MSCA-Postdoctoral Fellowship

MSCA-PF stands for Marie-Skłodowska Curie Action - Postdoctoral Fellowship and is funded by Horizon Europe, EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation. It is a two-year research and career development programme where the fellow  moves to a new country.

The candidates apply with their own research proposal in any field of research, supported by a supervisor at the host university. Secondments at other research facilities, companies or the public sector can be conducted. Training and career development activities are an integral part of the programme in addition to the research project.

The highly competitive grant provides an allowance to cover living, travel and family costs. In addition, the European Union contributes to the training, networking and research costs of the fellow, as well as to the management and indirect costs of the project.

You can read more about the call on EU’s funding and tender portal.

Note: The applicant will write the application with the support of the host organisation. If the MSCA application with Linnaeus University is successful, the applicant is expected to move to Sweden and work on site, at our university.

Formal requirements (Eligibility)

• External researchers, meaning that you have not lived or worked in Sweden more than 12 month in the last three years. Cut-off date will probably be in  September 2025 (exact date to be confirmed). 
• You must have a PhD at the application deadline, probably in September 2025 (exact date to be confirmed), or at least the document confirming that you have defended your PhD thesis successfully.
• You must have a maximum of 8 years full-time experience in research. This is calculated from the date of the doctoral degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks (for examaple due to parental leave) can be deducted. If you are a citizen or long-term resident in an EU or associated country, then time spent outside Europe can also be deducted. However, all extensions need to be documented and will be checked.
• Note, this year we will focus on young talents, i.e. researchers with less than three years of research experiences at the deadline date, probably in September 2025 (exact date to be confirmed). For exceptional cases, applying researchers can be older (in academic terms). In these cases, they will need the support of both the anticipated supervisor and the head of the department where they apply for.

These formal requirements are strictly applied by the EU Commission. If you have any questions, please contact us for help.

Criteria to be chosen for the Expression of Interest Programme

• A good publication track record given your academic age and field of research
• Indicators of network building, such as
  • presentations at seminars and conferences
  • (co)organisation of workshops/conferences
  • academic/professional memberships
  • mobility/international experience.
  • collaboration with companies or public sector
• Been a member of a review panel or editorial board.
• Prizes or other awards for research or other achievements.
• Indicators of research leadership (in relation to your academic age)
  • teaching experience
  • supervision / co-supervision
  • group leading
• Been involved in public engagement knowledge transfer activities.

We expect you to take a very active part in writing the MSCA proposal. This includes to take part in the workshops, keeping internal deadlines, and exchange with your supervisor(s).

Field of research for the Expression of Interest Programme

The centres and knowledge environments describe their research fields below, including names of potential supervisors. Importantly, your research idea should fit into their field of interest, in addition to the criteria above. If you cannot find one yourself, the research environments will assign a suitable supervisor to support you and your project.

Note: It is always the supervisor who decides who they accept as candidate in this programme. 

Linnaeus University has an expression of interest programme at selected centres and knowledge environments. Each of these environments have dedicated researchers who are interested in becoming supervisors in an MSCA grant and who will support fellows in their respective field of study. The programme is organised in collaboration with the Grants and Innovation Office (GIO) at Linnaeus University.  

The deadline for your expression of interest and the contact person can be found below.

What we offer in the Expression of Interest programme?

• Early contact with your supervisor and co-supervisor(s)
• Lively and welcoming research environments
• Support when writing the application, such as time planning, commented templates, detailed feedback both from researchers and MSCA experts
• Help with contacts to companies, organisations and other research groups

Together with your great research ideas, your ambition and your engagement when writing the proposal, we aim to help you to write a proposal with higher chances to succeed.

During the programme, you will learn about proposal writing from professional support staff. Furthermore, the contacts you make with our researchers during this process can pave the way for further collaborations and alternative ways of funding in the future.

Our vision:

to set knowledge in motion for a sustainable societal development

We are an international, young university in Småland, Sweden. We have established Linnaeus University as a creative knowledge environment characterised by our basic principles: curiosity, creativity, companionship and utility. We want to  create a better future for individuals and the world we share. In line with our principles, we  focus on how curiosity in knowledge creation generates utility through close collaborations. We call this approach the Linnaeus spirit.

At Linnaeus University, exciting research of the highest quality, both nationally and internationally recognised, is carried out. Some of the most prominent research environments are designated Linnaeus University Centres.

We have also established so-called Knowledge Environments, where we gather prominent research, education, and collaboration . Our knowledge environments are interdisciplinary in order to put knowledge in motion across subjects and get a broad take on societal challenges.

• LNUC-DISA - https://lnu.se/en/research/research-groups/linnaeus-university-centre-for-data-intensive-sciences-and-applications/
  Contact diana.unander@lnu.se
  
  
• LKE-Digital transformations - https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/knowledge-environments/digital-transformations/
  Contact helena.belfrage@lnu.se
  
  
• LNUC-EEMiS - https://lnu.se/en/research/research-groups/linnaeus-university-centre-for-ecology-and-evolution-in-microbial-model-systems/
  Contact hanna.farnelid@lnu.se
  
  
• LKE-Advanced materials - https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/knowledge-environments/advanced-materials/,
  Contact per.h.nilsson@lnu.se
  
  
• LNUC Biomaterials - https://lnu.se/en/research/research-groups/linnaeus-university-centre-for-biomaterials-chemistry/
  Contact kristina.nilsson-ekdahl@lnu.se

• LNUC Concurrences - https://lnu.se/en/research/research-groups/linnaeus-university-centre-for-concurrences-in-colonial-and-postcolonial-studies/
  Contact kristina.nilsson-ekdahl@lnu.se