Johannes Amos Comenius Programme
In the period 2021–2027, the P JAC support the development of an open and educated society based on knowledge, skills, and equal opportunities.
MSCA
How to get funding for postdocs?
We would like to present Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), a European Union programme that provides funding for postdocs in the form of 2-year fellowships.
With other programmes linked to the application, the chance of obtaining funding is very realistic.
Therefore, we would like to provide you with more detailed information on the opportunities offered by the MSCA programme and support you in your application!
What is the idea behind MSCA? What is the essence of the proposal?
The essence of the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF) is to support young researchers' all-round professional and career development.
The basis of an application is a high-quality research proposal and the development of the postdoc’s professional skills under the guidance of an experienced supervisor, whose role is significant both in writing the proposal and in implementing the project.
However, it is also important to have a career development plan for postdocs in other areas, such as intellectual property, open science, publication strategy, group management, and the communication of scientific results to experts and the lay public. Project support can consult you when drawing up a postdoc career development plan.
Who can apply for an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship?
The MSCA-PF is designed for postdocs who are changing locations and are transferring or have recently transferred to another institution.
The applicant must meet the following conditions:
- must defend their doctoral thesis no later than the deadline date
- must have obtained their Ph.D. degree within the last 8 years
- has spent a maximum of 12 months in the Czech Republic in the previous 3 years (short-term stays, e.g., as a family visit do not count; this concerns the active pursuit of research/doctoral studies outside the Czech Republic; counted as at the application deadline)
Practical tip: If you are recruiting a postdoc from abroad, we always recommend checking whether they are eligible to apply for MSCA-PF! (this also applies to postdocs already admitted with a contract concluded after 15 September 2020)
What does the fellowship offer?
The MSCA-PF offers funding for the postdoc’s salary and also provides family and in-kind allowance for 2 years.
What are the chances of getting a fellowship?
The MSCA-PF is a highly competitive competition. For a postdoc to qualify for direct support from the MSCA-PF programme, their proposal must generally score around 93%, achieved by 10–15% of applicants.
However, in addition to the primary competition, there are two more “sub-competitions” that you can enter which provide the same level of support:
ERA Fellowship (formerly Widening Fellowship) – for postdocs in selected countries, including the Czech Republic, additional support is being allocated to accommodate a more significant number of applicants. The required score is approximately 90%. About 20–30% of applicants are in the 90%–100% range.
P JAC (Johannes Amos Comenius Programme) - a programme announced by the MEYS (MŠMT) for applicants who have not been awarded MSCA-PF, but whose proposal has been assessed as of high quality (so far the rating is 70% or more, which is surpassed by approximately 70–80% of applicants. The first time around, this call will be launched with a time lag, but the probability of success is very high (the 70% threshold will only be officially confirmed after the launch of this year’s MSCA-PF call on 15 April 2021).
The level of the evaluation depends on the quality of the research proposal and career plan, and the quality of the applicant and supervisor. Nonetheless, approximately 90% of applications at MUNI have been evaluated above 70% in recent years. Therefore these applications are eligible to apply for support from the P JAC.
What are the dates?
- The MSCA-PF call launch: 12 May 2022
- Deadline for applications: 14 September 2022
- Announcement of results: February 2023
- Expected start of MSCA-PF projects: June 2023 (project starts can be postponed by up to 1.5 years)
- The MEYS P JAC call launch: spring 2022
- Start of projects supported by P JAC: January 2023
Tip! Become an MSCA-PF proposal evaluator and gain valuable experience
In addition to new applicants for MSCA-PF, we are also looking for experienced scientists interested in becoming internal reviewers for upcoming applications or directly becoming official MSCA-PF reviewers.
If you would like to join an internal group of researchers who are willing to review draft concepts and give feedback to postdocs, please contact Jakub Zeman at zeman@rect.muni.cz.
If you are interested in becoming an official evaluator, you can find more information at this link:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/work-as-an-expert
Both options are sure to give you an interesting experience.
Where to get more information?
We invite you to attend an seminar where you will learn more detailed information.
Workshops for postdocs and their supervisors are planned during the spring/summer to provide more information on the content and format of MSCA-PF applications.
Who will help you with your application and how?
- Mgr. Jakub Zeman - zeman@rect.muni.cz - MUNI MSCA programm coordinator
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Mgr. et Mgr. Denisa Főldešiová - foldesiova@phil.muni.cz - FF MU project support
We can help check your eligibility to apply for MSCA-PF and help you write the entire proposal. Do not hesitate to contact us – the sooner, the better!