MSCA Seal of Excellence awarded to 9,847 outstanding postdoctoral researchers

MSCA Seal of Excellence awarded to 9,847 outstanding postdoctoral researchers

This recognition will allow MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships applicants to seek alternative funding for their excellent projects.

The European Commission awarded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Seal of Excellence certificates to 9,847 applicants under the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 call.

These applicants submitted excellent proposals but did not receive funding due to an insufficient budget.

The proposals that received the certificate had host organisations in 38 countries.

High quality applications

Postdoctoral Fellowships are highly competitive. The fifth call of the scheme under Horizon Europe received a total of 17,066 proposals. This is the highest number of proposals ever for any funding action in the 40 years of EU research and innovation framework programme. 16,836 were eligible and evaluated, out of which 1610 projects were selected.

The MSCA Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded to applicants under MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships and MSCA COFUND actions who scored 85% or higher in the assessment.

The Seal of Excellence is a guarantee of the outstanding value of the research project, recognized by a comprehensive and thorough assessment process. Beneficiaries can use this award to apply for alternative funding for their research.

Thanks to the MSCA Seal of Excellence, other funding bodies can use the Horizon Europe evaluation process if they wish. A proposal which has earned the MSCA Seal of Excellence may be supported by national and regional support programmes.

Next steps

Applicants with an evaluation score equal or above 85% automatically receive their Seal of Excellence certificate, to help them in securing alternative funding from national or regional authorities.

Awardees have received a notification in the Funding and Tenders Opportunities Portal, where they can download their Seal of Excellence certificate from the "Process documents" section.

Please contact your supervisor or the host organization to which you submitted your application if you are not able to access the Portal.

The European Commission advises recipients to consult the list of available support at national/regional level for MSCA Seal of Excellence holders. MSCA National Contact Points in your host country can also help finding alternative funding sources.

Next funding round is coming soon

The next call for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships will open on 9 April 2026.
See more information on our how to apply page.

Did you know?

2026 marks a key milestone: the 30th anniversary of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).

Since 1996, the programme has played a crucial role in advancing research and innovation, supporting over 150,000 researchers, including 23 Nobel Prize winners.

The programme has been a cornerstone of European research and a beacon of excellence, fostering mobility across disciplines, sectors, and countries and attracting and nurturing top talent.

2026 is a moment to reflect on what has been achieved, and to look ahead to what comes next.

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