The 2026 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships call supports PhD researchers who develop a research and training project jointly with a host organisation. It is funded by the European Commission and managed through the European Research Executive Agency.
European Fellowships place researchers in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country for 12–24 months, while Global Fellowships include 12–24 months in a non-associated third country followed by a mandatory 12-month return phase in Europe. Academic and non-academic hosts may participate, and all research disciplines are eligible.
Benefits & funding
- The beneficiary recruits the researcher for the full fellowship period.
- EU support includes a living allowance and a mobility allowance.
- Family, long-term leave and special-needs allowances are available when applicable.
- The grant also supports research, training and networking activities, plus management and indirect costs.
- European Fellowships last 12–24 months; Global Fellowships last 24–36 months including the mandatory return year.
Eligibility
- Applicants must hold a PhD by the deadline; a successfully defended doctoral thesis is accepted even if the degree has not yet been formally awarded.
- Applicants may have no more than eight years of research experience after the PhD. Time outside research, career breaks and specified reintegration periods are excluded from that calculation.
- European Fellowships accept researchers of any nationality who move to or within Europe.
- Global Fellowships are limited to nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
- The mobility rule normally bars applicants who spent more than 12 of the 36 months before the deadline in the beneficiary country for a European Fellowship or in the outgoing host country for a Global Fellowship.
- Euratom research areas have additional nationality or long-term-residence and beneficiary-location conditions.
- From 2026, a proposal scoring below 80% in the previous year is subject to the published resubmission restriction.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
PhD
Experience required
≤ 8 yrs
Appears to have an age limit “below 80”
confirm in the requirements
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Choose the European or Global Fellowship route and identify an eligible host organisation and supervisor.
- 2Check the PhD, research-experience, mobility and route-specific nationality or residence conditions.
- 3Develop the research, training, career-development and implementation proposal jointly with the host, using the call guide, forms and annexes.
- 4The host organisation submits the complete proposal through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 9 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST.
Program timeline
Call opened
Apr 9, 2026
Applications close at 17:00 CEST
Sep 9, 2026
Applicants expected to receive results
2027-02
2027-05
Grant agreements expected and first funded projects may start