Getting ready for MSCA PF with UM

The University of Maribor (UM) shall be delighted to support the postdoctoral researchers wishing to apply for an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships. The expected publication date of the call is 8 May 2025, with a submission deadline of 10 September 2025.

We welcome collaboration with postdoctoral candidates who have a strong publication record and a complementary research agenda. Please find the enclosed complete list of foreseen research MSCA keywords, supervisors, and e-mail addresses. 

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships offer the successful applicants on the abovementioned call a full-time contract to work on a research project and enjoy advanced training. The MSCA PF programme provides a competitive salary, mobility and family allowances plus a budget for research and training costs. 

REQUIREMENTS

•  Experience:  

• The candidates must complete a doctoral degree before 9 September 2025. 
• The candidates who have completed a doctoral degree not more than 8 years ago,  in case they have spent those eight years in research activity. In the event of a period during which the candidate has interrupted his/her research career, the period of 8 years shall be extended for the time when the candidate has not been employed as a researcher (it is counted until the last day of the tender; MSCA-PF: Self-assessment tool for the calculation of the 8-years research experience). 
• The candidate was not rejected in the previous call with the 70 % or fewer points evaluation result.

• Mobility rule:  

For a European Postdoctoral fellowship, the applicant should not have studied or worked in Slovenia for more than 12 months between September 2022 and September 2025.   

HOW TO: please, find the attached form »2025-UM MSCA PF Project pre-proposal form« structured to present the postdoctoral researcher and the project idea. Filled, and completed forms with all enclosures necessary, are to be submitted as one PDF file attachment to the supervisor's e-mail address, cc: euraxess.um@um.si.  

For more information on particular projects ideas, please address the professors to e-mails listed in the documents, cc: euraxess.um@um.si. 

Candidates will be informed about the selection results by 9 May 2025. The University of Maribor supervisors and support staff will support the selected candidates to prepare applications to the HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF-01-01 call through online preparation workshops with the National Delegate and Contact Point for Horizon Europe MSCA at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Slovenia and continuous guidance until the submission deadline.  

Postdoctoral candidates who, along with their University of Maribor supervisors, express their interest by 18 April 2025 will have the opportunity to participate in an online professional support program designed to enhance their project proposals. This program includes intensive workshops, individual consultations, and additional support activities as listed bellow:

• 19 May 2025 between 10:00 and 13:00

Preparations for a successful application to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 (MSCA-PF-2025) Call

Online Coaching Sessions in English (MS Teams)

Dr Stojan Sorčan, National Delegate and Contact Point for Horizon Europe MSCA at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

The training includes MSCA key topics, evaluation process, feedback, step-by-step guidance through evaluation criteria, and drafted proposals. Apply at the following link.

• 30 May 2025 between 9:00 and 14:00 

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship Course

Online Coaching Sessions in English (MS Teams)

Dr. Brian Cahill, Research Scientist at Leibniz Information Center for Science and Technology, former Chair of the Marie Curie Alumni Association, Sci Link

This workshop provides early-career researchers with the information they need to write grant proposals for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships. You will learn how to emphasise the aspects of your own past and future career development, in order to show that the fellowship will add value to your career, that you will contribute to the work of your host lab and that you are the right person to deliver the impact promised by your research. Finally, you will learn to assess your work from the perspective of an evaluator and increase the success of your research proposals.

• April - September 2025 

Online sessions in English upon request 

Ongoing support of the Department for Research and Arts of the University of Maribor and the National Delegate and Contact Point for Horizon Europe MSCA.