DN: For the resubmission of Doctoral Networks proposals, will proposals that use a table for the individual research project descriptions be rejected?

The template is changed every year, and applicants must adapt their proposals to the relevant format of the current call. As such, it is not acceptable to have proposals with the individual research project descriptions in a table in font size 9, which was the expected template in a previous call, instead of a text with font size 11, which is the expected format in the 2025 call.

Therefore, applicants who have presented the individual research projects in a table format are invited to update their proposal according to the applicable template for the current Doctoral Networks call. They are allowed to use the table , if they prefer, but the font size must be 11.

DN: How is the 70% rule for consortia implemented regarding the resubmission in MSCA Doctoral Networks?

As specified in the MSCA Work Programme 2023-2025, “Any proposal involving 70% or more of the same recruiting organisations as in another proposal submitted to the previous call of the MSCA Doctoral Networks under Horizon Europe that has received a score of less than 80% will be assessed for whether it is a resubmission, irrespectively of the applicants’ self-declaration.”

Therefore, if 7 out of 10 beneficiaries from the previous proposal are in the new consortium, that would be considered 70%, even if new members are added.

PF: A proposal from last year’s call that did not receive funding will be resubmitted with the core scientific idea being the same, but the host institution and supervisor will be different. Can this be viewed as a resubmission?

As both the host institution and the supervisor will differ from those in the previous call, the proposal is not considered a resubmission.

PF: A Postdoctoral researcher would like to resubmit their Global Fellowship proposal with a Swiss partner organisation for the outgoing phase. Would that be possible?

The applicant cannot resubmit their 2024 GF proposal, as of 2025 Switzerland is an Associated Country in Horizon Europe, meaning that Swiss institutions are eligible to participate as host organisations in the European Fellowships. The candidate may apply for a European fellowship, instead of Global.

For complete information about the Swiss state, applicants can check this dedicated webpage.

DN: If a proposal has received a score of less than 80% in the 2023 Doctoral Networks call and is submitted in 2024 with consortium partners changed by 50%, would it be treated as a resubmission?

If the consortium composition has changed in a way that less than 70% of the beneficiaries are the same, then this will not be considered as a resubmission. They should still declare that this is a resubmission, but REA won’t consider it as such.

Please note that the Work Programme mentions “recruiting organisations”, so the consortium similarity concerns only beneficiaries, and not associated partners.

PF: An applicant submitted their Postdoctoral Fellowships proposal to another funding call and received funding. They can resubmit their proposal for the new Postdoctoral Fellowships call. Can they do it as long as they have not started working on the project within the other call?

As long as the project has not started and there is no double funding, they can resubmit.

PF: When a proposal is inadmissible or ineligible and is not evaluated at all, is it then not subject to the resubmission rule?

In either inadmissible or ineligible cases, the proposal is not regarded as a resubmission.

PF: Should researchers who have submitted a proposal with a similar topic with different partners for an ERC grant answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question in form A “Has this proposal (or a very similar one) been submitted in the past 2 years in response to a call for proposals under any EU programme, including the current call?”

A “very similar” proposal or contract is one that differs from the current one in minor ways from the consortium composition and scientific point of view.

This question applies to all Horizon Europe Calls. In the context of MSCA-PF Call this question is used by the Research Executive Agency to identify resubmissions. Evaluators are not advised to look at it.

In this particular case, the applicant should include the reference to the ERC proposal in order to be transparent. However, this will not impact the resubmission check or the evaluation.

PF: Should researchers who scored below 70% in last year’s call with organisation A and who apply this year with a similar proposal with organisation B answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question in form A “Has this proposal (or a very similar one) been submitted in the past 2 years in response to a call for proposals under any EU programme, including the current call?”

Applicants who scored below 70% in last year’s call with organisation A and who apply this year with a similar proposal with organisation B should respond ‘No’ to indicate it's not a resubmission.

The Research Executive Agency is diligently reviewing resubmissions in all directions, primarily to identify those not declared in Part A and assess their scores from previous evaluations. In the unlikely event that a proposal escapes initial scrutiny and is erroneously declared ineligible, it would undergo a secondary review by the Eligibility/ Admissibility Committee, ensuring it's promptly identified and rectified before reaching the applicant.

 

PF: What are the re-submission requirements regarding a Global Postdoctoral Fellowship that had a score of less than 70%?

The Guide for Applicants for 2023, p. 6 says:

“Resubmissions: please note that as of the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 call, proposals involving the same recruiting organisation (and for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships also the associated partner hosting the outgoing phase) and individual researcher submitted to the previous call of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships under Horizon Europe and having received a score of less than 70% must not be resubmitted the following year.”

This means that for GF having had less than 70%, if all three parties (Researcher, Beneficiary and Third country Associated Partner) are the same, these proposals must not be resubmitted. If only one of the three parties changes, the proposal can be resubmitted.

PF: Is an applicant eligible to resubmit their 2021 MSCA PF proposal or their Horizon 2020 MSCA Individual Fellowship proposal?

The criterion for resubmission for both the European Fellowship (EF) and the Global Fellowship (GF) under the 2022 MSCA Call is detailed on p.6 of the MSCA PF Guide for Applicants and p. 88 of the Horizon Europe 2021-22 MSCA Work Programme as follows:

"Proposals involving the same recruiting organisation (and for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships also the associated partner hosting the outgoing phase) and individual researcher submitted to the previous call of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships under Horizon Europe and having received a score of less than 70% must not be resubmitted the following year." 

In addition, REA has published the following clarifications:

     - Applicants who scored less than 70% when applying for the EF scheme in the 2021 call can apply with the same recruiting organisation to the 2022 MSCA GF scheme (EC FAQ 19933)

    - Correspondingly, applicants who scored less than 70% when applying for the GF scheme in the 2021 call can apply with the same recruiting organisation to the 2022 MSCA EF scheme (EC FAQ 19933).

     - If an applicant reapplies with the same recruiting institution(s), but with a completely new, novel and different proposal than the version which was previously submitted and received a score below 70%, REA will consider this proposal a resubmission and declare it ineligible (EC FAQ 19934).

     - Researchers are allowed to resubmit a Horizon 2020 Individual Fellowship (IF) proposal that scored below 70% with the same recruiting organization(s), provided that all other eligibility criteria have been met (EC FAQ 19938).

   - If an applicant reapplies with the same recruiting institution(s), but with a new supervisor than the version which was previously submitted and received a score below 70%, REA will consider this proposal a resubmission and declare it ineligible (EC FAQ 19936).

     - Applicants who scored less than 70% when applying for the GF scheme in the 2021 call can apply with the same hosting organisation to the 2022 MSCA GF scheme if they change the outgoing host in the resubmitted proposal and meet all other eligibility criteria (EC FAQ 19935).

- If an applicant reapplies with the same recruiting institution(s), but would be hosted at different premises than in the version which was previously submitted and received a score below 70%, REA will consider this proposal a resubmission and declare it ineligible (EC FAQ 19937)

PF: Since MSCA PF proposals which scored below 70% cannot be resubmitted, does that mean that proposals which received 70,0% can be resubmitted?

Yes, proposals receiving a score of 70,0% or higher are considered above the threshold and can reapply.

PF: Does the rule of non-resubmission for proposals under 70% also apply to a proposal which was submitted last year under Global Fellowships and this year under European Fellowships, with the same fellow and the same (return) host institution?

Proposals from Global Fellowships to European Fellowships or vice versa from European Fellowships to Global Fellowships are not considered resubmissions.

PF: For a resubmission in Global Fellowships, can the outgoing host be the same if the European organisation (beneficiary) changes?

An official resubmission is a proposal with the same host organisation and researcher. 

Since the host institution for both GF and EF would be the European partner, a proposal with the same beneficiary would be considered a resubmission.

COFUND: Is there a resubmission restriction for COFUND in 2022?

There is no such restriction for COFUND.