Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is inviting applications to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships from excellent postdoctoral researchers worldwide who wish to come to the University of Liverpool in the UK to lead on their own research project while acquiring new skills through advanced training, international mobility, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility.

**Last updated on 15.04.24: The EoI templates (one for the European Fellowship, one for the Global Fellowshop) to use for applying to our internal selection process are now available below in the section entitled ‘Selection and support process in the HSS Faculty’**

Important note

As an Associated Country to Horizon Europe, the UK is fully eligible to host MSCA Postdoctoral Fellows and receive funding directly from the European Commission.

The selection and support process described below is offered to candidates wishing to apply for this scheme with Departments based in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) at the University of Liverpool. A full list of our HSS Departments, and the Schools they sit in, is available here – if you wish to apply with a Department based in one of our other Faculties please get in touch with them for details about any process they may have.

The information provided below about this scheme has been compiled from several sources to help prospective applicants and their supervisors. Please note that while this information is correct at the time of publication (April 2024) and will be updated as quickly as possible as required, definitive guidance can be found on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions website and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) website once the 2024 round is open.

Why should you apply with the University of Liverpool?

The breadth of our expertise in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences creates exciting opportunities for genuinely original, vibrant, innovative research that brings together diverse disciplines to make a positive impact on the world. Our Schools and Departments provide a focus for world leading subject specialisms while our Faculty Research Themes support collaborative, interdisciplinary communities of researchers with shared interests to produce world-class, valuable research.

Given the highly competitive nature of this scheme and to foster the most productive environment for success, we have put in place an internal demand management process to select, and then closely support, candidates to be put forward by the HSS Departments at the University of Liverpool.

Complementing local support provided by supervisors, Departments and Schools, the HSS Faculty and our dedicated University’s Horizon Europe Team will provide tailored support to all shortlisted candidates to help them further develop and enhance their full application (information workshop, tailored resources, individual feedback on applications etc.) and make it as competitive as possible before submission to the EU Portal.

University of Liverpool information session

The University of Liverpool’s Horizon Europe Team is holding an online information webinar about this scheme on Thursday 18th April 2024, 12.30-1.30pm. This session will explore what MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships are and their different strands, how to find potential fellows/supervisors, and how to apply. There will also be a presentation from Dr Jonathan Arlow, current MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow in our Politics Department, who will share his experience of successfully applying to this scheme, along with useful hints and tips. Register via Ticket Source.

The HSS Faculty has also put in place a comprehensive selection and support process for applicants.

The scheme

The next call for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships will open in April 2024. The anticipated deadline is Wednesday 11th September (to be confirmed by the European Research Executive Agency).

These Postdoctoral Fellowships are aimed at outstanding researchers who hold a doctoral degree (e.g. PhD) and who wish to undertake international mobility, acquire new skills through advanced training and develop their careers. The Fellowship will help them gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.

The scheme is open to excellent researchers of any nationality. It is also open to researchers living in non-associated Third Countries wishing to reintegrate in Europe, to those who are displaced by conflict, as well as to researchers with high potential who are seeking to restart their careers in research. It also encourages researchers to work on research and innovation projects in the non-academic sector.

Two types of postdoctoral fellowships (European and Global)

Postdoctoral Fellowships can either take place in Europe (i.e. in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country such as the UK) or in a Third Country not associated to Horizon Europe:

European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality who wish to engage in research & innovation projects and pursue their research career by either coming to Europe from any country in the world or moving within Europe. These fellowships take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country (e.g. the UK and the University of Liverpool). The standard duration of these fellowships must be between 12 and 24 months.
Global Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, who wish to engage in research & innovation projects and pursue their research career outside of Europe. The fellowship lasts between 24 to 36 months, where the first 12 to 24 months will be spent in a non-associated Third Country (known as the outgoing phase), followed by a mandatory 12-month return phase to a host organisation based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country (e.g. the UK and the University of Liverpool).

Eligibility criteria: Who can apply?

All disciplines are eligible for Postdoctoral Fellowships. Interested candidates should ensure they meet the following eligibility criteria:

	Both types of Fellowships (European & Global)
Doctorate degree	The candidate must be in possession of a doctoral degree (e.g. PhD) or have successfully defended their doctoral thesis before the call deadline (the successful defence must be unconditional (no further requirements / corrections that need to be addressed) and take place before the deadline).
Research experience (full-time equivalent)	Maximum of 8 years experience in research from the date of the award of their (first) doctoral degree. This limit can be extended for the following reasons: Maternity leave (18 months, i.e. 548 days, per child born after the PhD award date, or the exact duration of the maternity leave, whichever is the longest) Paternity leave (exact duration per child born after the PhD award date) Compulsory national service Time spent not working in research Long-term sick leave (periods > 30 days) FOR EUROPEAN POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS ONLY: Research in a non-associated Third Country (only for nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or Associated Country wishing to reintegrate in Europe) To help applicants calculate the possible deductions of their 8-years research experience, the European Research Executive Agency has published the following Guidelines document and self-assessment tool (also available on the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship website).

Both types of Fellowships (European & Global)

Doctorate degree

The candidate must be in possession of a doctoral degree (e.g. PhD) or have successfully defended their doctoral thesis before the call deadline (the successful defence must be unconditional (no further requirements / corrections that need to be addressed) and take place before the deadline).

Research experience (full-time equivalent)

Maximum of 8 years experience in research from the date of the award of their (first) doctoral degree. This limit can be extended for the following reasons:

Maternity leave (18 months, i.e. 548 days, per child born after the PhD award date, or the exact duration of the maternity leave, whichever is the longest)
Paternity leave (exact duration per child born after the PhD award date)
Compulsory national service
Time spent not working in research
Long-term sick leave (periods > 30 days)
FOR EUROPEAN POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS ONLY: Research in a non-associated Third Country (only for nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or Associated Country wishing to reintegrate in Europe)

To help applicants calculate the possible deductions of their 8-years research experience, the European Research Executive Agency has published the following Guidelines document and self-assessment tool (also available on the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship website).

	European Postdoctoral Fellowships	Global Postdoctoral Fellowships
Nationality of candidate	Any	Nationals of an EU Member State or Associated Country. OR Long-term residents* of an EU Member State or Associated Country. * i.e. a period of legal and continuous residence within EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries of at least 5 consecutive years. Periods of absence will be taken into account where they are shorter than 6 consecutive months and don’t exceed in total 10 months within this period. * Please note that if you are using long-term residency in the UK as an eligibility criterion, the period from 1 February 2020 until 1 January 2024 cannot count towards the calculation of the 5-year period as the UK had officially left the EU but was not yet an Associated Country during that period.
Mobility	The candidate cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host institution (i.e the UK when applying with the University of Liverpool), for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline	The candidate cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the associated partner hosting the outgoing phase (i.e in the Third Country) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline

European Postdoctoral Fellowships

Global Postdoctoral Fellowships

Nationality of candidate

Any

Nationals of an EU Member State or Associated Country.

Long-term residents* of an EU Member State or Associated Country.

* i.e. a period of legal and continuous residence within EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries of at least 5 consecutive years. Periods of absence will be taken into account where they are shorter than 6 consecutive months and don’t exceed in total 10 months within this period.

* Please note that if you are using long-term residency in the UK as an eligibility criterion, the period from 1 February 2020 until 1 January 2024 cannot count towards the calculation of the 5-year period as the UK had officially left the EU but was not yet an Associated Country during that period.

Mobility

The candidate cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host institution (i.e the UK when applying with the University of Liverpool), for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline

The candidate cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the associated partner hosting the outgoing phase (i.e in the Third Country) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline

As from 2022, resubmission restrictions will apply for applications that received a score below 70% the previous year.

Secondments and non-academic placements

Fellowships may include an optional secondment and/or add an optional non-academic placement period, provided these are in line with the project objectives and add significant value and/or impact to the fellowship.

Secondments
Fellowships may include short-term secondments which can take place in any sector and in any country worldwide. They can take place at any time during the fellowship (except during the return phase of a Global Fellowship). The secondment phase can be a single period or can be divided into shorter mobility periods.

Non-academic placement
In an effort to build bridges between the academic and non-academic sector, researchers can receive additional support to carry out a placement of up to 6 months in a non-academic organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. This placement needs to take place at the end of their fellowship. This incentive aims to promote career moves between sectors and organisations and stimulate innovation and knowledge transfer while expanding career opportunities for researchers.

Training activities and career development

One of the aims of the scheme is to equip MSCA postdoctoral Fellows with skills that will enhance and expand their career opportunities inside and outside academia. Proposals should carefully consider the researcher's training and career needs, including (non-exhaustive list): training in transferable skills, teaching, planning for publications, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, (e.g. commercialisation of results, Intellectual Property Rights), participation in conferences and events aiming at opening research to citizens (public engagement, citizen science), fostering good scientific conduct (e.g. research integrity) and promoting Open Science practices (open access, FAIR data management etc.).

What does the funding cover?

The EU provides support for the candidate 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

Key links

For more information about this scheme please consult online guidance on the official Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions website and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) website. Please note that documentation for the 2024 call will be available once the call opens in April 2024 (tbc) – in the meantime guidance from previous years can be used as a guide.

Information is available on several webpages. The following links are a good place to start:

EU Funding & Tenders Portal – this is where the call for proposal for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 is posted (to be updated once the call opens)
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships – general information page on the MSCA website summarising the main rules and requirements for this scheme
Horizon Europe MSCA - How to apply – this contains detailed information and useful links about the Postdoctoral Fellowships call 2023 (most of this information will remain relevant for the 2024 call)

Selection and support process in the HSS Faculty

How to apply

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Liverpool welcomes expressions of interest from outstanding early-career researchers whose research interests align with those of colleagues across the HSS Faculty’s Departments, and/or their Research Centres and Research Groups. For more information, please consult this page which provides details about all Departments based in the Faculty of Humanities and Social sciences. The process below is only offered to candidates who will be based in these Departments.

The HSS Faculty also welcomes expressions of interest which align and fit with our interdisciplinary Faculty Research Themes. We particularly encourage applications aligning with:

To apply to our internal process:

Interested candidates should identify a potential supervisor in their chosen Department and contact them to discuss their project and ensure the identified supervisor is happy to support them. Candidates are advised to work closely with their supervisor to develop their Expression of Interest
Interested candidates should submit an Expressions of Interest to hssrke@liverpool.ac.uk by Tuesday 7th May 2024, using the EoI template provided: use this EoI template if applying to the MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowships [Word doc 75kb]; use this EoI template if applying to the MSCA Global Postdoctoral Fellowships [Word doc 75kb]. Please note that we will only consider Expressions of Interest which have been submitted using the appropriate template provided above. Any additional documentation submitted will not be considered.

Candidates and their supervisors will be informed of the outcome of the shortlisting process by Friday 31st May 2024. More details about our timeline can be found below.

Timeline for HSS process

Date	Activity
Thursday 18 April 2024, 12.30-1.30pm online	MSCA Post-Doctoral Fellowship information session organised by the University’s Horizon Europe Team. Register via Ticket Source
Expected Tuesday 23 April 2024 (TBC)	MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2024 call opens on the EU Portal (date still to be confirmed by the EU)
Tuesday 7 May 2024	Interested candidates to send their Expression of Interest (EoI) to hssrke@liverpool.ac.uk, using the EoI template provided on here. Use this EoI template if applying to the MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowships [Word doc 75kb]; use this EoI template if applying to the MSCA Global Postdoctoral Fellowships [Word doc 75kb]
By Friday 31 May 2024	Outcome of EoI stage communicated to candidates, their supervisor and their School Teams
From early June until early September	Selected candidates to develop their full application proposal. They will be closely assisted by a network of dedicated colleagues from our Departments, Schools, Faculty and Horizon Europe Teams, who will provide tailored support to help them develop as competitive an application as possible prior to submission.
Wednesday 11 September 2024, 4pm UK time / 5pm Brussels time	Deadline for submitting application proposals
February 2025 (TBC)	Funder to notify applicants of call results

Any queries?

If you have any queries please contact our Faculty Research & Impact Team at hssrke@liverpool.ac.uk.

Information for UoL staff and supervisors

For University of Liverpool colleagues supporting applicants, we have put together an intranet page summarising internal support processes and timelines, as well as providing extra information on recruiting and supporting candidates.