Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks (MSCA DN) under Horizon Europe support international PhD training programmes implemented by consortia of universities, research organisations, and non‑academic partners. MSCA DN fund the recruitment, training, and supervision of doctoral candidates through high‑quality, collaborative research and structured doctoral training.

The instrument aims to strengthen Europe’s research capacity by promoting international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral mobility, and by improving long‑term employability and skills development of early‑stage researchers.

Types of MSCA Doctoral Networks

Standard Doctoral Networks (DN)

Standard DNs support collaborative doctoral training programmes where doctoral candidates are enrolled at a single degree‑awarding institution and benefit from international and intersectoral exposure through secondments and joint training.
Funding rate for AAU: 100% of eligible costs (unit costs).
Overhead (management & indirect costs): included in the unit cost model.

Industrial Doctorates (DN‑ID)

Industrial Doctorates require strong participation of the non‑academic sector. Doctoral candidates spend at least 50% of their time outside academia, typically in industry, with joint supervision.
Funding rate for AAU: 100% of eligible costs (unit costs).
Overhead: included in the unit cost model.

Joint Doctorates (DN‑JD)

Joint Doctorates are highly integrated programmes leading to joint, double, or multiple doctoral degrees. They require at least three degree‑awarding institutions from different EU or Associated Countries.
Funding rate for AAU: 100% of eligible costs (unit costs).
Overhead: included in the unit cost model.

For more information, visit the MSCA DN website.

To ensure high quality support throughout the proposal process, we strongly encourage potential coordinators to contact your local funding advisor as early as possible. Your local funding advisor (your first point of contact) will facilitate the contact with Fundraising and Project Management. Early engagement allows us to provide the full range of support services and to plan the process effectively. 

Internal support deadlines for identifying potential coordinator candidates who would like support from Fundraising & Project Management are as follows: 

• 1 March for applications with deadlines in Quarter 3 (Jul–Sep) or Quarter 4 (Oct–Dec) of the same year.
• 1 October for applications with deadlines in Quarter 1 (Jan–Mar) or Quarter 2 (Apr–Jun) of the following year. 

See more on our support & deadlines overview or on Plandisc

Applications that do not meet these internal support deadlines cannot be guaranteed support from Fundraising & Project Management.

AAU Seed Money can be used to support the preparation of an application, including activities such as proposal writing, meetings with potential consortium partners, and involvement of an external consultant.

AAU Seed Money is available both at faculty level and through AAU’s missions. For details on available funding amounts, application deadlines, and specific faculty requirements, please contact your local funding advisor.

The profile of a potential DN coordinator should be based on the following criteria:

• Is an experienced, internationally active researcher with a solid scientific track record.
• Has demonstrated experience in PhD supervision and doctoral training (strong supervision record is an advantage).
• Project management experience (not necessarily from EU project).
• Is up to date with the international state of the art in his/her field of research.
• Is internationally recognised within the field (not necessarily a leading authority).
• Has experience in writing competitive applications in English (EU experience is an advantage but not a requirement).
• Has the time, willingness, and organisational capacity to lead a complex, multi‑partner doctoral training network.
• Has aligned commitments and resources with the head of department / host institution.
• Has an international and intersectoral network, or strong interest in building one.
• Agrees to act as primary penholder and overall coordinator of the DN proposal.
• Has perhaps been an EU evaluator and thereby gained a good insight into what it takes to write a successful EU application.

There are no regular information meetings scheduled. Instead, events are announced on an ongoing basis on our event page.

The European Commission frequently organises relevant events for Horizon Europe MSCA DN applicants, including info days.

There are no courses available at the moment.

Fundraising & Project Management offers basic support for Horizon Europe MSCA DN coordinator applications. Our support covers: 

Meetings

• Get Started meeting

This meeting establishes a mutual agreement on support, expectations, and the involvement of both Fundraising & Project Management and the local funding support team at department level. The applicant receives guidance on the application timeline, the application process, and the possibility of administrative project management provided by Fundraising & Project Management. If relevant, a short introduction to Horizon Europe can also be included.

Tools

Fundraising & Project Management offers preparation of a timeline to ensure a smooth application process. 

Tools for MSCA DN are available in the Funding Toolbox, and includes e.g.

• Annotated template for Part B. 
• Gantt charts to support planning and implementation design.

Set-up of communication Platform 

Fundraising & Project Management facilitates the setup of a dedicated Microsoft Teams collaboration space for the consortium. This includes creating both internal AAU channels and external partner channels, ensuring a secure and well‑structured platform for communication, document sharing, and coordination throughout the application process.

Assistance with Part A in the Funding & Tenders Portal 

Fundraising & Project Management provides support with gathering and entering all required Part A information in the Funding & Tenders Portal. This includes: 

• Collecting PIC (Participant Identification Code) numbers and all mandatory Part A data from each consortium partner. 
• Entering and structuring budget information in the Part A administrative forms. 
• Assistance with general administrative inputs, such as declarations and other compulsory fields. 

This service helps ensure that all administrative elements in Part A are complete, accurate, and compliant while reducing the administrative burden on the researcher. 

Review of application 

Fundraising & Project Management offers one structured proposal feedback during the application process. The feedback includes:

• An in‑depth review of the application, providing concrete suggestions for changes, additions, clarifications, or strategic considerations.
• Feedback aimed at strengthening coherence, alignment with call expectations, clarity of narrative, and overall competitiveness.

The review supports the applicant in refining the proposal and ensuring a high‑quality final submission.

Submission

Fundraising & Project Management offers administrative support related to the submission process in the Funding & Tenders Portal. This includes assistance with understanding and resolving submission‑related questions, as well as hands‑on support during the final submission steps to ensure that the proposal is correctly completed and submitted on time.

Budget

The budget is managed at the department level, with Fundraising & Project Management providing guidance, recommendations, and alignment support as needed. For further information, please contact your local funding advisor.

The application support process is evaluated twice a year by means of an online survey to coordinators.

No project management is offered from F&P