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The recruitment and appointment of Marie Curie Fellows need to comply with strict European Commission conditions of funding.
The main two types of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) contracts are:
MSCA (ITN)
This scheme aims to train a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers.
The main type of ITN is a European Training Network (ETN) – fellows are typically enrolled on a PhD programme. The project is consortium based with a number of partners across Europe.
The project has a number of core eligibility criteria to be adhered to for recruitment:
- All positions awarded in the project should be fully advertised nationally and internationally (using: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/)
- The candidate must be in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their career and not awarded a PhD at the time of their recruitment
- Recruited for minimum 3 months and maximum 36 months
- No restrictions on nationality
- Mobility – the candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment.
- Funding Mechanism of ITN – Each fellow’s contract is comprised of the Living, Mobility and Family Allowances (dependents at the time of recruitment) as awarded by the scheme.
All allowances awarded include the cost of employment for UCL, employer National Insurance (NI) and pension contributions. See Foreign Currency Projects for the current exchange rate.
See table below. All figures are per annum.
| Basic | LA | Top-up | Total | |
| Fellow - Dependents, No Pension | £27,608 | £3,092.00 | £16,250.00 | £46,950.00 |
| Fellow - Dependents, Pension | £25,142 | £3,092.00 | £13,000.00 | £41,234.00 |
| Fellow - No dependents , no pension | £25,168 | £3,092.00 | £14,750.00 | £43,010.00 |
| Fellow - No dependents, Pension | £22,888 | £3,092.00 | £11,750.00 | £37,730.00 |
These rates relate to the MSCA awarded rates from the WP 2018-20. If the appointment is for an ITN project awarded from the WP 2016-18, these rates should not be used and instead please contact ecpostaward@ucl.ac.uk for a bespoke costing.
The Marie Curie Trainee will be paid a fixed salary on job grade "MCT" for the duration of the fellowship which will not qualify for cost of living awards. They will be paid the current London Allowance which will qualify for adjustments. There are four possible levels of basic salary depending on whether they have dependents and whether they opt out of SAUL membership.
MSCA Individual Fellowships (IF)
This scheme aims to enhance the creative and innovative potential of experienced researchers. The projects are solely awarded to the individual and UCL. The main two sub-awards are European Fellowships (EF), where the fellow is based here at UCL, and Global Fellowships (GF), where the fellow is seconded to a third country for 1-2yrs and has a 3rd year reintegration at UCL.
- Funding Mechanism of EF – Each fellow’s contract is comprised of the Living, Mobility and Family Allowances (Dependents at the tie of recruitment) as awarded by the scheme.
All allowances awarded include the cost of employment for UCL, employer National Insurance (NI) and pension contributions. See Foreign Currency Projects for the current exchange rate.
See table below. All figures are per annum.
| Gr7.30 | LA | Top-up | Total | |
| Fellow - Dependents, No Pension | £34,304.00 | £3,461.00 | £27,500.00 | £65,265.00 |
| Fellow - -Dependents, Pension | £34,304.00 | £3,461.00 | £16,250.00 | £54,015.00 |
| Fellow - No dependents , no pension | £34,304.00 | £3,461.00 | £23,250.00 | £61,015.00 |
| Fellow - No Dependents, Pension | £34,304.00 | £3,461.00 | £12,750.00 | £50,515.00 |
These rates relate to the MSCA awarded rates from the WP 2018-20. If you have delayed the start of your fellowship which was awarded from the WP 2016-18, these rates should not be used and instead please contact ecpostaward@ucl.ac.uk for a bespoke costing.
Important: if the fellow is already a UCL employee, the above table might not be suitable. Instead a bespoke costing will need to be done. Please contact Award Services Post-Award (Europe) team on(ecpostaward@ucl.ac.uk) in advance.
- Funding Mechanism of GF – Due to the nature of these projects, the salary and top-up allowances will need to be pre-costed. Please contact Award Services Post-Award (Europe) team at ecpostaward@ucl.ac.uk in advance.
European Commission awarding of allowances
Structure of European Union (EU) contributions
The EU contribution under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions is based on unit costs expressed in person-months. They have been established in line with the methodology set up by the Commission Decision no C(2013) 819454 and are indicated in EUR.
| Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions | Researcher Costs per Month** | Institutional Unit Costs per Month* | |||
| Living Allowance | Mobility Allowance | Family Allowance | Research, Training and Networking Costs | Management and indirect Costs | |
| Innovative Training Networks | 3270 | 600 | 500 | 1800 | 1200 |
| Individual Fellowships | 4880 | 600 | 500 | 800 | 650 |
* A country correction coefficient applies to living allowance. This coefficient is the one applicable to the researcher's host organisation as listed in table 4.
** These unit costs will be subject to a funding rate of 100% (Article 22.4 Rules for Participation).
54 COMMISSION DECISION authorising the use of reimbursement on the basis of the unit costs for Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme.
· MSCA Individual Fellowships