People

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The European Commission expects that under the “People” programme more than 35,000 researchers will be able to benefit from Marie Curie fellowships. With an estimated additional 35,000 researchers engaged in other short-term training activities in the various “Marie Curie Actions”, an estimated total of 70,000 researchers should be able to benefit directly from the “Marie Curie Actions” in FP7.

“Marie Curie Actions” are open to Third Country researchers. For the following “Marie Curie Actions”: Initial Training Networks, Industry-Academia Pathways and Partnerships, and the possible reintegration phase of the Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships, the participation of legal entities from international organisation other than an international European interest organisation, or a legal entity established in a Third Country other than an ICPC country, EU funding may only be granted if their participation is essential for carrying out the project.
(FP7 “People” Work Programme 2007, 3. Implementation principles, page 5)

The major document to fully understand the different Marie Curie actions is the FP7 Work Programme 2010: People. See the following sites for further details:

Details about international Marie Curie exchange schemes following.

Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES)

The European Commission has released a new Marie Curie scheme, the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES).

Activities

IRSES provides support for those Australian research organisations participating in a selected partnership, to establish or reinforce long-term research co-operation through a coordinated joint and balanced programme of exchange for 2 to 4 years, of researchers for periods not exceeding 12 months. Importantly, technical and management staff may also participate in these exchanges.

The European Commission will support the travel and living costs of European staff travelling to Australia. In Australia, each organisation is expected to cover the mobility costs (i.e. travel and subsistence costs) of their outgoing researchers travelling to Europe. Under IRSES, staff exchanges are treated as secondments (i.e. exchange participants maintain salary in their institution of origin, and have the right to return).

Application

The proposal must be submitted by a coordinator from a European Member State of FP7 Associated Country (list available in the guide for applicants). To be eligible, the consortium must include the organisation of the coordinator, an organisation from another European country (Member State of FP7 Associated Country), and an Australian organisation (or from any Third Country).

The size of such exchanges is left to the appreciation of the partners and to the available matching funding from Australia. Consortium from Australia will be competing on a €25m call with all other third countries having a S&T agreement with the EC and European neighbours.

Details about the Application are available in the guide for applicants 2010.

Funding for European staff

European staff will receive a monthly subsistence allowance of €1,900, covering all mobility costs (including travel).

Funding for Australian staff

This Marie Curie action is not totally supported by the European Commission. Australian staff, will need to seek funding from their own institutions or/and any domestic sources.

In order to assist participating Australian research organisations, the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) is providing some support to help cover these mobility costs. Funding worth $100,000 has been reserved through the strategic policy element of the International Science Linkages programme to assist such Australian research organisations for this purpose (for the call in 2008, 16 IRSES projects involved Australia). This funding is intended to support travel and subsistence costs for a number of exchanges over the period that IRSES is in place, and this initial level of support may be reviewed if demand is particularly high. Such funding would be available on a competitive basis and, to be eligible for consideration, Australian research organisations would need to demonstrate that they are a member of a selected partnership under IRSES. In particular, the Department would be interested in supporting exchanges in certain research priority areas for collaboration with the European Union, including biotechnology and food, energy technologies (including clean energy), bioeconomy (including industrial biotechnology and agriculture) and climate change. Selection procedures are available from the Australian Academy of Science, which manages this contribution at:
www.science.org.au/internat/irses.htm.

Summary of Marie Curie individual international fellowships
Application informationOutgoing Fellowships (MCIOF)Incoming Fellowships (MCIIF)Reintegration Grants (MCIRG)
Scheme objectiveEuropean researcher to work in Australia for 1–2 yearsAustralian researcher to work in Europe for 1–2 yearsEuropean researcher working in Australia for more than 3 years and wanting to return in Europe
Life cycle from deadline to the start of the fellowship10–12 months10–12 months10–12 months
Eligible host organisationThird CountryMS or ACMS or AC
Eligible return organisationMS or ACNot in Australian/a
Level of experience at deadline4 years of resarch or a PhD4 years of resarch or a PhD4 years of resarch or a PhD
Nationality & mobility conditions at deadlineNational of an EU Member or Associated country. The researcher has spent less than 1 year during the previous 3 years in the Third Country.The researcher has spent less than 1 year during the previous 3 years in the MS/AC of the incoming phase and has carried out research in the Third Country for at least 1 year.National of an EU Member or Associated country. The researcher has spent less than 1 year during the previous 3 years in a MS/AC and has carried out research in a Third Country for at least 3 years.
FundingMonthly allowance, mobility (including family), travel allowances, some bench expenses and 10% overheadsMonthly allowance, mobility (including family), travel allowances, some bench expenses and 10% overheadsmax €25,000 per year for up to 4 years toward all research expenses (including salary) and 10% overheads
Mobility criterionApplicants must genuinely move from a MS/AC to a Third Country to have a positive evaluation of the mobility criterion.Applicants must genuinely move to a MS/AC from a Third Country to have a positive evaluation of the mobility criterion.Applicants must genuinely move to a MS/AC from a Third Country to have a positive evaluation of the mobility criterion.

Application guidelines

Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (MCITN)
Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (MCIEF)
Marie Curie European Reintegration Grants (MCERG)
Marie Curie Co-funding of Regional, National and International Programmes (MCCOFUND)
  • Guide for Applicants not yet available
Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (MCIAPP)
  • Guide for Applicants not yet available
Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowships (MCIOF)
Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships (MCIIF)
Marie Curie International Reintegration Grants (MCIRG)
Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES)
Marie Curie Excellence Awards (MCAWARDS)
Other specific actions
Specific actions are also included in the People programme, but usually they are only relevant in Europe and to National bodies. They include ERA-More, ERA-Link, European nights but not only . Details are available in the current work programme.

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