The INSA Group welcomes applications to the Marie Skłodowska Curie (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships programme of the European Commission, and proposes to host young postdoctoral researchers with high potential and ambition in its research units.

With 7 National Institutes of Science and Technology across France, the INSA Group conducts cutting-edge research activities addressing both scientific and societal challenges and covering the entire value chain, from basic research to applied research, in close collaboration with its industrial partners.

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship is one of the most important schemes of the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Research & Innovation programme, and targets researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. The fellowship helps researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.

How to apply to the MSCA-PF call at the INSA Group?

  1. Explore the list of supervisors who would like to host a fellow and select the supervisor(s) you are interested in working with.
  2. Complete the application form, including your detailed CV and track record,  before April 5th 2026. If you wish to apply with several supervisors, a separate application is required for each of your applications.
  3. The INSA Group Research Support Team will first verify the eligibility of your application and then forward the eligible applications to the selected supervisors.
  4. The supervisors will select the candidates based on their CV and motivation. Given the very high standards of the MSCA-PF call, only excellent candidates will be selected, based on an outstanding publication record and an innovative project idea.
  5. If you are selected, you will be contacted to start the proposal preparation process. Please note that each applicant can only submit one application to the MSCA-2026-PF call.
  6. Over the spring, the selected applicants and their supervisors will write a joint proposal on their project topic, which will be submitted to the Horizon Europe MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship call by 9 September 2026. The research support team in the host INSA will assist you and your supervisor for the preparation of your application.
  7. After submission, your application will be evaluated by experts appointed by the European Commission on the basis of Excellence, Impact and Quality & Efficiency of the Implementation by one of 8 selection panels : Chemistry (CHE), Economic Sciences (ECO), Information Science and Engineering (ENG), Environment and Geosciences (ENV), Life Sciences (LIF), Mathematics (MAT), Physics (PHY), Social Sciences and Humanities (SOC).
  8. If selected, the proposal will be funded in 2027-2028 by the European Commission through one of the Host institutions of the INSA Group, which will recruit the MSCA fellow and provide the allocated research funds, as well as the logistics and necessary facilities to implement the project.

Indicative 2026 timeline:

  • 5 April 2026 : Deadline for applying to the INSA Group via the application form
  • 9 April 2026 : Launch of the call for proposals
  • 9 September 2026 : Deadline for submitting proposals
  • February 2027 : Notification of call results to applicants
  • April 2027 : Grant agreement signature for successful projects
  • April 2027 : First EU-funded projects start

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship can enhance researchers' creative and innovative potential. It provides the fellows with the opportunity to :

  • benefit from the experience of working within a new geographical region of Europe
  • enhance their skills and diversify their individual competences through advanced training
  • develop their research by working with our professional and world-leading experts
  • benefit from secondments and non-academic placements, enabling skills development and the application of research and innovation results beyond academia
  • acquire and transfer new knowledge in their field of research and innovation in Europe
  • expand their professional networks

To be eligible for a MSCA Postdoctoral fellowship, the fellow must :

  • have an excellent CV ;
  • propose and advanced research project aligned with the INSA Group's thematic priorities and meeting the MSCA-PF 2026 excellence standards, particularly regarding the quality and quantity of scientific publications ;
  • have a PhD at the time of the deadline for applications, and a maximum of 8 years full-time research experience from the date of the award of their PhD degree ;
  • comply with mobility rules : they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months since 09 September 2023. 

The programme is open to applicants of any nationality. Only one proposal per applicant is eligible.

Beware that applicants who applied to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2025 call and received an evaluation below 80% are not eligible for an application in 2026.