Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships

Warsaw | August 18th, 2021

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships

Who are we?

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• executive agency of the Ministry of Education and Science

• Since November 2020, the host organization for the National Contact Point for Horizon Europe

• brings together the world of science and business through co-financing of R&D projects

• financial support for innovative ideas of entrepreneurs and scientists

• carries out tasks facilitating Poland’s social and economic growth and seeks solutions to specific civilizational issues

Presentation content

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introduction novelties proposalcontent

hints & tips

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships

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MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships aim to foster excellence through training and mobility and to equip researchers with new skills and competences in order to identify solutions to current and future challenges.

• open to excellent researchers of any nationality

• encourages researchers to work on research and innovation projects in the non-academic sector

• for researchers wishing to reintegrate in Europe or wish to restart their careers in research

• for researchers who are displaced by conflict

• implemented in form of an original and personalized research and training project

• bottom-up program

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships

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EuropeanFellowships

Global Fellowships ERA Fellowships

for researchers moving to or within Europe

researchers of any nationality

12-24 months

two phases: 1st in a TC, 2nd in Europe (EU/HE AC)

for EU/AC citizens or long term residents

12-24 + 12 months

for researchers applying with a host institution based in a widening country.

LINK Additional option, not a part of a MSCA call

Current call for proposal: 22 June – 12 October 2021, 17:00 Brussels time

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: novelties

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• Individual Fellowships Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Researcher: postdoc with max. 8 years post PhD

• no separate evaluation panels for reintegration, career restart and non-academic beneficiaries

• Instead 8 evaluation panels within 8 areas

• resubmission restrictions for proposal scoring less than 70% (as of 2022)

• one mobility rule (12 months within the last 3 years)

• modified approach to gender and open science

• additional placement (6 months) in the non-academic sector

Gender

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• Integrating sex and gender into research content improves the scientific quality and societal relevance of the project results and their further application.

• It is crucial to explore if the research (outcomes) may affect women and men differently.

• Cross-cutting priority with aim to eliminate gender inequality and intersecting socio-economic inequalities

• Eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organizations and higher education establishments (Gender Equality Plan)

• Evaluation criterion: integration of gender in the research content is mandatory, unless not applicable

Open Science

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• “Open science means an approach to the scientific process based on open cooperative work, tools and diffusing knowledge” (Horizon Europe Regulation and Model Grant Agreement)

• Aim: sharing results widely, making them more reusable and improve their reproducibility

• evaluation criterion: open science practices, incl. sharing of research results, data management, providing open access to outputs, including relevant societal actors in the research

• mandatory open access to publications: immediate OA via repository at the latest at the publication date

• mandatory open research data: opting out no longer possible, data must be shared based on the FAIR principle and as open as possible, as closed as necessary

My proposal

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Who? What? Why? How?

My proposal

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Who?

pixabay.com

The researcher: the center of the proposal

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• MSCA PF are research and training projects.

• The proposal reflects your training needs.

• Before you start: IMAGINE yourself in 3-5 years from now.

• Imagine PLAN your research career.

• Make a SWOT analysis of your career.

• Start with your MSCA PF proposal.

The researcher: the center of the proposal

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What knowledge do you need?

Who can help you overcome your weaknesses?

Where can you do it?

What other skills may be beneficial?

How much time do you need?

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W

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Training

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training through research

transferable skills

additional training

• hands-on training on particular knowledge or skills/methods

• participation in project management• organisation of events• communication/dissemination

• grant writing, management• IPR, patenting• ethics• CV, self-presentation• communication• entrepreneurship and innovation• public speaking/presenting

• Open Science• gender• big data• experimental design• new methods and

techniques

Supervisor

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• expert in the field

• is more experienced than you

• with international and inter-sectoral collaborations in research

• has supervised PhD candidates and/or postdocs

• has coordinated and participated in national and international research projects

• is actively engaged in the preparation of the proposal and in project implementation

MSCA Guidelines on Supervision

Supervisor

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The best option: look among your contacts and networks

If this fails…

LINKLINK

Two-way transfer of knowledge

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Host researcherWhat is your training plan?

Researcher host What knowledge/skills can you share?With whom?How?

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My proposal

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What?

Goal(s) of the proposalWhat is/are your research questions?What is the current state of the art?What are your training goals?

3I approachIs your project interdisciplinary and intersectoral?

Cross-cutting issuesGender in the research contentOpen Science approach

My proposal

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Why?

Impact on your careerHow will you advance your career?Where will it take you?

Impact on scienceIs it an important topic?Does it address a societal challenge?

Impact on market/societyWill you bring new solutions for the market or society?

My proposal: Impact

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Dissemination Exploitation Communication

public disclosure of results by appropriate means, incl. by scientific publications

use of results for commercial and societal purposes, as well as in further research

informing the society about your research

scientists marketpolicymaking

general public

My proposal

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How?

MethodologyWhat methods will you use?

Work planHow will you break down your project into work packages?What will be the project milestones?What deliverables do you plan?

Hosting arrangementsHow will you be integrated in the host institution?What kind of assistance will be provided?

Hints and tips

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• Start early!

• Involve your supervisor in the proposal writing.

• Read carefully all necessary call documents.

• If applicable refer to policy documents.

• Get in touch with a National Contact Point (NCP) in the destination country.

• Do not submit your proposal on the very last minute.

Hints and tips

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• Be ambitious, but think if your project is feasible.

• Use clear language, have the proposal proofread, if necessary.

• Impress the evaluators from the start.

• Evaluators may not be experts in your area.

• Stick to all the rules (ex. number of pages and font size).

• Use graphs, charts, images, if possible.

• Quantify things, where possible, to show you have thought your proposal through.

• Believe in yourself!

MSCA PF documents

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• MSCA Work Programme 2021-2022

• Guide for Applicants (2021)

• MSCA Green Charter

• MSCA Guidelines on Supervision

• Horizon Europe Programme Guide

• Net4Mobility+ project website

• MSCA IF (2020) Handbook

• MSCA FAQ Blog

Additional resources

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• Webinar: a successful proposal for Horizon Europe

• GenderAction project website

• Gender in Horizon Europe

• Report: Gendered innovation 2: How inclusive analysis contributes to research and innovation

• Video: Understanding gender dimension for MSCA projects

• How to complete your ethics self-assessment

• Open Research Europe

Follow us! www.net4mobilityplus.eu

Information for youFor your MSCA

project submission

Information packagesSuccess storiesSocial media linksMSCA leaflets

MSCA Practical GuidesHandbooksWebinar recordingsExpressions of InterestFAQ Blog

Magdalena Chomicka | magdalena.chomicka@ncbr.gov.pl

Thank you!