The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships under Horizon Europe are research fellowships funded by the European Commission for people who already hold a PhD and want to do their next project in another country. They are fully funded, open to every discipline, and built around one idea: you move, you learn new skills, and you come out with a stronger research career. If you are a Pakistani researcher who finished a doctorate in the last few years and has a clear project in mind, this is one of the most serious options you can aim for. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing, but this guide focuses on how the scheme actually works and where applicants slip up.
One thing to understand early: this is not a scholarship you apply for alone. You write the proposal together with a host organization, and that partnership shapes everything that follows.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Fully funded |
| Level | Postdoctoral |
| Provider | European Commission |
| Where | EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (Global Fellowships start outside Europe) |
| Fields | All disciplines, including Euratom research areas |
| Deadline | Varies, confirm on the official site |
| Official site | MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships |
Two fellowship tracks, and only one is realistic for most Pakistanis
There are two types of Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the difference matters more for Pakistani applicants than almost anything else in this guide.
European Postdoctoral Fellowships are for researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world. The fellowship takes place in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country and lasts one to two years. Researchers of any nationality are eligible, so a Pakistani PhD holder can apply to this track.
Global Postdoctoral Fellowships fund mobility outside Europe for two to three years. You spend an initial period in a non-associated Third Country, then complete a mandatory one-year return phase at an organization in an EU Member State or Associated Country. The catch is the nationality rule: applicants must be nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country. A Pakistani passport alone does not qualify you. If you already have long-term residence in an eligible country, check the official rules carefully to see whether your status counts.
So for most readers, the European track is the one to plan for. Do not spend weeks shaping a Global proposal before you have confirmed you meet the nationality or residence condition.
What the funding pays for
The money is split between what goes to you as the recruited researcher and what goes to the host to run the project. On the researcher side, funding includes:
- a living allowance
- a mobility allowance
- a family allowance, if applicable
- a long-term leave allowance, if applicable
- a special needs allowance, if applicable
On top of that, there is funding for research, training and networking activities, plus funding for management and indirect costs. The source information does not list exact monthly or yearly amounts, so do not rely on figures you see quoted on forums. The current rates are set in the work programme and the official guidance for each call, and you should read them there.
Two extras are easy to overlook. First, both fellowship types can include short-term secondments anywhere in the world during the fellowship (except during the return phase of a Global Fellowship). Second, you can receive support for a placement of up to six months in a non-academic organization based in an EU Member State or Associated Country at the end of your fellowship. If you are thinking about a career outside universities, for example in industry or a research-driven company, that placement option is a real reason to choose MSCA over a standard postdoc contract.
The eight-year experience limit and the 12-in-36 mobility rule
Proposals are checked for eligibility before any expert reads the science, so a strong idea can fall at this first step. Three conditions deserve slow, careful reading.
You need the PhD by the deadline
You must hold a PhD at the time of the call deadline. If you have successfully defended your doctoral thesis but the degree has not been formally awarded yet, you can still be eligible. That helps Pakistani candidates whose universities take months to issue the final degree after the viva.
No more than eight years since your PhD
You can have a maximum of eight years of research experience counted from the date your PhD was awarded. The Commission publishes guidelines on how to calculate those eight years and a self-assessment tool to check it. Use them. Career breaks and non-research jobs can change how your experience is counted, and guessing here is a bad idea.
The mobility rule
You must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, study and so on) in the country of the host for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline. For European Fellowships this means the country of the beneficiary. For Global Fellowships it means the country of the host organization for the outgoing phase.
For a Pakistani researcher who did a PhD in Pakistan, the mobility rule is usually easy to meet for a European host. It becomes a problem if you did your PhD or a previous postdoc in a European country and now want a host in that same country. In that case you will likely need a host in a different country.
There is also a nationality condition for Euratom research areas: researchers must be nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or a Euratom Associated Country. If your project is in nuclear research under Euratom, check this before anything else.
Finding a host is the real first step
Because you apply jointly with a host organization, the host search comes before the writing. Hosts can be universities, research institutions, businesses, SMEs or other organizations based in an EU Member State or Associated Country.
There are two practical routes. One is your own network: your PhD supervisor's collaborators, authors whose papers you cite, people you met at conferences. The other is EURAXESS and other research job portals, where institutions publish hosting offers and expressions of interest that describe the research fields and project ideas they want to support. Many Pakistani applicants skip EURAXESS and send cold emails to famous professors instead. A published hosting offer means the supervisor has already said they want MSCA applicants, so your email lands with someone expecting it.
When you contact a potential supervisor, come with a short project idea, not just a CV. Your goal is to develop the project together, and the supervisor needs to see quickly that your idea fits their group.
The guidance documents you need to read
The MSCA document set is not a list of certificates to upload. It is the guidance and templates you need to write a compliant proposal. The official documentation includes:
- the MSCA work programme and general annexes
- the guide for applicants
- specific FAQs
- application and evaluation forms
- guidelines on calculating the 8-years research experience
- the self-assessment tool for the 8-years research experience
- Model Grant Agreements
- proposal templates
The evaluation forms are the most underrated item here. They show what the external experts are asked to judge, so read them before you draft, not after. Personal documents such as your degree certificate may still matter for the host's recruitment process after funding, and our documents checklist for international scholarships is a useful reference for getting those in order early.
How the application moves from idea to submission
- Find a suitable host organization through your network, or through hosting offers and expressions of interest on EURAXESS and other job portals.
- Contact the potential supervisor and develop the research project with them.
- Check the eligibility requirements and read the guidance documents on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal.
- Write the application jointly with your host organization.
- Submit the completed proposal through the Electronic Submission Service on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal before the deadline.
After the deadline, proposals are checked for eligibility and then evaluated by external experts. Strong proposals that score highly but cannot be funded because the budget runs out can receive a Seal of Excellence.
Timing: why you should start before the call opens
Call opening dates and deadlines vary, so confirm the current cycle on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal and the official MSCA page. You can submit from the opening date of the call until its stated deadline.
What does not vary is how long the preparation takes. Finding a host, agreeing on a project and writing the proposal together cannot be done well in a few weeks. The sensible approach is to begin contacting hosts well before the call opens, so that the opening date is when you start polishing, not when you start searching. Submit early as well. Last-day submission problems on the portal are a risk you can avoid completely.
Where applicants usually go wrong
- Applying to the Global track without meeting the nationality or long-term residence condition.
- Estimating the eight-year limit in their head instead of using the official guidelines and self-assessment tool.
- Choosing a host in a country where they lived or worked for more than 12 months in the last 36 months.
- Treating the host as a signature at the end instead of a co-author of the proposal.
- Writing the proposal without reading the guide for applicants, the templates and the evaluation forms.
Who should skip it? If you do not have a PhD yet, or your PhD was awarded more than eight years before the deadline, this scheme is not for you right now. If you have no project idea of your own and simply want any paid postdoc, a regular advertised position may suit you better. MSCA rewards researchers who know what they want to do and why a specific host is the right place to do it.
For specific guidance and support, your national MSCA National Contact Point is the official support channel. If you are comparing this with other funded options, see all Europe scholarships in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani researchers apply for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships?
For European Postdoctoral Fellowships, yes: researchers of any nationality are eligible, as long as they meet the PhD, experience and mobility rules. Global Postdoctoral Fellowships require applicants to be nationals or long-term residents of an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, so a Pakistani citizen without such residence cannot apply to that track.
Can I apply if I have defended my thesis but not received the degree?
Yes. You are eligible if you have successfully defended your doctoral thesis by the deadline, even if the degree has not been formally awarded yet.
How long does the fellowship last?
European Fellowships run for one to two years. Global Fellowships run for two to three years, including a mandatory one-year return phase in Europe. A non-academic placement of up to six months can be added at the end.
How much is the living allowance?
The available information confirms a living allowance, mobility allowance and other allowances where applicable, but does not state the amounts. Check the current work programme and guide for applicants on the official site for the rates that apply to your call.
Do I need a host before applying?
Yes. The application is submitted jointly with a host organization in an EU Member State or Associated Country, so securing a willing host and supervisor comes first.
Before you start writing, read the current call details on the official MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships website and check the full MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships scholarship page for a summary of the key facts.