Please note: Owing to increased interest in this scheme and internal deadlines, applicants for the 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships who wish to be hosted at Bath must arrange and confirm the support of their intended supervisor at Bath before 30 April 2026. Applicants contacting the University after this date will not be supported to submit an application with Bath as their host institution.

About

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships provide significant financial support to a Research Fellow for a period of 1-2 or 3 years (dependent upon the type of Fellowship you choose). All research areas are eligible for funding, with the grant providing an allowance to cover living, travel, and family costs, in addition to training, networking, research, project management, and indirect costs.

The 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call will open on 9 April. The submission deadline for applications is Wednesday 9 September, 17:00 CET

Eligibility

If you are interested in applying for a Postdoctoral Fellowship:

• You should have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded a doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply.
• You must not have more than eight years of experience in research, from the date of the award of your PhD degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe. Please see MSCA guidance on what constitutes 8 years' research experience.
• You should comply with mobility rules: You must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

For 2026, resubmission restrictions will apply for applications that received a score below 80% the previous year.

The United Kingdom is an associated country to Horizon Europe, so UK organisations can participate in MSC Actions on the same terms as those based in the European Union and other countries already associated to Horizon Europe.

Please ensure that you are eligible to apply before approaching a potential supervisor at the University of Bath.

Fellowships we support

The University of Bath provides support for both types of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships:

European Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world to pursue their research career.
• These fellowships take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and can last between 1 and 2 years.
• Researchers of any nationality can apply.

Global Postdoctoral Fellowships

• These Fellowships fund the mobility of researchers outside Europe.
• The fellowship lasts between 2 to 3 years, of which the first 1 to 2 years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
• Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.

Bath as your host institution

The University of Bath received its Royal Charter in 1966 and is established as a top 10 UK university with a reputation for research and teaching excellence. With its main Claverton Down Campus overlooking the Georgian spa town of Bath, the University offers a leading research and teaching environment, award-winning researcher training and development, and world-class multi-sport training amenities in the heart of the English countryside near one of the United Kingdom’s most famous and popular cities and UNESCO World Heritage designated site.

In the last Research Excellence Framework assessment (2021), more than 90% of Bath research was defined as world-leading or internationally excellent. The University was also awarded triple Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023 for assessments of student outcomes and student experience, exemplifying Bath’s commitment to research and teaching excellence.

The University has carefully developed its Vision for Research Staff to create a productive, supportive and enjoyable work environment for everyone undertaking research here. New staff receive a comprehensive package of support and induction to their role, making Bath an excellent venue for developing your research career and skills under the supervision of an experienced and dedicated supervisor.

The application process

Eligibility self-checks

Make sure you are eligible to apply for this scheme by reviewing MSCA guidance. You must have no more than 8 years' research experience following your PhD when you apply for this scheme. Check the MSCA guidance on this requirement and use the self-assessment tool in case you are eligible to extend this period due to parental leave or other mitigating factors.

Finding a supervisor

You can check hosting offers from the University of Bath for potential project areas and supervisors on EURAXESS. If you have identified a specific supervisor at Bath and you would like to contact them directly, please include an up-to-date CV and brief project proposal as an attachment in your email. Once you have received written agreement from your intended supervisor that they are willing to support your application, you can begin the application process.

Essential reading

Understanding the requirements for this scheme is essential before you begin drafting your proposal. Scheme guidance is updated each year, so please check the MSCA website when the call opens for the latest official guidance. The MSCA-NET RADIANCE platform also links to very useful handbooks on how to complete a Postdoctoral Fellowship application, published by the MSCA National Contact Points.

Preparing your proposal

Get familiar with MSCA guidance and be sure to read the call guide, which will be published when the call opens.

You will need to register for an account on the Funding & Tenders Portal in order to submit your application. From this site you can also download the application form (a standard version of which can be viewed currently - but note that you should use the latest version for the correct call year).

Your intended supervisor can provide feedback on your proposal and may coordinate some peer-review for your draft.

Your host supervisor will need to oversee your project costs and liaise with the University (RIS Pre-Award Team) to ensure these are approved before your proposal is signed off for submission.

Submission

The University of Bath Pre-Award Team will ensure that your project costs and ethics are in line with scheme and University policy. However, you, as the applicant, will be responsible for submitting your proposal via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Support

Support for developing your research proposal

Your chosen Supervisor should be able to help with the development of your proposal and research ideas, as well as providing reviews.

Please read the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships Guide for Applicants 2026 when it is published online, to ensure that your proposal is correctly formatted and that you have fulfilled all other criteria before you submit.

The MSCA RADIANCE project provides handbooks for every action of the MSCA to support applicants in their proposal writing. These handbooks provide very useful complementary advice, in addition to the MSCA guidance, on how to complete each section of the MSCA proposal to develop a strong submission. The updated handbook for the next MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call will be published when the call opens, so please check the website regularly.