Eurodoc has joined 15 university networks and research organisations in calling on European leaders to preserve the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) as a fully bottom-up research programme. The statement comes at a key moment for negotiations on the next Horizon Europe Framework Programme and the Multiannual Financial Framework, where decisions taken today will shape Europe’s research and innovation capacity for years to come.
The MSCA has supported generations of doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers and emerging research leaders. Its strength lies in remaining open to all scientific domains and in giving researchers the space to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven research. This is why Eurodoc has previously supported the call for “No directionality in the MSCA programs” and has repeatedly argued, including in its statement on the MFF, for increased investment in research and higher education.
Europe’s competitiveness, technological leadership and strategic autonomy depend on people. Supporting researchers is not a secondary issue, but a condition for building the knowledge and innovation Europe will need in the future. The message of the undersigned organisations is clear: Europe does not need to change the MSCA model. It needs to scale it, invest in it and multiply its impact.
Read the full statement here.