consortia register a PIC, find partners, and submit on the Funding & Tenders Portal from the call opening date. That is the process behind the 24 November 2026 Doctoral Networks deadline. If you are a researcher, you are not that applicant.