CESAER supports joint call for boosting MSCA

CESAER, alongside other key stakeholder organisations, expressed its support to a joint statement calling for increased support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
3rd October 2024
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CESAER, and other organisations issued today a joint statement ‘We need much more MSCA!’. This statement stresses the programme’s vital role in advancing research and enhancing the career development of Europe’s next generation of researchers.

The MSCA is widely regarded as a flagship initiative supporting doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. It is celebrated for promoting mobility, advancing groundbreaking research, and developing talent that drives Europe’s global competitiveness in science and technology.

“It is vital that MSCA receives strong support for the remainder of Horizon Europe, and forms an integral part of its successor FP10,” said Mattias Björnmalm, Secretary General of CESAER.

Signatories of the joint statement as of 3 October 2024 includes:

  • Aurora
  • CESAER
  • Coimbra Group
  • Epso
  • EuroTech
  • EU-Life
  • EUA
  • ISE
  • LERU
  • Marie Curie Alumni Association
  • Science Europe
  • The Guild
  • YERUN

Joint statement

CESAER’s own call for increased support to the MSCA

The joint statement issued today aligns well with previous efforts by our association. For example, on 14 May 2024, CESAER called for at least a doubling of the budget for the next European framework programme for research and innovation (FP10), including a substantial boost for MSCA.

“We are proud to be part of the ongoing efforts to enhance the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, a flagship funding instrument for doctoral and postdoctoral training,” said Orla Feely, President of CESAER and University College Dublin. “However, many high-scoring, excellent proposals remain unfunded due to budget constraints. We call on the EU institutions to agree on, at least, a doubling of the budget for FP10, including a substantial boost of the budget for MSCA.”

CESAER’s position ‘Unleash the full potential of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions’, published on 14 May 2024, is elaborated along four key dimensions:

  • double the funding for the framework programme, including substantial boost for MSCA;
  • unleash the full potential of MSCA;
  • boost the capacity of MSCA to advance research careers;
  • advance greening, visa facilitation, widening and synergies.

In this position, we also emphasised that the MSCA is critical not just for the mobility it fosters, but as well for its direct support of research freedom and the advancement of researchers’ careers across all fields of knowledge.

Manuel Heitor, CESAER Envoy on Research Careers and Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal, stated, “The MSCA have evolved into an extremely valued and impactful instrument, contributing significantly to attracting talented youngsters to Europe and advancing research careers. To effectively advance these careers, it is essential to employ a combination of policy measures, including modernising research assessment procedures and establishing new funding mechanisms.”

Heitor also proposed exploring the creation of an independent ‘Marie Skłodowska-Curie Council’ to enhance the MSCA’s strategic planning and ensure that the programme continues to serve as a key tool for attracting top global talent.

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