SE: Are the Staff member unit costs for the 2023 Staff Exchanges call different from the 2024 Staff Exchanges call?

Yes, they are. The unit costs in the 2023 call were 2300 EUR and the unit costs in 2024 are 2710 EUR. Unit costs were updated in version 2.0 of the 2023-2025 MSCA Work Programme that was published on 17.04.2024; the previous version (1.0) is available at the Funding and Tenders portal, under Reference documents here.

DN: Can the same researcher be a supervisor in two different MSCA Doctoral Networks? Should this be mentioned in the new project proposal?

It is possible for a researcher to be supervisor in two different Doctoral Networks at the same time.

The applicant can mention it in the proposal, and explain that even though the supervisor is already involved in one Doctoral Network they will have enough time available to supervise another doctoral candidate in the second Doctoral Network. They can, for example, indicate the % of their involvement in both projects, and in other mandatory activities (e.g. teaching) to clearly show that is would be possible to implement.

COFUND: Is it possible to award double/ joint doctoral degrees in COFUND?

Yes, this is possible.

PF, COFUND: May the beneficiary provide an additional payment for teaching activities using their own resources in MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships and MSCA COFUND postdoctoral programmes when a shift to part-time is not applied, and there is no separate employment contract for teaching?

Within the Postdoctoral Fellowships one of the obligations of the researcher is “not to receive, for activities carried out in the frame of the action, other incomes than those received from the beneficiary or other entities mentioned in Annex 1.” (p. 94 of the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement for Unit Grants).

Additional payment is authorised if it is provided by the beneficiary recruiting the fellow.

COFUND programmes are co-financed and additional funding on top of the EU contribution is to be included in the project proposal.

PF, COFUND: Is it compulsory to shift to part-time implementation of Postdoctoral Fellowships and COFUND fellowships for postdoctoral researchers in order to engage in teaching if it is a one-time, short-term activity?

The MSCA Financial Guide states that “... Teaching is also permitted (if it does not jeopardise the implementation of the action) as long as it is described in Annex 1 of the GA”

If teaching activities remain minor, do not jeopardise the research project, and are present in Annex 1 of the Grant Agreement - they are authorised, and part-time arrangements are not necessary.

All actions: Is the MSCA Fellowship certificate in use? How can MSCA Fellows get it?

It is in use. To request the certificate, fellows must get in touch with their project contact person (supervisor or LEAR) in the Host Institution, who can then complete the form at this link.

PF, DN: How can applicants check if their registered partnership makes them eligible to receive the family allowance in MSCA?

NCPs in each country usually check what is considered as “equivalent to marriage” in this country.

DN: Is it possible to apply for a standard Doctoral Networks project and award some degrees in a joint mode?

This is possible. The beneficiary recruits the PhD candidate, and the two PhD-awarding institutions agree how much from the budget the secondary PhD-awarding institution would get. This has to be clearly detailed in the proposal, including why this specific set-up is chosen for this PhD candidate.

DN: How and when does an applicant get a proposal number e.g. after creating a draft application in the online submission system?

 Yes, it should be after creating the draft.

DN: Should part B2 start with page number 35?

It is also fine to restart the counting in part B2, because they are two separate documents.