Doctoral Networks

Objective

Doctoral Networks are networks of European institutions with the purpose of training doctoral researchers in a structured manner to increase their competences in an international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral research and training programme. Participation of both the academic and the non-academic sector is crucial. There are three types of Doctoral Networks with different participation requirements:

• Doctoral Networks (DN),
• Industrial Doctorates (ID),
• Joint Doctorates (JD).

Participation requirements for institutions

• Doctoral Networks (DN): The network must be composed of at least three different institutions from three different Member States or Associated Countries with at least one of them established in an EU Member State.
• Industrial Doctorates (ID): The network must consist of at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and with at least one of them established in an EU Member State. The doctoral candidates have to spend at least 50% of their fellowship time in the non-academic sector. They will be jointly supervised by the academic and non-academic institutions.
• Joint Doctorates (JD): The consortium must be composed of at least three independent legal entities entitled to award doctoral degrees. At least two of the institutions conferring a joint, double or multiple doctoral degree must be established in an EU Member State and / or Horizon Europe Associated Country. The doctoral candidates are to be supervised by the participating institutions.

All doctoral candidates must be enrolled in a doctoral programme; for Joint Doctorates in at least two.

Additional institutions, even from Third Countries, can participate in the proposals as beneficiaries or associated partners.

Participation requirements for researchers

Only doctoral candidates can be funded within Doctoral Networks. In standard Doctoral Networks and Industrial Doctorates they can be employed within the network for a minimum of three months and up to a maximum of three years, in Joint Doctorate for a minimum of three months up to a maximum of four years.

Mobility rule

The doctoral candidates to be trained within the networks may be of any nationality (Member States, Associated Countries and Third Countries). There are no quotas for the participation of researchers from Third Countries. The mobility rule applies: At the time of first recruitment by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation for more than twelve months in the three years immediately before the reference date.

Duration of the project

The duration of the project is limited to 48 months for Doctoral Networks and Industrial Doctorates and to 60 months for Joint Doctorates. During that period, doctoral candidates will be trained and network activities may be implemented.

Financial aspects

Financial support is awarded for the employment of the doctoral candidates and for the implementation of research, training and network activities. Funding is calculated in the form of unit costs according to the number of eligible person months. Doctoral Networks, Industrial Doctorates and Joint Doctorates all have a maximum budget of 540 person months.

Applications

Project proposals are submitted by the coordinating institution of the respective network.

At a later stage, individual researchers apply directly to the participating organisations for advertised job vacancies. All Marie Skłodowska-Curie job vacancies must be published on EURAXESS Jobs.

Calls

Calls for proposals are listed here

Resubmission

Proposals submitted to the previous call of MSCA Doctoral Networks under Horizon Europe and having received a score of less than 80% must not be resubmitted the following year.