About the Action: European and Global Fellowships

Two types of Postdoctoral Fellowships are available.

• European Fellowships are spent in European or Associated Countries and are open to researchers either coming to Europe or moving within Europe for a period of one to two years.
• Global Fellowships are open to European nationals or long-term residents who wish to engage in research projects, which provide an outgoing phase of one to two years in a non-associated Third Country, and a mandatory 12-month return phase to a host organization based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.

Both types of fellowships may also include short-term secondments anywhere in the world during the fellowship (except during the return phase of a Global Fellowship).

In an effort to build bridges between the academic and non-academic sector, researchers can receive additional support to carry out a placement of up to 6 months in a non-academic organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. This placement needs to take place at the end of their fellowship.

  Who can apply: general eligibility conditions

Eligibility conditions are defined in the Work Programme. The annual call usually opens in mid-April and closes in mid-September. As per 2023, the MSCA-PF call opening is expected on 10 April 2024, whereas the call deadline is expected on 11 September 2024.

The International Research Office at the University of Padua will support your application if, at the date of the relevant deadline for the submission of PF proposals:

• you choose the University of Padua as your Host Institution;
• you hold a PhD;
• you have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date that you obtained your doctoral degree;
• you comply with the mobility rule of the MSCA.

Researchers already working at the University of Padua can apply for a MSCA Global Fellowship, spending 12 to 24  months in a Third Country Partner Organization and then coming back to the University of Padua.

Researchers from all over the world applying for a MSCA-PF are welcome to choose Padua as their Host Institution within a European or Global fellowship, depending on their eligibility.

  Choosing Padua as your Host Institution

The University of Padua is ranked among the top three Italian universities for the quality of research. We offer a great working and environment, good research facilities, performing laboratory equipment as well as the possibility to work with world-class research groups.

We subscribe to the Statement of Commitment for the implementation of the ‘European Charter of Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (C&C)’ and are rewarded by the European Commission with the ‘HR Excellence in Research’ seal. We also act as a Euraxess Contact Point and provide personalized assistance to researchers and their families. 

  What the University of Padua can do for potential MSCA-PF applicants

The University of Padua aims at supporting excellent research to be conducted within its premises and works to attract young researchers carrying out high quality, innovative and ambitious research. The University of Padua has a large community of fellows: since 2014, a total of 132 post-doc researchers have won funding under the Marie Skłodowska Curie Action by choosing the University of Padua for their research projects. Through a dedicated International Research Office we support MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow candidates both in the application process and in managing the grant.

  Support services before the proposal submission

If you are a MSCA-PF candidate and are interested in working with us, contact us as soon as possible (individual.grants@unipd.it) and send us a draft of your project (use the template of the European Commission – Part B) by 21 August 2024.

 The International Research Office – Individual Grants Team (individual.grants@unipd.it) will review your proposal and provide you with a step by step guide on how to submit a successful project with the University of Padua.

You are also welcome to participate in the MSCA MaRaThoN@Unipd: Master your Research and Training Needs, an intensive training programme specifically dedicated to researchers willing to apply for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call in collaboration with a supervisor of the University of Padua.

  MSCA potential supervisors at the University of Padua

Several researchers at our University are willing to act as supervisors in MSCA-PF applications. In order to find a potential supervisor, have a look at the expressions of interest listed below, or search our University database of researchers for possible contacts based on your research interest.

See the full list of Unipd departments as a further reference.
Professors at Unipd wishing to act as supervisors are invited to fill in and submit the Supervisor Form.

Latest update: April 11, 2024

• Chemistry (CHE)
• Economic Sciences (ECO)
• Information Sciences and Engineering (ENG)
• Environmental and Geosciences (ENV)
• Life Sciences (LS)
• Mathematics (MAT)
• Physics (PHY)
• Social Sciences and Humanities (SOC)

  Alternative funding for MSCA Seal of Excellence Projects

In case you choose the University of Padua as your Host Institution and your project is not selected for funding, but the European Commission awards you the “Seal of Excellence – MSC Actions”, the University offers you the opportunity for an alternative funding under the MSCA Seal of Excellence @University of Padua programme.

You have the possibility to apply for a grant of 50.000 Euros per project year (covering an employment contract and a 10.000 Euros budget for research, networking and training activities).