11.03.2024
Canada’s upcoming association with Horizon Europe is a significant milestone in international research and innovation collaboration. This partnership will provide Canadian researchers with manifold opportunities, in particular for EU-Canadian joint projects related to Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness (pillar II).
In addition, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) will continue to offer broad options for Canadian researchers' mobility.
Teaser Image: Dan Newman, Unsplash
MSCAdvocacy already met with important research and innovation funders in Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal, Canada, to promote MSCA and discuss needs and potential challenges: Amongst those partners were the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQNT, FRQSC, FRQS).
MSCAdvocacy had further talks with the University of Toronto, McGill University, Brock University and McMaster University to promote the MSCA opportunities and highlight upcoming calls of interest for Canadian researchers and innovators starting in April (see also links below).
Moreover, MSCAdvocacy and the European Delegation in Canada discussed the re-implementation of National Contact Points (NCPs) for Horizon Europe and especially MSCA to ensure that Canada’s talents can make the most out of the upcoming partnership. With their guidance, practical information and personal assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe’s MSCA, NCPs are of vital importance to support international research mobility between Canada and the EU. Canada used to have a vast NCP network, however this has not been renewed for Horizon Europe yet.
Back in November 2023, when the Canada-EU Summit took place at which the Horizon Europe association negotiations were concluded, MSCAdvocacy representative Johanna Füllmann also took the opportunity to visit the Canada Living Labs Summit in Montréal which brought together researchers, innovators and other collaborators, ranging from private and institutional investors to provincial and federal decision makers. “The Living Labs were a great chance to raise awareness about the incredible opportunities offered by the MSCA programme. From individual researchers to universities, SMEs, industry and municipalities, an international collaboration could be one application away, says Füllmann”.
Further meetings with the research community and stakeholders are planned for this year to foster global partnerships to elevate research and innovations.
Current funding opportunities for researchers from Canada
The MSCA Doctoral Networks 2024 will be open from 29 May 2024 until 27 November 2024. MSCA Doctoral Networks will implement doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research institutions and research infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond. MSCA Doctoral Networks are indeed open to the participation of organisations from third countries, in view of fostering strategic international partnerships for the training and exchange of researchers.
Check out all details here.
The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 will open for applications on 10 April until 11 September 2024! The fellowship programme provides opportunities for Canadian researchers to pursue postdoctoral research in Europe, while also allowing European researchers to be hosted in Canadian institutes.
Check out all details here.
EU-Canada summit concludes negotiations for Canada’s association to Horizon Europe; Image: Johanna Füllmann
Project partners
