Marie Curie COFUND 2026
About this scholarship
Marie Curie COFUND co-finances doctoral and fellowship programmes run by universities and research organisations, supporting international researcher training and mobility, mainly in Europe.
Marie Curie COFUND is part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), funded by the European Commission under the EU research framework programme. Rather than being a single scholarship at one university, COFUND supports universities, research institutes, and regional or national bodies to run their own doctoral or postdoctoral fellowship programmes.
The scheme is designed to improve researcher training, career development, and international mobility. Supported programmes are typically hosted in Europe and offer structured research opportunities with strong supervision, transferable-skills training, and international or intersectoral exposure. Depending on the specific COFUND call, awards may fund PhD or PostDoc researchers.
Funding and benefits vary by host programme. In practice, many COFUND-backed opportunities provide a salary or stipend and may also include research, training, and mobility support. For example, one referenced COFUND doctoral programme at Aix-Marseille University in France offers a 36-month fully funded PhD fellowship, a monthly gross salary, and additional research and mobility support. Because each COFUND programme sets its own package, applicants should always check the terms of the individual host institution's call.
Eligibility is programme-specific, but COFUND opportunities often follow MSCA mobility principles. This can include rules limiting how long applicants may have lived or worked in the host country before recruitment. Doctoral programmes commonly target early-stage researchers who do not yet hold a doctorate, while postdoctoral programmes usually require a PhD by the start date or application deadline.
Applications are generally made directly to the host university or research organisation running the COFUND programme, not to the European Commission centrally. Applicants should look for open COFUND calls on host institution websites and review the advertised academic requirements, mobility rules, project topics, language expectations, and supporting documents carefully.
Eligibility
Who can apply for this scholarship
Eligibility depends on the individual COFUND programme. In general, doctoral calls target early-stage researchers, while postdoctoral calls target researchers with a doctorate or equivalent experience. Many programmes apply MSCA mobility rules, meaning applicants may be ineligible if they have lived, worked, or studied in the host country beyond a specified limit before recruitment. As shown by a referenced doctoral COFUND call at Aix-Marseille University, applicants may need a qualifying Master's degree, fewer than 4 years of full-time research experience for doctoral positions, and must not already hold a doctorate.
Requirements
Documents typically needed to apply
