Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action: Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA - PF)

Two types of Fellowship are available:

- European Fellowship take place in European countries or countries associated with Horizon Europe and are open to researchers of any nationality who come to Europe or move within Europe for a period of one to two years.

- Global Fellowship are intended for European citizens or long-term residents (at least 5 years) who wish to engage in research projects involving a mobility phase of one or two years to a non-associated Third Country, and a mandatory 12-month return phase at a host organisation based in an EU Member State or in a country associated with Horizon Europe.

Both types of grants may also include short secondment periods anywhere in the world during the fellowship (with the exception of the return phase of a Global Fellowship).

In addition, researchers have the opportunity to undertake an additional traineeship, lasting up to 6 months, in a non-academic organisation based in an EU Member State or in a country associated with Horizon Europe. This “non-academic placement” must take place at the end of the fellowship.

The eligibility conditions are defined in the Horizon Europe - MSCA Work Programme. The annual call usually opens in mid-April and closes in mid-September.

For 2026, the opening of the MSCA-PF call is scheduled for 9 April 2026, while the deadline is scheduled for 9 September 2026.

The International Research Office of the University of Padua supports applications from researchers who, by the relevant deadline for the submission of PF proposals:

• choose the University of Padua as their Host Institution;
• hold a PhD;
• have worked full-time in research for a maximum of 8 years, measured from the date on which the PhD was obtained;
• comply with the MSCA mobility rule: they must not have spent more than 12 months in the three years preceding the call deadline in the country of the beneficiary (European PF) or of the Host Organisation based in the Third Country (Global PF).

Starting from the HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF call, the threshold for resubmission corresponds to a score of 80% (instead of the 70% applicable to previous HORIZON-MSCA-PF calls). This means that proposals submitted to the previous MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call under Horizon Europe which obtained a score below 80% and involve the same host organisation and the same individual researcher (and, for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, also the associated partner hosting the outgoing phase) cannot be submitted again the following year.

Researchers already working at the University of Padua may apply for an MSCA Global Fellowship, spending 12 to 24 months at an institution in a Third Country, and then completing the final 12 months of the fellowship at the University of Padua.

Researchers from all over the world applying for an MSCA-PF may choose Padua as their Host Institution within a European or Global Fellowship, depending on their eligibility.

The University of Padua is ranked among the top Italian universities for the quality of its research. We offer an excellent working environment, good research facilities, high-performance laboratory equipment, and the opportunity to work with world-class research groups.

We adhere to the Declaration of Commitment to implementing the "Researchers Charter" and have been awarded the "HR Excellence in Research" seal by the European Commission. We also serve as a Euraxess Contact Point and provide personalised assistance to researchers and their families.

The University of Padua aims to support excellent research to be carried out within its facilities and works to attract early-career researchers conducting high-quality, innovative and ambitious research. The University of Padua can boast a growing community of fellows: since 2014, more than 160 postdoctoral researchers have been awarded funding under the Marie Skłodowska Curie Action, choosing the University of Padua for their research projects. Through a dedicated International Research Office, we support MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship applicants, both in the application process and in the management of the funding.

Anyone wishing to collaborate with the International Research Office and receive feedback on their proposal is invited to send a complete draft (B1 + B2, drawn up using the official CE template) to individual.grants@unipd.it, well in advance of the deadline - no later than 19 August 2026.

Requests will be handled in the order in which they are received (first-come, first-served). In the event of a high number of proposals received, if it is not possible to guarantee a response in time, a waiting list will be set up.

The offices of the University of Padua will remain closed for the summer holidays from 10 to 18 August 2026.

It is also possible to apply to take part in MSCA MaRaThoN@Unipd: Master your Research and Training Needs, an intensive training programme specifically dedicated to researchers who wish to apply for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call in collaboration with a supervisor from the University of Padua. The training takes place in May.

Applications for the 2026 edition are closed.

Researchers at our University are available to act as supervisors for MSCA-PF applications. To find a potential supervisor, you can browse the availabilities listed below for possible contacts based on your research interest.

See here the list of potential MSCA supervisors at Unipd.
Download the document to apply filters in the Excel table.
Last update: January 2026

It is also possible to consult the complete list of Unipd departments as a further reference.
Unipd lecturers who wish to act as supervisors are invited to complete and submit the following Form.

Candidates who choose the University of Padua as their Host Institution and whose project is not selected for funding, but to which the European Commission awards the “Seal of Excellence – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions”, may apply to obtain alternative funding made available by the University of Padua, under the programme MSCA Seal of Excellence @UniPD.