How to Apply for the Marie Curie Scholarship 2024

Obtaining a research fellowship extends beyond monetary rewards and funding. A comprehensive fellowship program assesses your overall development.

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You obtain vital experience through cross-border knowledge exchange and sector mobility. You network widely with like-minded scholars, and you eventually gain employable skills that lead to advances in your field of study.

If you’re looking for a PhD award to help you pursue your ambitious goals, the Marie Curie Fellowship may be for you.

This guide will provide you with information on Marie Curie Scholarship funding, eligibility requirements, and the application process, allowing you to better understand the grant and submit a successful fellowship application.

Marie Curie Scholarship: What You Should Know?

The Marie Curie PhD award is granted by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), a research assistance group established by the European Union.

The program provides well-paid fellowship opportunities at leading research institutions around Europe.

It also provides valuable experience working in both academic and non-academic industries.

In addition to funding, the Marie Curie Individual Fellowships promote communication, dissemination, and public involvement to foster independent thinking and leadership skills.

Every researcher goes through a series of trainings, seminars, and workshops designed to broaden their research competencies.

At its core, the Marie Curie Fellowship seeks to deliver the following:

Take a multidisciplinary approach to individual research and innovation.
Empower scholars to address current and future difficulties in their fields.
Allow researchers to gain access to both academic and non-academic areas.
Transform theoretical information into tangible products and services.
Develop research experience and abilities that can be applied across industries and sectors.
Finally, the objective is to help researchers transition from academically focused to better suited for employment in the public and commercial sectors.

Marie Curie Scholarship Activities & Training Program

The fellowship ensures that its activities are not restricted to monetary transactions. Instead, it approaches research holistically and with a focus on results.

Therefore, even though researchers in different subjects strike off on distinct tangents, they all go through a series of general activities that include the following:

1. Career Development Plan

Each researcher collaborates with their supervisor to create a career development plan that describes their research aims.

It also designs their training program to match their job goals. A career development plan, in addition to these main objectives, includes a schedule for research publication and conference participation.

Researchers can expand their network by attending conferences and participating in other networking events.

Participate in workshops.
Participate in network gatherings.
Collaborating with individual researchers.
Meeting with participating organizations and recipients to better understand their goals.

After the training term, each researcher must plan a networking event to share their research findings and form strong ties with other researchers.

2. Public Engagement

Once you’ve successfully published your research, it’s time to promote it. The Marie Curie fellowship enables you to present your work in public, generating awareness about the study you have conducted.

This not only spreads the word but also helps people comprehend the implications of your research for society.

Public involvement platforms include conferences, talks at schools and universities, and participation in research festivals.

One such notable event is the European Researchers’ Night (NIGHT), which takes place in September around Europe.

The event is organized to encourage young brains to become interested in academia and pursue a successful career there.

Marie Curie Scholarship Eligibility

The Marie Curie Fellowship welcomes PhD applications from all subjects, regardless of nationality.

Beneficiaries and partner groups pre-assign projects for each training network. Prospective students should explore projects that interest them and apply.

The eligibility requirements for most projects are as follows:

Relevant Master’s degree or comparable certification demonstrating your suitability for pursuing a doctorate.
Transcript of grades.
CV highlighting past professional experiences and publications.
Cover letter stating why you are the best candidate for the project.
A letter of recommendation, or two contact references.
Certificate of linguistic proficiency, if required by the discipline.

Marie Curie Scholarship Funding

The majority of your expenses are covered during your project. The money covers the entire cost of accommodation and travel. Aside from that, you receive a monthly living allowance.

Depending on your financial situation, you may also qualify for ‘Family Allowance’ and ‘Mobility Allowance’.

1. Monthly Living Allowance

Beneficiaries pay your living allowance in monthly installments. The allowance varies depending on the country where you will study and work. However, for fellowships beginning in 2020, this can be as much as €4,880 per month.

2. Mobility Allowance

The mobility allowance covers charges such as travel and other related expenses. For fellowships beginning in 2020, this might be up to €600 per month.

3. Family Allowance

Applicants with a family are eligible for a €500 per month family stipend, regardless of whether the family moves with them.

Having a family is demonstrated by one of the following:

Marriage Certificate.
A formal partnership status is equivalent to that of marriage in another region or country.
Dependent children.

Marie Curie Scholarship Successful Application – Getting Started

The fight for a PhD grant is quite tough. Submitting a well-written proposal is insufficient. What you need to understand are the European Commission’s priorities and the evaluators’ thinking philosophy.

Structure of Application

The proposal has two parts: an administrative form (Part A) and a research proposal (Part B).

Part A: Administrative and Summary Forms (Completed Online)

I) General information: Write the proposal title and project abbreviation. For this part, you should include project-related keywords as well as a 2000-character abstract.
II) Administrative data of participating organizations.

Provide contact details for the host department and the supervisor. Also, provide your details, as well as your researcher ID, if applicable.

III) Budget

The fight for a PhD grant is quite tough. Submitting a well-written proposal is insufficient. What you need to understand are the European Commission’s priorities and the evaluators’ thinking philosophy.

Part B: Administrative and Summary Forms (Completed Online)

I) General information: Write the proposal title and project abbreviation. For this part, you should include project-related keywords as well as a 2000-character abstract.
II) Administrative data of participating organizations.