Prepared by the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), this evidence-based report offers a comprehensive analysis of the European Union’s flagship programme for research talent development, namely the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The report examines how the MSCA has shaped Europe’s research landscape since 1996, supporting nearly 150,000 researchers and fostering international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral collaboration.
The report highlights the MSCA’s role in strengthening research excellence, expanding innovation capacity, and enhancing Europe’s global competitiveness. It shows how the programme attracts talent from around the world, and how its principles (such as fair recruitment, high-quality supervision, Open Science, and responsible research practices) have set EU-wide standards for excellence and inclusivity.
Beyond academia, the MSCA has broadened Europe’s innovation ecosystem by engaging thousands of non-academic organisations, boosting knowledge transfer, and reducing regional disparities through balanced brain circulation. The book also explores synergies such as the Seal of Excellence, which help reinforce the European Research Area and amplify national and EU-level investments.
Finally, the document includes MCAA's strategic recommendations for the future, arguing for a strong, stand-alone FP10 and a significantly increased EU R&I budget to preserve the MSCA’s bottom-up, excellence-driven mission. This report is an essential resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders committed to Europe’s scientific and technological leadership.
