We have partnered with the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) to enable UKRI fellows, funded through a UKRI Horizon Europe Guarantee MSCA scheme, to join the MCAA holders. Allowing them to access networking, training and funding to help build their careers. The programme runs until summer 2029, and gives Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Guarantee grant holders access to its networking, training, and professional development community.
Who can take part
The programme is open to students and fellows funded through the following Horizon Europe Guarantee schemes:
- Postdoctoral fellowships
- Doctoral Networks
- Staff Exchanges
- COFUND
- Researchers at Risk
You don’t need to upload proof of your grant. We confirm eligibility with the MCAA directly.
How to access the programme
- Register your interest using the UKRI survey.
- We share your details securely with the MCAA.
- The MCAA invites you to set up your account on its platform.
If you’re eligible and have any questions or issues with registering, email the Horizon Europe Guarantee team at EUGrantsFunding@ukri.org.
Understanding the MCAA
The MCAA plays a pivotal role in maximising the potential of researchers who have benefited from MSCA funding. Its objectives span promoting professional development, fostering public awareness of European research, and building a robust community through networking and collaboration, while advocating for researchers’ interests and facilitating knowledge sharing across the field. The MCAA is a global network of more than 24,000 researchers in over 155 countries.
Through this partnership, our Guarantee fellows can join that community and access its career support, at no cost to them.
Read the MCAA’s announcement of the partnership and find out more about the MCAA on their website.
What fellows get
Connections
- Access to the MCAA platform, linking you with MSCA researchers worldwide
- Access to MCAA UK Chapter events, webinars and training sessions
- Virtual and in-person passes to the MCAA Annual Conference
Skills and training
- Coursera licences: a limited number are available each year and are reassigned every four months, so more fellows get a turn. Apply through the MCAA.
- 10% off paid MCAA training and career development opportunities
Funding
- The UKRI-MCAA Professional Development Grant: a number of micro-grants a year towards conference attendance and external training
Applying for a Professional Development Grant
- Apply through the MCAA at least 45 days before your event or course starts.
- The MCAA assesses applications every month and lets you know by the middle of the following month.
- Priority goes to researchers from underrepresented groups. These include researchers who are unemployed, have caring responsibilities, are scholars at risk or have a disability.
Why this matters
Through the UKRI Horizon Europe Guarantee, we funded UK-based researchers who were awarded grants in Horizon Europe while the UK was not yet associated to the programme. However, supporting researchers means more than providing funding.
Research careers are enriched through access to mentoring, international networks, leadership and professional skills development, and opportunities to establish collaborations that enhance both individual careers and research outcomes. By keeping our fellows connected to the European research community that MSCA funding is built around, the Guarantee demonstrates our commitment to fostering researcher development.