EASSH, together with 16 other leading research organisations, has published a joint statement on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The statement underscores the programme’s unique role in building European research and innovation talent over the past 30 years.
A proven model for excellence
The MSCA programme has established itself as one of Europe’s most effective instruments for fostering research talent. As a research-driven initiative, it supports early and mid-career researchers, strengthening Europe’s research institutions and advancing knowledge across all scientific domains. Its bottom-up, field-agnostic approach enables Europe to anticipate and address emerging societal and geopolitical challenges, often long before they reach the political agenda.
Preserving what works
The joint statement emphasises that MSCA’s success lies in its open, researcher-driven nature. It is not a tool to address immediate skills shortages or labour market demands, but a strategic investment in Europe’s long-term research capacity. Introducing top-down thematic priorities would limit its ability to generate unexpected breakthroughs and interdisciplinary knowledge, reducing its long-term impact on European resilience and competitiveness.
A call to European leaders
As negotiations for the next Horizon Europe – FP10 and Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) progress, the undersigned organisations urge European leaders to preserve MSCA’s proven model. The call is clear: do not change the MSCA, but scale it and multiply its impact. Maintaining MSCA within Pillar I as a fully bottom-up programme, open to all scientific domains, is essential to sustaining its unique role and long-term value.