Doctoral Networks Modalities
Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions don’t just provide funding for a PhD – they also offer a unique doctoral training experience, with several additional benefits. The purpose of the scheme is to bring together organisations such as universities, SMEs, research centers, industries and non-academic organisations in order to train doctoral candidates. A minimum of three independent beneficiaries from three different EU Member States (MS) or HE Associated Countries (AC) with at least one of them established in an EU-MS, is required in order to apply for this call.
There are three types of Doctoral Networks available for PhD students. Though they differ slightly, all offer unique opportunities to work with academic and non-academic partners in an international setting.
Standard Doctoral Networks
MSCA Doctoral Networks can be established by groups of academic and/or non-academic institutions, aiming to provide PhD researchers with a range of transferable skills (as well as the opportunity to engage in a particular research specialism). Career prospects are a big focus, as well as professional networking and engagement with the public.
Industrial Doctorates
These networks combine training from academic and non-academic partners. This allows doctoral candidates to offer specific training that addresses the needs of business and industry. As a result, researchers will need to spend at least 50% of their time in the non-academic sector. At least two out of three institutions of the network must be assigned to the academic or non-academic sector. Joint supervision of the researchers is mandatory - one supervisor per sector.
Joint Doctorates
These networks promote international training and non-academic partnerships, through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations. A joint degree is a single PhD issued by two higher education institutions offering an integrated programme. The PhD will be recognized officially in at least the countries where the degree-awarding institutions are located.
Double or multiple degrees are two or more separate national PhD diplomas, issued by two or more higher education institutions. These will be officially recognized in the countries where these degree-awarding institutions are based. Time spent in different sectors varies, and joint supervision must be tailored accordingly.
Studying within a Doctoral Network
Although the remit of each network differs, there are general activities that all student researchers will undertake on their given programme. This is because the MSCA programme is not just a source of funding, but a means to undertake research in a controlled, professional, and measurable way.