The goal of the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PFs) is to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD that wish to acquire new skills through advanced training and international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility. 

MSCA-PFs are prestigious fellowships, open to excellent researchers of any nationality, including researchers wishing to reintegrate in Europe, researchers who are displaced by conflict as well as researchers with high potential aiming for a career restart in research. 

The scheme encourages researchers to gain experience beyond academia by giving them the opportunity to request an additional six months at the end of their fellowship to undertake a placement in a non-academic organisation in Europe.

The call will close on 13 September 2023 and is expected to fund over 1,200 projects. Results are expected to be published in February 2024 and successful projects are estimated to start after May 2024.

Benefits of MSCA PFs

• Increased set of research and transferable skills, leading to improved employability and career prospects.
• New mindsets and approaches to research and innovation built through interdisciplinary and intersectoral experience.
• Enhanced networking and communication capacities that will increase the impact of research.
• Excellent benefits covering living and mobility allowances, training and networking, and visa-related costs. Where applicable, family, special needs and long-term leave allowances can also be granted. 

Eligible candidates interested in submitting an application for the MSCA PF call 2023 with the Insight SFI Research Centre must first fill out and submit the Expression of Interest (EoI) form. The Call for expressions of interest has now closed. 

All correctly submitted EoIs will be reviewed by members of the Insight pre-award team. Only those candidates that are deemed eligible and whose expertise and research proposals align with Insight’s scientific areas will be selected for an interview with a potential supervisor. The Insight team will assign candidates to a suitable supervisor based on research alignment and availability. 

The decision to support a candidate will be ultimately made by the Investigator and an employment contract will only be issued if the proposal is successful in securing funding in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship 2023 call. 

1. Academic qualification: By the MSCA-PF call deadline (13th September 2023), candidates must be in possession of a doctoral degree, defined as a successfully defended doctoral thesis, even if the doctoral degree has yet to be awarded. 
2. Research experience: Candidates must have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date applicants were in possession of a doctoral degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks (e.g., due to parental leave) will not be taken into account.
3. Mobility rule: Candidates can be of any nationality but must not have resided more than 12 months in the Republic of Ireland in the last three years by the call deadline (13th September 2023).
4. Language skills: Candidates must have demonstrated proficiency in English (reading, writing, speaking).