The Early-stage Researchers Programme enables selected candidates funding of doctoral studies, employment in a research environment and thus, beside the in-depth knowledge of doctoral studies, also the development of research competencies and skills. The Slovenian Research Agency provides the selected candidates funding of salaries, social security contributions, doctoral studies or material and immaterial costs for a maximum of 4 years for the doctoral study programme.

Information on vacancies offered by the University of Maribor, conditions and selection criteria are published in the public call for early-stage researcher candidates for a particular year that is usually published in May or June of a particular year. Conditions for applying:

• Relevant education.
• Grade average of at least 8.00, whereby grades of all exams and practical courses under the first- and second-cycle study programmes are taken into account (the Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis count toward the grade average as well).
• The candidate shall not be more than 28 years old, unless the student had already completed one or two years of doctoral studies without receiving any funding. The age limit is also extended in case of parental leave.

Since 1996, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) is one of the main instruments of the European Union for the promotion of excellence in science as part of the international and cross-sectoral mobility in doctoral education. It enables selected candidates funding of doctoral studies, employment in a research environment and thus, beside the in-depth knowledge of doctoral studies, also the development of research competencies and skills. Physical mobility is a condition: the selected candidate must not have worked or resided in the country of the host research organisation for more than 12 months in the three (3) years prior to the deadline for submission of proposals. Interested candidates for research training under MSCA-DN can find the information on vacancies on the EURAXESS portal -“Jobs and Funding”.