E-MUSE project is funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: what does it mean?
The European Union funds many different projects in various sectors: research and innovation, health, environment and climate, regional development... One of the most important funding programmes is Horizon Europe, previously known as "Horizon 2020".
MSCA (Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions) are part of the Horizon Europe funding programme. MSCA provide grants for all stages of researchers’ careers and encourage transnational, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility. The MSCA enable research-focused organizations (universities, research centers, and companies) to host talented foreign researchers and to create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide.
The MSCA aim to equip researchers with the necessary skills and international experience for a successful career, either in the public or the private sector.
Different types of Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions
The E-MUSE project is funded by MSCA under the Horizon 2020 programme (2014-2020). The 2021-2027 work programme is called "Horizon Europe". Some changes have been made in the new programme. We now talk about doctoral networks (DN) instead of ITN, postdoctoral fellowships (PF) instead of IF, staff exchanges (SE) instead of RISE, COFUND, MSCA and Citizens.
Research networks - ITN (or DN): support for Innovative Training Networks.
ITNs support competitively selected joint research training and/or doctoral programmes, implemented by European partnerships of universities, research institutions, and non-academic organizations.
The research training programmes provide experience outside academia, hence developing innovation and employability skills. ITNs include industrial doctorates, in which non-academic organizations have an equal role to universities in respect of researcher’s time and supervision, and joint doctoral degrees delivered by several universities. Furthermore, non-European organizations can participate as additional partners in ITNs, enabling doctoral-level candidates to gain experience outside Europe during their training. The E-MUSE project is an Innovative Training Network.
Individual fellowships - IF (or PF): fellowships for Experienced Researchers (ER)
IFs enhance the creative and innovative potential of ERs, add to/diversify the knowledge and skills of ERs, provide ERs with a period of international mobility, provide both research and transferable skills training and facilitate a two-way exchange of knowledge between the ER and their host organisation(s).
International and inter-sectoral cooperation through the Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges - RISE (or SE)
RISE scheme promotes international and inter-sectoral collaboration through research and innovation staff exchanges, and through sharing of knowledge and ideas from academia to industry (and vice-versa).
Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes that finance fellowships involving mobility to or from another country
The MSCA offer additional funding to regional, national and international programmes for research training and career development. COFUND programmes encourage the movement of researchers across borders and provide good working conditions.
The European Researcher's Night (NIGHT)
It is a Europe-wide public event to stimulate interest in research careers, especially among young people.