Horizon Europe
Pillar I: Excellent Science
Excellent Science supports fundamental research driven by scientific curiosity, with the potential to lead to breakthroughs and new technologies. Read on to learn more about the funding instruments within pillar I and explore success stories from Birmingham academics.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) - €6.6 billion
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) - €6.6 billion
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) equip researchers with new knowledge and skills through mobility and training. There are five types of MSCA which target different objectives:
- Doctoral Networks (DN): Providing doctoral training in both academic and non-academic settings.
- Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF): Supporting career development by providing opportunities to carry out research activities abroad.
- Staff exchanges (SE): Supporting short-term international exchanges with the aim of developing collaborative projects, particularly between academic and non-academic sectors.
- COFUND: Offering research training and career development opportunities for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
- MSCA and Citizens: Bringing researchers closer to the public, with a focus on families, students and pupils.
For further information on the latest calls, please visit Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
European Research Council (ERC) - €16 billion
European Research Council (ERC) - €16 billion
The ERC provides competitive funding to support investigator-driven research across all fields, on the basis of scientific excellence. There are a number of grants to support researchers, at any stage in their career, to become research leaders.
- 10,000+ projects funded since 2007
- Over 70% of completed ERC projects led to breakthroughs or major advances (according to independent studies)
- 7 Nobel Prizes, 4 Fields Medals, hundreds of important prizes awarded to ERC grantees
- 80+ nationalities(ERC grantees)
For the latest calls, please visit ERC Grants.
Research Infrastructures - €2.4 billion
Research Infrastructures - €2.4 billion
This fund supports integrated and interconnected world-class research infrastructures with the aim of developing a strong, excellent and impactful European Research Area.
Funding opportunities include:
- Developing, consolidating and optimising the European Research infrastructures landscape, maintaining global leadership (INFRADEV)
- Enabling an operational, open and fair European open science cloud ecosystem (INFRAEOSC)
- Next generation of scientific instrumentation, tools and methods and advanced digital solutions (INFRATECH)
For the latest calls, please visit Horizon Europe: Research Infrastructures
Spotlight on Success
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Training Network
Dr Gerard Cummins leads the Medical Microsystems lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research applies microengineering techniques to benefit healthcare by developing smart, miniaturised diagnostic and therapeutic implants, ingestible and wearable devices.
In 2023 Dr Cummins coordinated the bid for “Intelli-Ingest,” an MSCA Doctoral Training Network, which will empower thirteen young scientists and engineers to become experts in ingestible device research and translation.
The interdisciplinary and cross sectoral network brings together university and industry partners from across Europe including the UK, Greece, Denmark, Poland, France and Germany. Through the network, PhD candidates will have the opportunity to work with industry partners in the fields of AI, medical devices and 3D printing.
Being awarded the “Intelli-Ingest" Marie Curie Doctoral Training Network grant has been immensely rewarding, providing unequalled opportunities to collaborate with leading researchers across Europe, contribute to the training of the next generation of researchers and helping to foster a pioneering and interdisciplinary partnership that contributes to the advancement and continued impact of my field.
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