The MSCA DN Eligibility Criteria
The doctoral candidates are obliged to comply with the following eligibility criteria [1-2].
Eligible Candidates
All researchers recruited in a DN must be doctoral candidates (i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment) and undertake transnational mobility (see the mobility rule). Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
For all recruitments, the eligibility of the researcher will be determined at the date of their first recruitment in the action. This status will not evolve over the lifetime of the action, even if they are re-recruited at another beneficiary.
Date of Recruitment
The date of recruitment is the first day of the employment of the researcher for the purposes of the action (i.e. the starting date indicated in the employment contract or equivalent direct contract).
The Mobility Rule
Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention [3] are not taken into account. For international European research organisations [4], international organisations, or entities created under Union law, recruited researchers must not have spent more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment in the same appointing organisation.
Note that the mobility rule applies to the (first) beneficiary where the researcher is recruited. In case of multiple recruitments, the mobility rule only applies to the first recruitment.
The rule of spending time in the non-academic sector
Since AptWind is an industrial doctorate programme, doctoral candidates must spend at least 50% of their fellowship duration in the non-academic sector, which is foreseen as a mandatory project activity.
Footnotes
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2021-2022/wp-2-msca-actions_horizon-2021-2022_en.pdf (Section 1.3.2)
[2]1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
[3]‘International European research organisation’ means an international organisation, the majority of whose members are MS or AC, whose principal objective is to promote scientific and technological cooperation in Europe.