PF: Can fieldwork for a period of 4 months in another country qualify as a short visit?

If the visits are split and do not exceed one month in duration each, they can classify as “field trips” or “short visits”. They have to be explained in detail and specify what type of data or information will be collected.

It is critical that the researcher calculates the cost of those four months of visits to ensure there is adequate budget to cover their cost, which may not be the case given the existing Research, Training and Networking costs and the rest of the RTN activities (conferences, secondments, publications) planned.

PF: A PF applicant has experience in a private company in research and product development. Should “development” be considered as part of the research activity, and then count for the 8-year rule?

If that product development is related to creating or improving products in the company (testing, experimentation, prototyping), that counts as part of Research & Development.

It can be excluded if product development is more “commercial” than “research” development, but the applicant should have the evidence to prove their eligibility.

It is crucial to emphasize that the clearance of proposal eligibility will be conducted by the European Research Executive Agency after the call deadline, considering the numerous potential scenarios. Consequently, eligibility for individual applicants (both researchers and institutions) prior to the call deadline cannot be assessed or confirmed. It is the sole responsibility of the applicants to diligently review all eligibility criteria and ensure the provision of accurate information in the submission forms.

PF: Can a company be registered under the name of a Postdoctoral Fellow during their fellowship?

A company can be opened, but the researcher will have to negotiate part-time work with the host organisation and the project officer to be able to devote time to the company.

Moreover, the MSCA PF contract  (full-time-equivalent) will not be accepted as eligible by auditors if the researcher has an additional contract with their own company.

DN: Is it possible to have a Standard DN proposal with 12 doctoral candidates, 6 of them with co-supervisors and a double PhD degree, while the other 6 with 50% of time spent in the non-academic sector and only 1 PhD degree?

It is acceptable, but has to be argued very well, in order to demonstrate the added value of such a set-up and show that none of the PhD candidates will be disadvantaged.

However, as there can be challenges with the recruitment procedure, the different training paths and different supervision arrangements, the administrative burden should not be underestimated.

 

DN: Can applicants remove the remaining tags in the application form, or should they stay in the template?

REA confirms that all tags can be removed – they are no longer needed.

PF: Is a marital relationship between an applicant and the main supervisor considered a conflict of interest? Does it create any restriction or eligibility issue regarding the submission, evaluation, or implementation of an MSCA PF proposal?

Although supervision can be built on an existing collaborative relationship, the supervisor’s choice should be driven by the added value to the project. The applicant needs to justify the complementarity between their profile and the supervisor’s expertise, and if they have already worked together, they will need to explain what new techniques, methods, or specialised knowledge they will acquire that they have not already gained from previous common activities. Unless they can justify their supervisor’s choice (e.g., unique expertise, specific training needs, intersectoral added value, etc.), this could be viewed as a convenient choice that could affect the evaluation of the proposal.

PF: Can a Postdoctoral Fellowship project start 12 months after the funding decision?

The start date of the project must not be later than 1 September of the year following the year of signature of the grant agreement. For example, for grant agreement signed in 2027, the latest start date is 1 September 2028. Further information is available on page 7 of the Information note for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellows in postdoctoral fellowships - Publications Office of the EU.

PF: A PF applicant can document their teaching activities through official records. However, academic contracts in their country do not normally specify a fixed percentage of working time allocated to teaching and research. How should they quantify the teaching component in this case?

For the purpose of calculating the 8 years of research experience under MSCA PF, only periods during which the researcher was not carrying out research and research-related activities may be deducted. Any deduction must be supported by appropriate documentation and be quantifiable.

There is no predefined MSCA methodology for converting teaching activities into a percentage of working time based on the number of courses, semesters, or annual averages. The researcher should therefore use the most reliable and well-documented method available to estimate the proportion of time devoted to teaching, considering the specific circumstances of the employment and any supporting evidence (e.g. teaching assignments, workload records, institutional regulations, job descriptions, or other official documentation). The beneficiary should retain the supporting documentation in its records in case of an audit.

Teaching experience should also be described in the CV section of Part B2.

Applicants should note that the eligibility assessment is carried out by the REA only after the call deadline. Consequently, applicants are solely responsible for ensuring that all eligibility criteria are met and that any deductions claimed in the calculation of their research experience are properly justified, documented, and supported by appropriate evidence.

DN: Does the novelty in the Doctoral Networks 2026 template for the minimum font size of 11 points also apply to the tables in B2?

The minimum font size allowed throughout the proposal is 11 points. It applies to both B1 and B2, including the tables.

SE: A researcher owns 65% of a SME but does not hold a direct employment contract with the company. Instead, he is employed by a university. Could such a person, despite not being directly employed by the SME, be considered eligible staff for a secondment?

The link between an entity and its owner exists and the person is eligible under MSCA Staff Exchanges, as far as they play a role within its structure (CEO, Chairperson, CFO, president or other) and they comply with all other conditions of eligibility (for example, that they are linked to R&I activities at the SME).