MINDED and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action

MINDED is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSC) COFUND Action, guaranteeing to scientists the prestige and long-term benefit of being an MSC fellow, and the opportunity to develop their research activities in IIT, which is a highly interdisciplinary and dynamic institution, in close collaboration with 16 partners.

Differently from an MSC Individual Fellowship, MINDED research fellows are required to propose their own training and development programme alongside their technical proposal, supported and monitored by MINDED Scientific and Management teams.

Research fellows are funded by the European Commission (50%) and by the IIT (50%).

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions have set the benchmark for attracting and retaining the most talented researchers. Named after the double Nobel Prize winning Polish-French scientist, famed for her work on radioactivity, MSC Actions support researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines, from life-saving healthcare to 'blue-sky' science, are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support industrial doctorates, combining academic research study with work in companies, and other innovative training that enhances employability and career development. In addition to generous research funding, scientists have the possibility to gain experience abroad and in the private sector, and to complete their training with competences or disciplines useful for their careers. By making researchers mobile and encouraging cooperation, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions help to foster knowledge transfer. Researchers gain experience in various types of organisations, which boosts their career prospects and capacity for entrepreneurship.

Since 1996, the programme has supported 98,000 researchers: 80,000 before 2014, and 18,000 in the years of Horizon 2020 so far. In early 2017, the programme is expected to fund its 100,000th fellow. From 2014 to 2020, with a budget of EUR 6.2 billion, the MAS Actions will support around 65,000 researchers including 25,000 PhD candidates. The programme is attracting talent to Europe: since 2014, 25% of fellows have been nationals of countries outside either the EU or the 15 Associated Countries of Horizon 2020. The programme also spurs innovation and job creation. During the current financing period, the MSC Actions are expected to generate around 1,500 patent applications and lead to the creation of over 100 spin-offs.