Industry could be forgiven for overlooking the potential of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). They are part of the Horizon Europe research programme, and have a global reputation for supporting the mobility, training and career development of researchers from all over the world.
At first glance you might assume that they only fund postdoctoral fellowships, but their reach is much broader than that.
More than 4,500 private organisations
More than 4,500 private organisations have already been supported by MSCA. All types of legal entities can be involved, from universities and research organisations to:
- non-governmental organisations
- businesses large and small
- charities
- galleries and museums
- everything in-between.
All MSCA schemes strongly encourage the non-academic sectors to get involved, and it is even a requirement for some of the actions. The funding opportunity is attractive, with most schemes covering up to 100% of the recruitment and staff costs.
Benefits to business
The benefits of MSCA cannot be understated, they:
- ensure MSCA fellows (potential future employees) have the necessary skills and take an entrepreneurial approach to their work
- provide access to state-of-the-art technologies and infrastructures and increase the impact of the research they support
- help the organisations involved build strong and active networks, beyond their sector as well as across the EU and beyond.
This overarching support in turn results in marketable innovations.
A good example of business involvement is the MSCA innovative training network (ITN) that funds Toshiba, Ford, and Safran to work with small and medium enterprises and universities. This is to design advanced lighting solutions that leverage the Internet of Things and the low baseline energy consumption of LEDs.
Another ITN funds the University of Leeds and Key Engineering Solutions Ltd to work with partners in:
- Germany
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- the US.
This is to develop novel material compositions for spinal implants.
Not just STEM
MSCA do not only fund science-focused activities. They have no prescribed areas of focus and are open to all subject areas, from archaeology to zoology. In the arts, an ITN coordinated by the University of Wolverhampton brings together researchers to investigate the democratic role and function of socially engaged art.
Individual funding is also an option for industry. BSH Electrodomesticos in Spain has done just that with a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual fellowship funding Dr Bobaru to research non-conventional surface micro and nano-structure technologies to prevent condensation.
This will result in more energy efficient, easy-cleanable or more hygienic products in the home appliances sector, with potential applications in industries such as:
- automotive
- aeronautic
- surgical equipment.
Find out more
UK Research Office (UKRO) is the UK national contact point for MSCA and we are here to help.
If you would like to know more about how MSCA can boost your business, you can watch our ‘What can MSCA under Horizon Europe do to boost Your Business?’ webinar recording. It includes presentations from people funded by projects from different organisations.
Visit our website to find out more about the different schemes and contact us if you have any questions.
Further information
European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions website
Sign up for European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions newsletter
UK national contact point for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Follow UKRO on Twitter for UK MSCA news
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You can go to the Innovate UK website
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Top image: Credit: European Union
Joining in 2018, Dr Branwen Hide is a Senior European Advisor at the UK Research Office in Brussels and is one of the two UK national contact points for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Since completing her DPhil in clinical medicine at Oxford in 2009, she has been actively supporting researchers engage with European research and innovation funding. She has worked for a broad range of research organisations supporting research and partnership development – from the University of Birmingham to the Sciences and Technology Facilities Council.