Newsletter
Horizon Europe is the EU’s flagship research programme, with a €93.5 billion research budget, offering vast opportunities. But for many, especially for newcomers, it remains complex. At the recent MCAA Annual Conference, experts came together to break it down: its structure, funding mechanisms, and evaluation processes, providing valuable insights on the MSCA, ERC, and COST Actions, learning key strategies to navigate applications and maximise your chances of success.
Understanding Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is the EU’s primary funding programme for research and innovation and runs from 2021 to 2027. As we are approaching its midpoint, a new strategic plan (2025–2027) has been published to guide its future direction. The plan focuses on three main priorities: the green transition, digital transformation, and fostering a more democratic Europe. During the session, a panel of experts discussed the complexities of Horizon Europe, including how it is structured, the challenges researchers face, and how to navigate it all more effectively.
MCAA Board member Irene Castellano Pellicena opened the session by introducing the speakers and outlining the three main pillars of Horizon Europe:
Unlocking Horizon Europe Funding
Pillar 1: Excellent Science – Includes programmes such as the MSCA and the ERC, which fund high-risk, high-gain research with a bottom-up approach.
Pillar 2: Global Challenges & European Industrial Competitiveness – A top-down approach with funding allocated to specific topics set by the European Commission. This pillar covers seven key mission areas:
- • Health
- • Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
- • Civil Security for Society
- • Digital, Industry and Space
- • Climate, Energy and Mobility
- • Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
- • Non-Nuclear Direct Actions of the Joint Research Centre.
Pillar 3: Innovative Europe – Aims to help startups grow and support groundbreaking innovation.
In addition to these pillars, Horizon Europe includes horizontal actions such as the COST Actions, which aim to widen participation and strengthen the European Research Area by fostering collaborative networks.
Unlocking Horizon Europe Funding
MSCA: More Than Just Funding
David Wizel (Head of Sector, Research Executive Agency) gave an overview of the MSCA, a programme that supports researchers at all stages of their careers across all disciplines while promoting cross- sectoral and international mobility.
The MSCA offers five types of funding:
Doctoral Networks – Collaborative PhD training projects submitted by consortia.
- •Postdoctoral Fellowships – Supporting individual researchers aiming to boost their careers.
•Staff Exchanges – Facilitating knowledge transfer between sectors and countries.
•COFUND – Co-financing training and career development programmes.
•MSCA and Citizens – Aiming to bring science closer to the public.
David explained how eligibility and funding are calculated (they are based on researcher months) and broke down the evaluation process, which includes expert reviews and panel discussions to ensure fairness and transparency.
His advice? Start early, read all the guidance documents carefully and follow the evaluation criteria. He stressed the importance of leaning on your internal networks for peer review, consulting national contact points, and ensuring all required documents are completed.
Horizon Europe’s evaluation process follows strict guidelines to ensure transparency and fairness:
- •Admissibility & Eligibility Check – Proposals must meet basic criteria.
•Expert Review – At least three independent experts evaluate each proposal individually before reaching a consensus.
•Panel Review – Ensures alignment with programme objectives.
•Final Commission Review – The European Commission finalises results and notifies applicants. COST Actions: Networking
COST Actions: Networking opportunities
Radenka Krsmanovic Whiffen (Science Officer, COST Association) explained how the COST Actions work differently from typical funding. COST is an intergovernmental funding organisation supporting networking activities rather than direct research funding. Researchers from all career stages can participate, and unlike other Horizon Europe projects, COST Actions allow participants to join at any stage during the action’s lifetime. It supports interdisciplinary collaboration through activities such as short-term mobility grants, workshops, training schools, conferences, guest lectures and expert exchanges.
COST has about 260–290 active Actions running at any given time, with a success rate of roughly 39%. Participating in COST has been shown to increase follow-up funding opportunities, making it an accelerator for researchers’ careers.
From MSCA to ERC: A Researcher’s Journey
Maria Rodriquez Aburto (Lecturer and Principal Investigator at University College Cork) shared her personal experience as an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow. After initial funding rejections, she refined her ideas and successfully secured an MSCA fellowship, which helped her develop preliminary data for an ERC proposal.
Her key takeaways for applicants:
- •Treat the application process as a learning experience.
- •Do not rush. Strong proposals take time.
•ERC proposals require groundbreaking ideas with well-defined knowledge gaps. - •Seek feedback from colleagues and internal reviewers.
- •Use available resources and support networks.
- •She also reassured attendees: that even without publishing her main findings, she used preliminary data to strengthen her proposal – and it worked.
Q&A Highlights
David clarified that at the time of application, specific PhD candidates do not need to be named for MSCA Doctoral Networks, but support letters and letters of commitment strengthen proposals.
Final Thoughts
Irene wrapped up the session by thanking the panellist and reminding everyone that persistence and strategic planning are key when applying for Horizon Europe funding. The discussion underscored the wealth of opportunities available but also the need for researchers to navigate the complexities of the programme effectively. As Horizon Europe progresses towards 2027, maximising its potential will depend on continued engagement, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy for strong research funding policies.
Juliana Aizawa Porto de Abreu
Orcid
MCAA Newsletter Editorial Board Member
Institut Pasteur du Cambodge
juaizawa@gmail.com