MCAA Chapter & Working Group Activities
Call for Applications 2025–26
PRESENTATION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE
CALL FOR MCAA CHAPTER & WORKING GROUP ACTIVITIES
The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) offers financial support to its Chapters and Working Groups (C&WGs) for organising activities and events.
1. Timeline of the call
2. Goals and scope of the call for C&WG activities
a. What types of activities are eligible for funding?
b. How to estimate the requested amount?
c. What’s the budget for C&WGs in euros during the call?
d. What types of costs are eligible for reimbursement?
3. How to apply
4. Evaluation of applications
5. Communication and acceptance of results
6. Participation and reporting of the event
7. Reimbursement procedure and rules
1. Timeline of the Call
| Call publication date: | 14 May 2025 |
| Call opening date: | 15 May 2025 |
| Call closing date: | 1 March 2026 |
| Period for events | 15 May 2025 to 10 March 2026 |
| Period for reimbursements | Until 31 March 2026 |
2. Goals and scope of the call for C&WG activities
The call aims to:
- • Support MCAA members’ career development, knowledge sharing, networking, and engagement with the wider scientific community.
- • Ensure Chapters and Working Groups deliver quality outcomes, engage locally and globally, and promote European research and MSCA opportunities.
- • Foster collaboration between C&WGs.
- a. What types of activities are eligible for funding?
- • Training, workshops, seminars, and related events
- • C&WG events and internal meetings
- • Participation in local external events (by invitation as a C&WG representative)
- • Social activities and member engagement of the C&WG
- b. How to estimate the requested amount?
For each application, C&WG Chairs must provide the estimated costs for the execution of the activity.
Travel expenses: This should primarily cover local or regional travel for C&WG members to attend events organised or co-organised by the C&WG.
Accommodation expenses: This covers necessary accommodation for members attending events organised by the C&WG. Requests should be as minimal as possible and made when no alternative is available, subject to prior approval by the MCAA Secretariat in the initial application.
Meals: This covers meals for MCAA members attending C&WG or external events. It does not apply when the meals are provided by the organisers. Only expenses for food and non-alcoholic beverages are reimbursable.
The MCAA Secretariat will evaluate the applicant’s estimated budget based on actual costs and market prices. The final amount approved will be communicated upon activity approval.
- c. What’s the budget for C&WGs in euros during the call?
The budget will vary depending on factors such as:
- • Event quality, type, and relevance with the scope of the MCAA
- • Chapter or WG’s track record of activities within the given period
- • The benefits to the members
A Chapter with a consistent activity programme can expect to receive around 1,800 euros for all its activities during the call period, that is, for activities taking place from 15 May 2025 to 10 March 2026.
A Working Group with a consistent activity programme can expect to receive around 2,700 euros for all its activities during the call, that is, for all activities taking place from 15 May 2025 to 10 March 2026.
This budget allocation should not be taken as a promise for a similar budget in the future.
The budget requested for an event or activity should not exceed 70% of the total Chapter or WG budget for the call duration.
Events requiring a large percentage of the annual budget should benefit a large number of members.
- d. What types of costs are eligible for reimbursement?
| Eligible expenses |
| • Meals and beverages: Reimbursement directly to members. Payment to catering companies is not eligible. • Fuel expenses for personal cars can be reimbursed only in exceptional circumstances, for example, if public transport is unavailable, or if driving is clearly more feasible and cost-effective. The reimbursement rate is 0,4269 euros per kilometre. • Accommodation: The maximum amount is adapted from the Moniteur Belge in Belgium, applicable to nonprofit associations. • Subsistence cost: Applicable only to food and non-alcoholic drinks,if not already provided by the organisers. • Registration fees: For external activities, courses, conferences, or events. • Materials required to support the activity, for example, stationery items, printing, etc. |
| Expenses to avoid |
| • Venue: This expense should be as minimal as possible and used only when other alternatives are unavailable. Whenever possible, the Chapter or WG should try to find venues free of cost, for example, at local universities or partners’ venues. • Speaker fees: This should be kept as minimal as possible, and used only when other alternatives are unavailable. Expenditure on speaker fees should not exceed 15% of the annual budget. The MCAA Secretariat needs to approve all requests. |
| Non-eligible expenses |
| • Alcoholic drinks • Car rental • Travel and health insurance • Subsistence costs and meals, if they are provided by the organisers |
3. How to apply
Applications must be submitted by the C&WG Chair using the dedicated form.
C&WG Chairs are strongly advised not to incur any expenditure before receiving the official approval of the activity. The MCAA will not reimburse any expenses incurred by applicants before both of the following conditions are met:
a) the evaluation process has been finalised, and
b) the MCAA Secretariat has communicated the results to the C&WG Chair.
4. Evaluation of applications
The MCAA Secretariat is responsible for assessing the eligibility of all applications based on the information provided in the submitted application. During the evaluation of activity proposals, the Secretariat will also assess the appropriateness and justification of the estimated costs. If needed, the proposed budget may be revised in consultation with the C&WG Chair.
The evaluation will consider the following criteria:
| Eligibility | Is the activity and each of its associated requests eligible under the current guidelines? |
| Feasibility | Can the proposed activity be realistically implemented within the requested budget? |
| Alignment with MCAA mission | Does the activity support the mission and objectives of the MCAA? |
| Member benefit | What is the expected value or impact of the activity for MCAA members? |
| Cost effectiveness | What is the activity’s cost per member reached or served? |
| Budget availability | Does the C&WG have sufficient funds remaining in its annual budget? |
| Consistency | Does the C&WG maintain a coherent and ongoing programme of activities? Has the C&WG organised activities in the months prior to the application? |
| Governance | Has the C&WG Chair participated in the previous MCAA meetings, Board meetings, or activities or actions requested by the MCAA Secretariat? |
5. Communication and acceptance of results
The MCAA Secretariat will communicate decisions on activity approval within 15 days of submission or after any requested clarifications have been provided.
After receiving the application, the MCAA Secretariat may contact the application's C&WG lead to clarify details, suggest improvements, or recommend optimal budget use.
6. Participation and reporting of the event
After completion of the activity or event, the Chair leading the application must submit an activity report detailing key event statistics, along with materials such as photos, banners, artworks, videos, or any other supporting content produced or related to the event. The MCAA Communication Team might select reports for publication in MCAA social media, newsletter or blog.
The activity report will be submitted using a dedicated link provided by the MCAA Secretariat.
7. Reimbursement procedure and rules
The C&WG Chair must submit a financial report to the Secretariat to be reimbursed for expenses incurred during the event or activity. This report must include the names of members requesting reimbursement and the corresponding amount to be reimbursed for each member.
Once the activity report and the financial report are submitted, members can submit their reimbursement requests by filling out a dedicated reimbursement request form on the MCAA website. Requests must be submitted within 20 days after the event.
The following reimbursement rules apply:
- • All reimbursed individuals must be MCAA members.
- • The reimbursement will be calculated based on real costs, that is, the sum of all eligible receipts/documents presented at the time of the reimbursement submission. Expenses for which members have not submitted a supporting document will not be reimbursed.
- • Expenses incurred in currencies other than the euro must be converted into euros using the InfoEuro exchange rate calculator based on the first day of the month in which the event is organised. Members must complete the template considering the InfoEuro rate and submit the total reimbursable amount in euros.
- • The MCAA will process payments within 20 days of receiving all required documents and bank details.
- • MCAA members are volunteers, not employees, and therefore do not receive any remuneration. The MCAA does not provide insurance for travel-related incidents. Members are advised to have adequate insurance (e.g., personal insurance, travel insurance, employer-provided insurance, credit card travel insurance, etc.) to cover delays, cancellations, or accidents during their travel. The MCAA recommends that applicants from countries outside Europe apply in advance for the free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
- • Bank fees related to money transfers, currency exchange, or similar charges will be deducted from the reimbursed amount. The MCAA does not verify bank details for non-EU transactions. The member will be charged any bank fees related to failed payments due to incorrect information.
- • Due to EU sanctions, payments cannot be made to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, or Syria.
- • Members do not have to submit the original (paper) receipts/invoices when requesting reimbursement. However, members must keep the originals at least for five (5) years, as the MCAA and/or the European Commission may request them for auditing purposes. If the member prefers not to keep the originals for such a period, they can mail them to: Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), Avenue des Arts 24, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
All the supporting documents must be issued in the name of the member requesting the reimbursement and must be uploaded to the form, as described in the table below.
| Category | Supporting documents to submit |
| Costs with catering and meals (when applicable) | • Invoice or receipt from the meal/food provider (shops, restaurants, supermarkets), including items and price. |
| Travel costs (when applicable) | • Invoice in the member’s name and with the price indicated. This is not required when the travel date and the price are indicated in the travel tickets, such as train tickets. • Boarding passes or travel tickets. |
| Accommodation (when applicable) | Accommodation invoice (hotel, shared apartment, Airbnb, etc.). |
| Participation in event/activity (mandatory*) | Proof of attendance (for example, a picture of the awardee at the event, and a certificate of attendance, if provided by the organiser). |
For any questions, please contact the Community Officer at the Management WG email.