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Funding callLife sciences · International

MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01)

The MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01) funds consortia of universities, research organisations and non-academic partners proposing joint doctoral training programmes in any discipline, with a deadline of 24 November 2026. This guide covers research areas consistent with the scheme, eligibility and readiness checks, project ideas and points to confirm in the call documents.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
24 November 2026
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
European Commission – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
24 November 2026
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
European Commission – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Country
International
Scheme type
Programme
Funding
As stated in the call documents
Eligibility
Consortia of universities, research organisations and non-academic partners across EU Member States and Associated Countries proposing joint doctoral training programmes in any discipline.
Scope
Life sciences

Topics consistent with the call

  • Interdisciplinary doctoral training in biomedical and life sciences
  • Training networks linking academic research with industry partners
  • Programmes on health technologies, diagnostics and digital health
  • Doctoral training in environmental, climate and sustainability research
  • Joint or industrial doctorate programmes with shared supervision
  • Research training in data science and computational methods

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. The consortium meets the minimum composition rules across EU Member States and Associated Countries.
  2. Non-academic partners have a genuine role in training and supervision.
  3. The training programme offers doctoral candidates research, transferable skills and mobility.
  4. Supervision, recruitment and career development arrangements are set out clearly.
  5. A complete, institutionally approved proposal is submitted before 24 November 2026.

Why This Funding Call Matters

Doctoral Networks support the training of doctoral candidates who can work across disciplines and sectors, an increasingly valued profile in research and innovation. By combining academic and non-academic partners across countries, the scheme gives candidates exposure to different research environments and career paths. For institutions, it is a means of building lasting collaborations and structured training programmes around a shared research theme.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Life sciences and biomedicine
  • Engineering and technology
  • Data science
  • Environmental sciences
  • Social sciences and humanities

Institutions and sectors

  • Universities
  • Public research organisations
  • Companies and SMEs
  • Hospitals, foundations and non-profit organisations

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. A coherent research training programme built around a clearly defined scientific theme.
  2. Strong intersectoral and international exposure for doctoral candidates.
  3. High-quality supervision and career development arrangements.
  4. A consortium whose partners bring complementary expertise and resources.

Ideas You Could Develop

Network on antimicrobial resistanceA doctoral network combining microbiology, chemistry and industry partners to train researchers in new antimicrobial strategies.
Digital health training networkA network training candidates in clinical data science, with placements in hospitals and health technology firms.
Industrial doctorates in biomanufacturingA programme linking universities and biotechnology companies to train researchers in bioprocess development.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 24 November 2026. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 29 Sep 2026

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 13 Oct 2026

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 27 Oct 2026

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 10 Nov 2026

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 19 Nov 2026

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 24 Nov 2026

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The European Commission is looking for consortia that offer excellent, innovative doctoral training combining research with transferable skills, international mobility and intersectoral experience. Proposals are typically assessed on excellence, impact and quality of implementation. Applicants should confirm consortium rules, eligible costs, evaluation criteria and submission requirements in the official call documents and the Funding and Tenders Portal.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 24 November 2026. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

The scheme is designed around collaboration between academic and non-academic organisations, and the specific consortium requirements are set in the call. Applicants should confirm composition rules in the official call documents.

Consortia of universities, research organisations and non-academic partners across EU Member States and Associated Countries proposing joint doctoral training programmes in any discipline. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. European Commission – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. (2026). MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01). Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/funding/msca-doctoral-networks-2026

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01). Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/msca-doctoral-networks-2026-horizon-msca-2026-dn-01/

  • MSCA
  • Doctoral Networks
  • Horizon Europe
  • Doctoral training
  • Research mobility

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MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 (HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01)Next deadline 24 November 2026

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