Topic updates

09 January 2026
Dear Applicant,

The COFUND 2026 proposal template (Part B) was updated:

Criterion 1.3 was slightly updated to fully align with the recently adopted Work Programme 2026-2027.

The changes are on page 15 of the template with instructions; and page 6 of the template without instructions – already implemented in the SEP tool. It concerns the removal of the term ‘science’ from the sub-criterion, and the removal of the instruction under the required sub-heading: ‘Excellence of the research programme;

1.3 Quality and novelty of the research options offered by the programme in terms of science, interdisciplinarity, inter-sectorality and level of transnational mobility. Quality of open science practices.

Required sub-headings:

Describe the research options offer by the programme:

Excellence of the research programme;
Quality of the research options in terms of interdisciplinary research options, inter-sectorality (mobility between the academic and non-academic sector) and international networking;
Open science practices: Describe how appropriate open science practices are implemented as an integral part of the proposed methodology. Show how the choice of practices and their implementation are adapted to the nature of the research training programme, in a way that will increase the chances of the project delivering on its objectives. If you believe that none of these practices are appropriate for your project, please provide a justification here.

Open science is an approach based on open cooperative work and systematic sharing of knowledge and tools as early and widely as possible in the process. Open science practices include early and open sharing of research (for example through preregistration, registered reports, pre-prints, or crowd-sourcing); research output management; measures to ensure reproducibility of research outputs; providing open access to research outputs (such as publications, data, software, models, algorithms, and workflows); participation in open peer-review; and involving all relevant knowledge actors including citizens, civil society and end users in the co-creation of R&I agendas and contents (such as citizen science).

Please note that this question does not refer to outreach actions that may be planned as part of communication, dissemination and exploitation activities. These aspects should instead be described below under ‘Impact’.

Proposals selected for funding under Horizon Europe will need to develop a detailed data management plan (DMP) for making their data/research outputs findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) as a deliverable by month 6 and revised towards the end of a project’s lifetime. The DMP should describe how research outputs (especially research data) generated and/or collected during the project will be managed so as to ensure that they are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.
For guidance on open science practices and research data management, please refer to the relevant section of the HE Programme Guide on the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Any other relevant point.

MSCA COFUND 2026

TOPIC ID: HORIZON-MSCA-2026-COFUND-01-01

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme:

Call: MSCA COFUND 2026 (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-COFUND-01)

Type of action: HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-Cofund-D HORIZON TMA MSCA Cofund Doctoral programme

Type of MGA: HORIZON Unit Grant [HORIZON-AG-UN]

Status: Forthcoming

Deadline model: single-stage

Planned Opening Date: 16 December 2025

Deadline dates: 08 April 2026 17:00 (Brussels time)

Topic description

Expected Outcome:

Projects results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

For supported doctoral candidates or postdoctoral researchers

• Deeper and more diverse set of research-related and transferable skills and competences;
• Improved employability and career prospects both within academia and beyond;
• New mind-sets and approaches to R&I work forged through international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary experience;
• Enhanced networking and communication capacities with scientific peers, as well as with the general public that will increase and broaden the research and innovation impact.

For participating organisations

• Enhanced quality and sustainability of research training;
• Increased global attractiveness, visibility and reputation of the participating organisation(s);
• Stronger R&I capacity and output among participating organisations;
• Increased contribution of the participating organisations to the local, regional and/or national socio-economic ecosystems;
• Regular feedback of research results into teaching and education at participating organisations

Scope:

Applicants submit proposals for new or existing doctoral or postdoctoral programmes with an impact on the enhancement of human resources in R&I at regional, national or international level. These programmes will be co-funded by MSCA COFUND.

Proposed programmes can cover any research disciplines ("bottom-up"), but exceptionally can also focus on specific disciplines, notably when they are based on national or regional Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3 strategies). In this case, the range of covered disciplines should allow reasonable flexibility for the researchers to define their topic.

Funding synergies with Cohesion Policy Funds and other EU funding sources are strongly encouraged.

A Career Development Plan must be jointly established by the supervisor and each recruited researcher upon recruitment. In addition to research objectives, this Plan comprises the researcher's training and career needs, including training on transferable skills, teaching, planning for publications and participation in conferences and events aimed at opening science and research to citizens. The Plan must be established at the beginning of the recruitment and should be revised (and updated where needed) within 18 months.

COFUND takes the form of:

A) Doctoral programmes

Doctoral programmes offer research training activities to allow doctoral candidates to develop and broaden their skills and competences. They will lead to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. The training activities should be based on the EU Principles on Innovative Doctoral Training.

The doctoral programmes should develop substantial training modules, addressing key transferable skills and competences common to all fields, including digital ones (e.g. generative AI) and fostering the culture of Open Science, knowledge valorisation^[1], and when applicable innovation and entrepreneurship as well as good scientific conduct such as research integrity. In particular, doctoral programmes should adequately prepare doctoral candidates to pursue a career in research and adequately prepare them for increased research collaboration and information-sharing made possible by new (digital) technologies (e.g. collaborative tools, opening access to publications and to other research outputs including data, FAIR data management, societal engagement and citizen science, etc.).

On top of compulsory international mobility, applicants are encouraged to include elements of cross-sectoral mobility and interdisciplinarity into their programmes. Collaboration with a wider set of associated partners, including from the non-academic sector, will be positively taken into account during the evaluation. These organisations may provide hosting or secondment opportunities or training modules in research or transferable skills.

Particular attention is paid to the quality of supervision and mentoring arrangements as well as career guidance. The selection procedure for doctoral candidates must be open, transparent and merit-based, in line with the European Charter for Researchers. The vacancy notice (to be widely advertised internationally, including on the EURAXESS^[2] website) must mention if the published rates include all employer and employee's taxes and contributions. If possible, the gross salary (net salary + employee’s taxes and contributions) should be published.

B) Postdoctoral Programmes

Postdoctoral programmes fund individual advanced research training and career development fellowships for postdoctoral researchers. The programmes should offer training to develop key transferable skills and competences common to all fields, including digital ones (e.g. generative AI), and foster the culture of Open Science, knowledge valorisation^[1], and when applicable innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as good scientific conduct such as research integrity. In particular, the postdoctoral programmes should empower fellows to pursue a career in research and adequately prepare them for increased research collaboration and information-sharing made possible by new (digital) technologies (e.g. collaborative tools, opening access to publications and to other research outputs including data, FAIR data management, societal engagement and citizen science, etc.).

Postdoctoral programmes should have regular selection rounds following fixed deadlines or regular cut-off dates, allowing fair competition between researchers. The selection procedure for postdoctoral candidates must be open, merit-based and with a transparent international peer review, in line with the European Charter for Researchers. The vacancy notice (to be widely advertised internationally, including on the EURAXESS website) must mention if the published rates include all employer and employee's taxes and contributions. If possible, the gross salary (net salary + employee’s taxes and contributions) should be published.

On top of compulsory international mobility, applicants are encouraged to include elements of cross-sectoral mobility and interdisciplinarity into their programmes. Researchers will be able to freely choose a research topic and the appropriate organisation to host them, fitting their individual needs.

[1] “Knowledge valorisation” is the process of creating social and economic value from knowledge by linking different areas and sectors and by transforming data, know-how and research results into sustainable products, services, solutions and knowledge-based policies that benefit society” (EUR-Lex - 32022H2415 - EN - EUR-Lex).

For more guidance on specific areas of knowledge valorisation, see the European Commission’s Codes of Practice on intellectual assets management, on standardisation, on industry-academia co-creation and on citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation

[2] https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/

[3] “Knowledge valorisation” is the process of creating social and economic value from knowledge by linking different areas and sectors and by transforming data, know-how and research results into sustainable products, services, solutions and knowledge-based policies that benefit society” (EUR-Lex - 32022H2415 - EN - EUR-Lex).

For more guidance on specific areas of knowledge valorisation, see the European Commission’s Codes of Practice on intellectual assets management, on standardisation, on industry-academia co-creation and on citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation

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The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

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Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.

Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.

Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.

Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.

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Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.

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The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.

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