MSCA DN: Doctoral Networks

The MSCA Doctoral Networks, DN is a consortium-based project where Principal Investigators organize network-wide advanced training of PhD-students. The program was called ITN in the previous framework program H2020 during 2013-2020 and now named Doctoral Networks in in the current framework program HORIZON EUROPE, 2021-27.

Important points, Guide for Applicants

Each researcher (Doctoral Candidate) must be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, and for Joint Doctorates in at least two.
(Maximum) 540 person-months budget per network for all three modalities, regular DNs, DN-IDs, and DN-JDs (e.g. 15 Doctoral candidates for 36 months each).
Regular DN: each Doctoral Candidate can be recruited for a duration of 3-36 months. The maximum project duration of regular DN is 48 months.
Joint Doctorate (DN-JD) projects can last up to 60 Months and the Doctoral Candidates can be recruited for a maximum of 48 person-months. Each Doctoral Candidate can be recruited for a duration of 3-48 months. For DN-JD, each recruited researcher must be enrolled in a joint, double or multiple degree awarded by at least two participating organisations from a MS/AC.

UK

For latest update and information on the UK's participation in Horizon Europe please check updated guidance by the UK Research Office, the Horizon Europe Guarantee Guidance through UK Research and Innovation

Switzerland

For latest information and updates please check "Switzerland: Info, Q&A on Swiss participation in Horizon Europe".

As of September 3, 2021 Switzerland will be treated as non-associated Third Country in Horizon Europe,and therefore cannot be Beneficiary. Swiss organizations can participate in Doctoral Networks within MSCA as "Associated Partner", and the costs covered by the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI).

The MSCA-DN are training networks for Doctoral Candidates (PhD students). The MSCA-DN have three modalities:
1. Doctotral Networks (DN);
2. Doctoral Networks - Industrial Doctorate (DN-ID);
3. Doctoral Networks - Joint Doctorate (DN-JD).

Applicants are Principal Investigators who are willing to coordinate or participate as a part of a Consortium, to recruit PhD student(s). Each application allows a maximum of PhD students per project consortium, for all three subtypes. When applying with KI for a DN, the research must be performed under KI's premises, and the PI employed or affiliated to KI. If the research is to be performed under the University Hospital's premise, the host of the application should be Region Stockholm and not KI. In that case, contact ying.zhao@ki.se for discussion.

New to the DN compared to the previous ITN is that all students recruited to the consortium must be enrolled in a PhD program.

If you are applying for DN (Doctoral Network): please send a signed KI Application Assurance form to ying.zhao@ki.se. You can download the form below under Documents.
If you are applying for DN-JD (Joint Doctorate): see below for JD instructions
If you are applying for DN-ID (Industrial Doctorate): please contact ying.zhao@ki.se

Joint Doctorate (DN-JD)

To participate as a PI in an application for the Joint Doctorate within the MSCA-DN, you (the PI) need a Pre-Agreement from KI, issued by the Committee for Doctoral Education signed by the The Academic Vice President of Doctoral Education and Authorised Legal Representative at KI.

To be considered for and receive a signed Pre-Agreement from KI regarding DN-JD within MSCA, the PI needs to:

Submit your declarations according to KI's internal instructions for DN-JD to Lotta Lundqvist at KI's International Office by October 23, 2024 at the latest.
Send a signed KI application assurance form to Ying Zhao at Grants Office and cc Lotta Lundqvist also by October 23, 2024 at the latest.

For Joint Doctorate (JD) projects, the MSCA provides 48 months funding.

Eligibility & Mobility Rules

The doctoral candidates (PhD-students) must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. The recruitment date is the date the PhD student starts receiving salary from the project. This means that the PhD student must move to Sweden/KI for their PhD studies, and cannot have been at KI for more than one year before they start their employment in the project and receive salary from the project.

Budget

The DN consortium allows maximum 40% of the total budget to be allocated to the same country or international organization.

The MSCA budget is a contribution to partially cover the training costs directly linked to the PhD student, during the three DN years in forms of:

Living, Mobility and Family Allowances: Salary categories for the PhD student
Research/Training/Networking Costs category: to train the PhD student, used for consumables, conference fees etc.
Management/Indirect Costs category: to cover (partially, approx 7%) of the overhead after the consortia redistribute the budgets, a common practice within DNs.

The DN program also have two additional allowance categories linked to the PhD student:

Long-term leave allowance for the beneficiary in case of the PhD student's long term leave e.g. parental leave
Special Needs Allowance for additional costs not covered by social security or health insurance

The Living, Mobility and Family Allowances as well as the Research/Training/Networking budgets generate Indirect costs (INDI/overhead) at KI that the DN grant cannot fully cover. It is common within DN Consortiums that the Coordinator retains a part of your Management/Indirect Costs budget to manage the Consortium, therefore you will not receive all of your Management/Indirect Costs budget for use at KI.

Budget for Doctoral Network Projects

Please be aware that the regular MSCA-DN supports only 36 months of KI’s 48-month PhD program.

For DN projects, MSCA gives 36 months funding and does not cover the remaining 12 months of KI's 4-year PhD-program. The DN budget for Sweden is approximately 324,630 Euros per PhD student for three years. It can be used during the entire DN project period of four years but not allowed to be stretched out to cover the remaining (4th) year of KI's PhD program.

For the 2024 Call, the budget for salary allowances for the PhD student has increased, and can now cover KI's "Doktorandtjänst".

For DN projects, approximately 200,000 SEK of co-financing is needed to cover indirect costs (INDI) at KI, that is not fully covered by the DN's Management/Indirect Costs budget.

Also, the remaining 12 months of KI’s 4-year PhD program must be financed with other grants.

Budget for Joint Doctorate projects

For Joint Doctorate projects, the MSCA gives 48 months budget. The project duration can maximum be 60 months. The JD budget for Sweden is approximately 427,560 Euros per PhD student and can be used over the entire JD project period of five years.

For the 2024 Call, the budget for salary allowances for the PhD student has increased, and can now cover KI's "Doktorandtjänst".

For JD projects, approximately 266,000 SEK of co-financing is needed to cover top up for salary and INDI.

For these reasons, a signed KI Application Assurance form is required, for which your department will do an operational and financial capacity check.

KI's Participant Identification Code (PIC): 999978530

KI’s Legal address, Nobels väg 5 is registered with the PIC and shown automatically. Please make sure that you provide this correct PIC number and do not create a new one.