Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks

The selection process involves two main stages: 1. **Consortium Proposal Evaluation**: International consortia of academic and non-academic organisations submit detailed research and training programme proposals to the European Commission. These proposals are rigorously evaluated against specific criteria: Excellence (50% weighting), Impact (30% weighting), and Quality and Efficiency of the Implementation (20% weighting). 2. **Doctoral Candidate Recruitment**: If a consortium's proposal is selected for funding, the individual PhD vacancies within that project are then advertised internationally. The primary platform for these advertisements is the EURAXESS Jobs portal. Prospective doctoral candidates apply directly to these advertised positions with the recruiting host institutions. The selection of individual candidates is typically based on their academic qualifications (e.g., Master's degree), research experience, motivation, and references. This often includes personal interviews, where candidates may be required to present their Master's thesis and demonstrate their research, communication, and teamwork skills.

The duration of each individual doctoral fellowship typically ranges from 3 to 36 months for standard and Industrial Doctorates, and from 3 to 48 months for Joint Doctorates, within the overall project duration. The funding is provided for the fixed term of the employment contract. Continued funding and participation in the doctoral programme are contingent upon the doctoral candidate's satisfactory academic progress, adherence to the research and training plan, and compliance with the terms of their employment contract and the project's grant agreement.