Validate your MSCA PF project idea before writing

Avoid spending weeks writing a proposal that is not competitive.

Expert feedback and proposal guidance at every stage of the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship application process.

Many MSCA PF proposals fail not because of writing quality, but because the project concept is not competitive enough.

MSCA proposals are highly competitive

Success rates per panel in 2024

Many weaknesses that affect the final score are already visible at the concept stage.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships typically have success rates around 12–15%.

Many excellent research ideas fail because of weaknesses in positioning, structure or evaluation alignment.

Early feedback and expert evaluation can significantly improve the competitiveness of a proposal.

The MSCA PF application journey

Different types of support are useful at different stages of the MSCA proposal preparation process.

Eligibility

Check mobility rule and profile eligibility.

Concept

Evaluate whether the project idea is competitive.

Writing

Develop the full research proposal.

Review

Expert feedback on the complete proposal.

Submission

Final improvements before submission.

Most critical issues appear at the concept stage.

Support options depending on your stage

Eligibility check

Verification that the candidate and host institution comply with MSCA eligibility and mobility rules.

Best Moment: before starting the proposal

Concept Review

Most relevant at early stage

Early evaluation of your MSCA research concept before writing the proposal.

Best Moment: 12-5 months before the deadline

Full proposal review

Detailed evaluation of your MSCA proposal before submission.

Focus on evaluation criteria:

• Excellence
• Impact
• Implementation

Best Moment: after drafting the proposal, 4-8 weeks before the deadline

Proof & Polish

Final improvement of a near-complete proposal.

Focus on:

• clarity
• structure
• readability

Best Moment: 2-4 weeks before submission

Resubmission Strategy Review

If your MSCA PF proposal received a strong score but was not funded,
the key question is whether you should resubmit — and what must change.

We analyse the Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) and your previous proposal to identify the key improvements needed for a successful resubmission.

What the review includes:

  • ESR analysis

  • identification of evaluator concerns

  • strategy for proposal revision

  • priority improvements for resubmission

Evaluator perspective

Our services are based on experience evaluating proposals in European research funding programmes such as Horizon Europe and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

This evaluation perspective allows early identification of weaknesses that strongly affect final scores.

Preparing an MSCA PF proposal?

Validate your project idea before investing time in writing the proposal.

Support for host institutions

We also support universities and research centres in evaluating MSCA PF candidates through structured concept screening.