Research Talent Attraction Initiative - MSCA-PF
The Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) in Seville is offering positions for postdoctoral researchers interested in carrying out a 2-3 year project based in Spain within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowships programme (MSCA-PF), which is part of Pillar I of the European R&I Framework Programme, Horizon Europe (HE).
> Info fact sheet MSCA-PF 2026.
The Research Talent Attraction Initiative is a Proposal Support Programme specifically designed to enhance the success rate of MSCA-PF applications hosted by UPO, covering both European and Global Fellowships. Through structured support aligned with the main proposal sections (Parts B1 and B2), the Initiative supports competitive researchers in developing stronger applications. Candidates with a confirmed UPO Supervisor are invited to express their participation interest.
WHO CAN APPLY FOR THIS INITIATIVE?
Candidates are eligible for this initiative if they meet the following requirements by the MSCA-PF submission deadline (September 09, 2026):
- POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER (Candidate): Candidates must hold a PhD and have no more than 8 years of full-time research experience since obtaining their degree. For details on calculating research experience, see Guidelines on calculation of 8-year research experience.
- SUPERVISOR: Candidates must secure a commitment from a Principal Investigator at UPO to act as their Supervisor. A list of researchers currently seeking candidates is provided below; however, any eligible UPO researcher may supervise your application, regardless of whether they appear on this list.
- HOST INSTITUTION: Candidates must formally confirm the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) as their Host Institution where the research project will be implemented.
- MOBILITY RULE: Candidates must comply with the MSCA-PF mobility rule. Specifically, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain (for MSCA-PF-European) or in the host country for the Outgoing Phase (for MSCA-PF-Global) for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.
- NATIONALITY of the candidate:
- For MSCA-PF-European: Candidates from any nationality can apply.
- For MSCA-PF-Global: Only nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or HE Associated Countries can apply to this modality.
- RESTRICTION: Proposals previously submitted with UPO as the HI are only eligible for resubmission if they achieved a score of 70% or higher in the preceding call.
We will be happy to support highly qualified candidates interested in any area of our research and eligible for MSCA funding (MSCA-PF elegibility conditions). Applicants are expected to submit a proposal with great potential to succeed and to be willing to collaborate and work on improving their drafts.
HOW TO APPLY TO THE UPO's INITIATIVE?
Please refer to the following document, which contains a list of Principal Investigators at the UPO:
NOTE: This list compiles the interest of UPO Principal Investigators who have expressed their willingness to receive offers to participate as Supervisors in MSCA-PF proposals.
Once the candidate has contacted and obtained the supervisor’s acceptance to support their application, and wishes to benefit from our Initiative, we invite them to submit the Expression of Interest by May 11th, 2025, at the latest.
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EoI):
In order to express your intention to apply for the Initiative, the candidate needs to prepare the following documentation (1) and complete the information required (2):
(1) >> Supervisor's acceptance letter.
(2) >> Online application form / Candidate's information.
NOTE: The call to admit and connect potential MSCA-PF candidates with supervisors will remain open until June 30, after the EoI deadline. However, candidates will no longer benefit from the Initiative but will have the support of the EU R&D project office at UPO.
MSCA-PF 2025 - Procedure and the Proposal Support Programme
HOW DOES THE INITIATIVE WORK?
Before the support programme begins, two preliminary steps must be completed:
A) Document review
All submitted documents and information will be thoroughly checked for accuracy and completeness, including the Supervisor's Acceptance Letter and the Online Application Form.
B) Eligibility verification
To confirm the candidate's eligibility, the following supporting documents will be required:
- Digital copy of your PhD certificate (to verify a maximum of 8 years of research experience)
- Certificate of employment or residence (to comply with the Mobility Rule)
- Marriage certificate or equivalent document (if applicable, for the top-up allowance)
Once steps A) and B) are successfully completed, the proposal support programme will begin according to the established schedule (see timeline above).
1) Part B1 - Section 1. Excellence (deadline: Jun, 01)
[Candidate with the support of the Supervisor(s)]
This is the most critical section of the proposal, accounting for 50% of the overall evaluation score. Dedicate sufficient time to it, consult regularly with your supervisor(s), and apply the tips and guidance provided by the EU R&D Project Office.
Submit this section to proyectosEU_OTRI@upo.es once completed. You will then receive detailed feedback with suggestions to strengthen this part of your proposal.
2) Part B1 - Sections: 2. Impact + Section: 3. Implementation (deadline: Jun, 12)
[Candidate with the support of the Supervisor(s)]
Following the same procedure as Step 1, submit both Section 2 (Impact) and Section 3 (Implementation) of Part B1 to proyectosEU_OTRI@upo.es. You will receive tailored feedback on each section afterward.
3) Part B1 + Part B2 - Full Draft (deadline: Jun, 26)
[Candidate with the support of the Supervisor(s)]
At this stage, Part B1 should be complete and revised. Make any final adjustments to polish the proposal as much as possible, then submit the full draft — including Part B2 — to proyectosEU_OTRI@upo.es. A comprehensive final review will be provided upon receipt.
4) The possibility of a proposal final draft review by a consulting firm (deadline: Jun, 30)
[Supervisor at UPO]
By completing Step 3, candidates will have a consolidated proposal draft ready to be further refined alongside their Supervisor(s) and colleagues during August and the opening days of September.
As a complementary measure, the Initiative offers the possibility of an expert review by an external consultancy firm. Supervisors interested in this option may request dedicated university funding through an internal call. This opportunity is exclusively available to candidates who have gone through the full proposal support programme.
