PF: An applicant would like to have a non-academic placement at an EU-based office of the UN Environment Programme whose headquarters are situated in Nairobi. Is it possible?

Non-academic placements must take place in EU Member States or Associated Countries. UNEP’s headquarters are based in Kenya, and their PIC will reference them as an organisation based in a Third Country, even if they have an office in the European Union. As a consequence, the applicant will not be able to include that non-academic placement in the system.

PF: What is the difference between inadmissible and non-valid non-academic placements (NAPs) in Postdoctoral Fellowships?

Inadmissible placements are considered NAPs when the placements fulfill all the requirements to be considered as a valid NAP (duration of 6 months after the standard duration of the fellowship and organisation located in EU Member States or Associated Countries), but the organisations are academic instead of non-academic. A non-valid NAP is when one of the requirements is not fulfilled. Assessment is done based on the validation status of the organisation at the time of call closure, with further checks during grant agreement preparation.

PF: In some countries in order to have an adequate social security coverage, the fellow needs to end their contract with at least one month in the country of their employment contract and thus such fellows cannot have a non-academic placement (NAP) or go on a secondment in another country. What can be done in these cases?

The NAP can take place in the same country as the beneficiary, but in the non-academic sector. A good planning and thorough discussion between the researcher and beneficiary prior to submission of the proposal would clarify these issues. The beneficiary can also extend the contract with their own funds after the end of the Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The timing of secondments is more flexible, as long as the activities in the Annex 1 – i.e. those already evaluated by independent experts – are fulfilled.

 

PF: Are unit costs in relation to the non-academic placement (NAP) provided to the NAP entity?

The budget for the non-academic placement is managed by the beneficiary, which has to provide a contract of employment to the fellow covering the whole duration of the project (standard duration + NAP). Beneficiaries are encouraged to sign partnership agreements to regulate their internal relationship with the Associated Partner for the NAP. The partnership agreement(s) must comply with the Grant Agreement. In the proposal forms, the duration of the NAP and the corresponding budget are on a separate line to differentiate between standard duration (spent by the researcher at the Beneficiary) and the duration of the NAP (spent at the NAP institution by the researcher under contract from the beneficiary).

PF: What Country Correction Coefficient (CCC) is used for a non-academic placement?

The Funding and Tenders Opportunities portal automatically uses the CCC of the beneficiary also for the non-academic placement.

PF: Do applicants have to submit a Letter of Commitment for the Non-Academic Placement?

A Letter of Commitment is only required for Global Fellowships.

A Letter of Commitment for the Non-Academic Placement was mandatory, but it is not mandatory anymore - see p. 14 of the Guide for Applicants for the 2025 Postdoctoral Fellowships call.

PF: For the host organisation of a non-academic placement (NAP) to be eligible, is it enough for them to have a PIC number or does it also depend on the type of work the researcher is to perform there?

A NAP is considered eligible only if the organisation hosting it is registered as a non-academic institution. If so, it needs to appear in the proposal as an Associated Partner in the Participants section of Part A of the application, together with its PIC number.

PF: Is it possible to split the period of the non-academic placement? For example, is it possible to indicate a first non-academic placement of two months in organisation A and then a second non-academic placement of four months in organisation B?

It is not possible to split the period of maximum six months after the fellowship. The proposal can only include one additional period of up to six months in a non-academic organisation established in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe associated country (‘non-academic placement’) at the end of the project.

PF: With how much detail should a non-academic placement be described in a Postdoctoral Fellowship application?

The timing of a non-academic placement should be indicated in the Gantt chart while applicants should mention details of the non-academic placement in their scientific Work Packages, including milestones and deliverables lists. The placement should also be mentioned under hosting arrangements and in their Communication and Dissemination activities.

PF: An applicant would like to have a non-academic placement in a non-academic organisation in an EU Member State, but this is a non-governmental organisation with a head office based in a Third Country. Would this non-academic placement be eligible?

If the PIC number only leads to the parent company in the Third Country, then it would be signaled as non-eligible.

PF: Is it possible to add a Non-academic placement after the start of a Postdoctoral Fellowships project?

No, it is not possible to add the Non-academic placement after the submission of the proposal.  The organisation where the Non-academic placement will take place must already be included in Part A of the proposal. Also, there are financial implications, as the budget for the 6 months should already be included in the Grant Agreement.

COFUND: Is the success rate of COFUND proposals higher when there is a compulsory secondment or a non-academic placement of 6 months?

Secondments and non-academic placements are extra opportunities which would increase the international and intersectoral aspects of the proposal. However, if applicants believe that their proposal is international and intersectoral enough, they may not add secondments/ non-academic placements. Also, they should not be compulsory either.

PF: Would it be possible for an applicant to include a placement in the Climate-KIC Secretariat?

The Climate-KIC is a Knowledge and Innovation Community. Climate-KIC is co-funded by the European Union and receives funding from both public and private partners. Additionally, it receives an annual grant from the European Commission through the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). However, it’s important to clarify that Climate-KIC is not considered an official EU body. They possess a Participant Identification Code (PIC) and have previously participated in EU projects. From a legal standpoint, Climate-KIC is therefore eligible to participate in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships.

PF: Is it possible to include a non-academic placement at Climate-KIC under the Postdoctoral Fellowships?

Climate-KIC is co-funded by the EU and receives funding from both public and private partners. Additionally, it receives an annual grant from the European Commission through the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). However, it's important to clarify that Climate-KIC is not considered an official EU body. They possess a Participant Identification Code (PIC) and have previously participated in EU projects. From a legal standpoint, Climate-KIC is therefore eligible to participate in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships.

PF: Is it possible to have a non-academic placement in DG MARE?

The non-academic placement host must be encoded as an Associated Partner, and the Commission cannot be an Associated Partner to its own grant agreements.

Within the Commission, the only department that can participate in Horizon Europe Work Programmes actions is the JRC. This is pursuant to a specific exception in the Horizon Europe Regulation (see Article 22(8)) and the modalities set out in Annex B of the General Annexes). Without a specific exception, other Commission departments including Directorates General cannot participate (e.g., because they are not legal entities within the scope of the rules for participation).

PF: Can a researcher do a secondment and/ or non-academic placement at the European Parliament?

Horizon Europe rules do not allow the European Parliament to participate as it cannot be considered as a legal entity or an entity which fulfils the conditions of Article 197.2(c), i.e. without legal personality under the applicable national law.

PF: Can the researcher doing a Postdoctoral Fellowship in country A do a secondment or a non-academic placement in the same country A but in another institution?

It is not forbidden to have secondments and non-academic placements in the same country as the beneficiary but it is recommended to include international mobility as well

PF: Is an organisation based in the United Kingdom eligible to host a Non-Academic Placement?

At proposal stage, the UK is considered to be an Associated Country in accordance with the EC Q&A so applicants can have a Non-Academic Placement hosted in the UK.

If the UK hasn’t associated in time to sign the Grant Agreement, then the applicant would need to find a new Non-Academic Placement host in a Member State or Associated Country.