The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchanges program, under the Horizon Europe framework, is a key initiative designed to promote innovation-driven partnerships by enabling structured, cross-border staff mobility. This scheme supports the short-term exchange of research and innovation (R&I) personnel among academic, industrial, and non-academic organizations across different countries and sectors.
The MSCA Staff Exchanges program supports short-term international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary mobility for research and innovation staff. It empowers organizations to build sustainable partnerships, transfer knowledge, and boost human capital through well-structured global collaboration.
According to the official European Commission MSCA Staff Exchanges page, the scheme facilitates dynamic cooperation and skills transfer that extend well beyond the funded duration. It is particularly aimed at fostering durable, multi-sectoral collaborations that fuel Europe’s knowledge economy.
Objectives of MSCA Staff Exchanges
The primary goal of the MSCA Staff Exchanges program is to foster international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary cooperation by facilitating the secondment of staff members to partner institutions. This mobility mechanism contributes to:
- Bidirectional knowledge transfer between academia and industry
- Skill enhancement for all categories of R&I staff, including researchers, technicians, and administrative personnel
- Network development, bothduring and after the project
- Sustainable capacity building through reciprocal learning environments
By bringing together organizations with complementary expertise, the program strengthens Europe’s research competitiveness while addressing global scientific challenges.
Eligible Participants and Structure
The MSCA-SE scheme is open to a broad spectrum of organizations involved in research and innovation activities. These include universities, public or private research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, civil society organizations, and governmental agencies.
Consortium Requirements
To be eligible, a consortium must include:
- At least three independent legal entities
- Each from three different countries
- With at least two located in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries
If all partners belong to the same sector (e.g., only academic or only non-academic), then at least one organization must be from a non-associated Third Country.
While organizations outside Europe are encouraged to participate, only entities based in EU or associated countries are eligible to receive funding. Nevertheless, third-country institutions can play crucial roles in creating global innovation ecosystems.
Staff Eligibility
Personnel eligible for secondment include:
- Researchers atany career stage
- Managerial, technical, or administrative staff engaged in R&I
- Researchers at
These individuals must be affiliated with the sending institution for at least one month prior to the secondment. Following their return, they are expected to disseminate the acquired knowledge and reinforce internal expertise.
Duration and Implementation
Each MSCA Staff Exchanges project can last up to 48 months. Individual secondments must be a minimum of one month and may extend to twelve months per staff member.
The maximum total secondment time permitted per project is 360 person-months, allocated across all consortium members. Institutions must ensure a balanced and impactful distribution of these secondments to achieve their stated research and innovation goals.
Seconded staff are expected to return to their home organizations post-mobility to help internalize and apply new insights, fostering long-term capacity development.
Mobility Dimensions: International, Inter-Sectoral, Interdisciplinary
To qualify under MSCA-SE, proposed secondments must involve at least one of the following mobility dimensions:
- International – Mobility between institutions based in different countries
- Inter-sectoral – Transfers between academic and non-academic organizations
- Interdisciplinary – Collaborations between different scientific disciplines
Key Conditions
- Secondments within the same EU country are not eligible unless they are interdisciplinary in nature
- Intra-sectoral secondments are permittedwithin EU/Associated Countries only if interdisciplinary and should not exceed one-third of total project duration
- Secondments involving Third Country organizations are allowed but must not occur exclusively between Third Countries
These dimensions ensure that projects benefit from diverse perspectives, enriched problem-solving approaches, and broader innovation outcomes.
Funding Details
Funding is based on a unit cost model that offers comprehensive financial coverage for each person-month of secondment. The following components are covered:
- Top-up Allowance: €2,710/month for travel, accommodation, and subsistence expenses
- Research, Training, and Networking: €1,300/person-month to support R&I activities
- Management and Indirect Costs: €1,000/person-month to cover administrative operations
It is important to note that the salary of the seconded staff remains the responsibility of their home institution. The MSCA-SE grant serves as an additional top-up to facilitate the exchange.
Benefits to Participants
Institutional Advantages
- Full financial support for secondments and associated networking activities
- Strategic R&I partnerships with global institutions
- Cross-sectoral engagement leading to applied innovation and commercialization opportunities
Individual Benefits
