FORTHEM MasterClass for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026

Boost your Career and join the FORTHEM community by applying for a Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF)!

April 20th - 22nd, 2026

You are a PostDoc and you want to do your own interdisciplinary and maybe even intersectoral research project at a European university? Then find out how FORTHEM can help you achieve your goal and boost your career. The FORTHEM Academy for Early-Stage-Researchers annually organizes a MasterClass training for early career academics to successfully apply for postdoctoral fellowships funded by the European Commission. This exactly fits your plans and makes you curious? Then receive an intensive proposal writing training enabling you to make your application exciting, ambitious, unique, and perfectly designed.

What are Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships and who can apply?

Designed as a mobility programme, the goal of MSCA PFs is to give early career academics the opportunity to launch their own research project with an experienced expert supervisor abroad. You can apply if you have already obtained a PhD, and a maximum of eight years experience in research. You must not have lived or worked in the country of your future host institution for more than 12 months within the last three years before the application. Researchers of any nationality and from any academic discipline may apply. You may apply for a European Fellowship with a duration of 24 months in an EU Member State or Associated Country. Or you can spend 2 years in a third country – meaning a country not associated with the EU funding schemes – and bring your expertise back to a European institution in a 12-months return phase. In both cases, your further career will benefit strongly from the research project by which you gain independence from your thesis supervisor and establish yourself in new international networks.

What is the MSCA Masterclass?

The MasterClass organised by FORTHEM partner universities and it offers an intensive three days coaching. In 5 online modules you will meet and work with experienced trainers, former successful applicants, and evaluators. The main focus of the training is on in-coming postdoctoral students or those going from one FORTHEM partner university to another. In the best case you have already identified a project idea and a possible supervisor at one of the FORTHEM universities. If not, we will gladly help you to find a potential mentor for your project. Out-goings will be accepted if not all the available places are taken. Potential supervisors are also welcome to the training. In module 6, trainers/support staff will also provide help during the application process until the submission of the proposal. This will be organized with the host institutions.

Agenda:

Important: Please, also send a short motivation letter (max. 1 page in bullets) including the following information in case you really plan to apply either this or next year for the fellowship: home institution - date of PhD - potential host institution - potential supervisor. If you need support to identify a potential supervisor please mention your discipline, the topic of your project idea and if possible, send a very short abstract.