Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Name	Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions
Program	Horizon Europe
Established	2021
Focus	Researcher mobility and training
Headquarters	Brussels
Funding	European Commission

Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

The Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions under Horizon Europe support researcher mobility, training and career development across the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Norway, and Switzerland. The scheme builds on precedents such as the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions (Horizon 2020), the European Research Council, the Erasmus Programme, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and the European Investment Bank frameworks. It interacts with institutions including the European Commission, national research councils like the Max Planck Society, the French National Centre for Scientific Research, the German Research Foundation, and funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Overview

The Actions trace lineage to initiatives promoted by figures like Marie Curie, supported through legal instruments such as the Treaty on European Union and operationalised within programmes comparable to Seventh Framework Programme and Horizon 2020. They operate across host organisations including University of Oxford, Sorbonne University, ETH Zurich, University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Tokyo, Peking University, University of São Paulo, and University of Cape Town. Interaction occurs with laboratories such as CERN, European Space Agency, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and with industry partners like Siemens, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, and Airbus.

Objectives and Scope

The Actions aim to enhance researcher skills and mobility in line with strategic goals articulated by the European Commission and policy agendas debated at forums like the G7 summit and the United Nations General Assembly. Objectives include advancing research careers comparable to pathways at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry and the Johns Hopkins University, fostering interdisciplinary linkages between fields represented at conferences such as TED Conference and AAAS Annual Meeting, and supporting collaborations with organisations such as the World Health Organization, UNESCO, OECD, and the World Bank.

Funding Instruments and Programmes

Funding is distributed through instruments modeled after mechanisms used by the European Research Council and aligns with procurement practices seen at the European Investment Bank. Programmes encompass doctoral networks reminiscent of Marie Curie Doctoral Networks, postdoctoral fellowships akin to schemes at the Royal Society, staff exchanges comparable to initiatives at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and cofunded projects similar to partnerships with the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Grants interface with legal frameworks such as the Financial Regulation of the European Union and institutional agreements used by the European Commission Representation in Member States.

Eligibility and Application Process

Eligibility criteria reflect mobility rules comparable to those applied by the European Research Council and nationality requirements referenced in documents from the Council of the European Union. Applicants include researchers affiliated with universities such as Imperial College London, Heidelberg University, Trinity College Dublin, and research organisations like the Italian National Research Council and the Spanish National Research Council. Host organisations span public and private sectors, including companies like IBM, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, and non-profits similar to CERN Openlab. Calls for proposals follow procedures influenced by the Horizon 2020 calls and templates from the European Commission's Research Executive Agency.

Evaluation, Selection and Grants Management

Evaluation panels include experts drawn from academies such as the Academia Europaea, the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences (United States), and peer reviewers with affiliations to research centres like Pasteur Institute and Karolinska Institute. Selection criteria mirror indicators used by the European Research Council including excellence, impact, and implementation; grant agreements use models similar to contracts from the European Commission and accountancy practices aligned with the European Court of Auditors. Project monitoring and audit practices reference standards from bodies like the European Anti-Fraud Office and reporting templates used by the Research Executive Agency.

Impact, Outcomes and Statistics

Assessments reference bibliometric outputs indexed in databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, and repositories like Zenodo and arXiv. Outcomes document career trajectories comparable to alumni of the Marie Curie Fellows Association and link to innovation metrics tracked by the European Innovation Council and patent filings at the European Patent Office. Statistical reports are compiled in the style of analyses by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) and evaluations circulated to bodies such as the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

Governance, Partnerships and International Cooperation

Governance involves agencies including the European Commission, the Research Executive Agency, and national contact points in member states such as Poland, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain. Partnerships extend to international organisations like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, bilateral agreements with governments represented at the G20 summit, and collaborations with research networks such as COST Association and consortia including Graphene Flagship and Human Brain Project. International cooperation engages institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian Council of Medical Research, and regional entities like the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Category:European Union research programmes Category:Research funding