Individual Fellowships (IF) under the Marie Skłowdowska-Curie Actions

The 2014 Individual Fellowships (IFs) call, which includes the European Fellowship, Global Fellowship, Reintegration and career restart strands, has now been published on the Participant Portal.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

This program targets the best or most promising experienced researchers (i.e. possess a doctoral degree or have at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience), who wish to diversify their individual competence in terms of skill acquisition through advanced training, international and intersectoral mobility. The Individual Fellowships provide opportunities to acquire and transfer new knowledge and to work on research in a European context (EU Member States and Associated Countries) or outside Europe. Applications are made jointly by the researcher and host organisation in the academic or non-academic sectors (which could be industry or socio-economic actors).

Mobility rule: At the time of the relevant deadline for submission of proposals (IF), researchers shall not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, NOT vacation or short stays) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline date.

European Fellowships: held in EU Member States or Associated Countries and open to researchers either coming to Europe or moving within Europe. 12-24 months

Global Fellowships: based on a secondment to a third country (12-24 months) and includes a mandatory 12 month return period to a European host.

The funding is a personal grant combining salary and the reimbursement of research, training and networking costs (plus management, goes to the host institution).

WHY IS IT RELEVANT TO YOU?

The Fellowships are highly prestigious and enable the candidate, within a limited timeframe at an excellent host institution, to build new knowledge and expertise and an own, international network, all extremely valuable for the further career. Especially in Norway, young research talents often lack sufficient international experience and research independence, which is often required when applying to a number of competitive project and position funding schemes (RCN, ERC, BFS). Moreover, secondments into the non-academic sector are highly encouraged, which may enhance career perspectives beyond academia. Group leaders should encourage talents in their groups to apply, and screen their international networks for promising researchers to come to Norway via the fellowship.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information, also on reintegration and career restart grants, please see the Call at the Participant Portal.

The IF Guide to Applicants can be found here. The link to the submission service is not yet active and will become available over the coming weeks. The deadline for the 2014 Individual Fellowships call is 11 September 2014.

The European Commission will be organising a joint webinar information seminar on the Individual Fellowships and COFUND calls on 10 June 2014.