No to “directionality” in the MSCA – European research organisations raise concern

In response to the proposal to introduce political thematic priorities into the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, leading European research organisations – including the Polish Science Contact Agency PolSCA PAN in Brussels – strongly call for the preservation of its bottom-up nature. The signatories of a joint statement warn that the proposed changes risk weakening one of the EU’s most successful instruments supporting research careers in Europe.

MSCA – a model based on openness and scientific excellence

MSCA, a key part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, has long been a cornerstone of support for researcher mobility and career development at all career stages. Its strength lies in the bottom-up approach – researchers, not political agendas, define the topics of their projects. This has enabled interdisciplinary research and innovation, even in areas that only later became strategic priorities.

As highlighted in the statement, the MSCA is already contributing significantly to the EU’s strategic goals – from artificial intelligence and health to quantum technologies – without the need for predefined thematic directions. For instance, more than 1,000 projects related to AI and over 170 projects on quantum technologies have been funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

Risks of introducing directionality

The European Commission’s proposal includes the introduction of “directionality” – targeted project calls aligned with the EU’s political priorities. While excellence is still mentioned as a guiding principle, research organisations warn that this would mark a fundamental shift away from the well-established MSCA model, potentially limiting scientific freedom and weakening the programme’s effectiveness.

The signatories stress that such changes would neither strengthen the European research ecosystem nor resolve current skills shortages in key sectors. These problems are rooted in regulatory barriers and underfunding, not in a lack of targeted research topics. Repurposing the MSCA in response would be a misguided and short-sighted move.

Call to action – support what works and invest in the future

In the joint statement – available in full below – the authors urge the European Commission and Member States to preserve the current MSCA model and to significantly increase its funding in future Framework Programmes.

Rather than redefining a programme that already delivers excellent results, the focus should shift to addressing structural obstacles to research careers, such as a lack of stable career pathways, limited mobility, and insufficient long-term investment. MSCA remains a proven and flexible mechanism, capable of responding to Europe’s future challenges – provided it is not constrained by political redirection.

Read the full joint statement here:

Download PDF – Joint statement on MSCA directionality (2025)