Are you ready to kickstart a world-class doctoral research journey in Europe — fully funded and backed by the European Union? The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks 2025 Call is now officially open and welcoming international applicants from every corner of the globe.
This prestigious opportunity allows doctoral candidates to work with top-tier research institutions, businesses, and universities across Europe and beyond — including access to mobility allowances, living stipends, international collaborations, and career-transforming exposure.
What Are Doctoral Networks?
The Doctoral Networks are funded under the Horizon Europe program. They are collaborative international research training programmes designed to:
- Train highly skilled doctoral candidates
- Foster creativity and innovation
- Boost long-term employability in academic and non-academic sectors.
Through the program, candidates engage in cutting-edge research while receiving structured training and transferable skills development.
Types of Doctoral Networks You Can Join
The program supports three formats:
-
Standard Doctoral Networks
Cross-border collaboration between academic and industry partners. -
Industrial Doctorates
Candidates split time between academia and a business partner; jointly supervised by both sectors. -
Joint Doctorates
Highly integrated international training across institutions leading to joint or multiple PhD degrees.
Who Can Apply?
The Doctoral Networks 2025 call is open to international consortia involving:
- Universities, research institutions, SMEs, businesses, and non-academic partners
- Minimum three (03) different legal entities from at least three EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries
- Global organizations beyond Europe are encouraged to participate
Note: Candidates cannot apply directly to the EU but must apply through specific funded projects advertised publicly.
Eligibility Criteria for PhD Candidates
To apply for a PhD position under a Doctoral Network, you must:
- Not already hold a doctoral degree
- Be of any nationality
- Enroll in a doctoral program during the project
- Adhere to the mobility rule: not have resided or worked/studied in the recruiting country for more than 12 months in the last 36 months
- For Industrial Doctorates: spend at least 50% of your time outside academia.
What’s Covered by the Funding?
Each recruited researcher receives:
- Living allowance
- Mobility allowance
- Additional allowances (e.g. family, long-term leave, special needs if applicable)
Plus, host institutions receive support for:
- Research, training, and networking activities
- Management and overhead costs
Duration:
- Doctoral Networks: Up to 4 years
- Joint Doctorates: Up to 5 years
- Fellowships: Between 3–36 months (48 months for Joint Doctorates).
Apply here: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/doctoral-networks
Application Deadline
The last date to apply for the Doctoral Networks 2025 Call is 25 November 2025 and PhD vacancies under selected projects will be published continuously from early 2026.