Alternatives to MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026

Expected Outcome: Upon completion of the Action, the European HPC and AI ecosystems will be strengthened through an effective network of AI Factories supporting the adoption and use of HPC in the development of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) by startups and SMEs, but also by the private and public sector in general, taking into account the specific needs of the local and national ecosystems. The coordinated network will facilitate synergies and assets reutilisation, support, training, staff exchange, knowledge transfer between, AIF+As, as well as prevent duplication of efforts. The Action will ensure the network of AIF+As will be embedded in an enhanced European AI/ HPC ecosystem with strong links to other European HPC, AI, and data initiatives (see above). Moreover, the Action will result in: Contribution to the realisation of the EuroHPC overall and specific objectives. A common governance baseline across AIF+As to ensure the full interoperability and the collective compliance or the network of AIF+As. Seamless user experience across AIF+As, with users receiving a consistent offer of core services. Effective coordination and exchange of best practices and information…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Enhanced understanding, accompanied by documented good practices, showing what works to encourage multilingualism in society and what type of practices have led to safeguarding linguistic heritage, including lesser used, endangered and historically marginalised languages. Rigorous policy-relevant evidence, strategies and policy recommendations for promoting multilingualism and safeguarding linguistic diversity are available to policy makers, and users are involved in their development, especially the younger generation. Non-linguistic benefits of language maintenance and revitalisation are well documented, communicated and understood by different stakeholders. Citizens are empowered and engaged in the sustainable management of their own linguistic heritage and resources, with a focus on intergenerational dialogue and education activities, with particular attention to communities where oral transmission is the primary mode of language preservation. Maps and visual presentations showing the linguistic diversity in Europe are available, including a variety of existing languages (regional and minority…

Expected Outcome: Proposals should contribute to the first two expected outcomes, and either the one listed under Focus 1, or the one listed under Focus 2. The potential of art-science and/or technology collaborations to address societal challenges and drive innovation is better understood. Guidance, toolkits, and actionable methodologies are developed to promote these collaborations, providing policymakers, professionals, and training organisations with clarity on intervention scope, applicability across various fields, and evaluation methods, metrics, or tools. New and existing national, European or international networks for art-science-technology collaborations are established or strengthened, expanding opportunities for artists to engage with science and technology. Focus 1 Approaches, methodologies and model interventions for integrating arts and creative practices to enhance soft skills across public and private sectors are developed, tested and disseminated. Focus 2 The effectiveness of critical artists’ engagement in interdisciplinary teams is demonstrated alongside the assessment of the viability of research-intensive emerging technologies through at least three low…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Generate rigorous, policy-relevant evidence on the factors that may influence students, researchers, and high-skilled workers from non-EU countries to move to and remain in the EU. Provide policymakers and higher education/research institutions with guidance on which policies and programmes could be effective in attracting talented students, researchers and high-skilled workers from non-EU countries to the EU. Develop actionable advice to policymakers and higher education/research institutions about how to retain talented students, researchers and high-skilled workers from non-EU countries to ensure a long-term positive impact on the EU economy’s innovation and competitiveness. Provide evidence-based policy insights/options to improve the coherence of migration pathways for skilled talent across the EU. Support the development of more flexible and attractive mobility schemes, reducing administrative barriers, increasing accessibility and enhancing retention mechanisms to enhance the EU’s competitiveness in research, innovation, and cultural exchange. Scope: The EU’s ability to compete on a…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Provide policymakers, education and training institutions, and social partners with a solid understanding of which competences young people and workers need to support the EU economy towards the green transition to reach carbon neutrality and protect natural ecosystems. Develop actionable advice to policymakers and education and training institutions about which education and training programmes and policy measures can promote the acquisition of those competences by young people and workers in a lifelong perspective, including the gender and disability dimensions. Provide policymakers with guidance on how to address the interconnection between fostering the competences for the green transition and those for the digital transition. Scope: Environmental challenges have been one of the key drivers of labour demand and skills supply across all sectors for the past years. More data and analysis from research on competences that young people and workers need for the green transition are warranted to properly implement the Union of Skills and support people in upskilling and reskilling. The…

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Availability and integration of advanced, trustworthy, energy-efficient perception systems, exploiting technological advancements of Generative AI (GenAI) to enhance situational awareness and support safe decision-making; Enhanced Vulnerable Road User (VRU) safety, based on elevated, more temper-proof perception and understanding of their behaviour and intention predictions; Enhanced robustness of CCAM systems - both on-board and on the infrastructure side - in critical situations due to their training, virtual testing and validation in scenarios generated by GenAI, complementing existing scenario databases for the testing and validation of CCAM systems; Enhanced understanding of the relevance and limitations of using GenAI for CCAM; Tools and harmonised approaches for the use of GenAI in mobility technology development, training and validation, as well as for systemic applications such as traffic management and remote control, integrating them into existing approaches. Scope: Pilots and demonstrations using Level 3 and 4 vehicle services face major challenges in perception and…

Expected Outcome: Project should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Research funders, policymakers and research communities in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) are provided with a multi-annual R&I programme on social transformations and resilience, responding to megatrends like climate change and biodiversity loss, digitalisation, demographic changes and unexpected shocks. Research investments on social protection and essential services, future of work, education and skills, and a fair transition to climate neutrality are increased. Stakeholders, including social partners and civil society, and policymakers are provided with evidence-based knowledge, tools and innovative solutions, which contribute to new policies and strategies for strengthening resilience, fairness, inclusiveness and social cohesion at European, national and regional level. Scope: Europe is undergoing critical social transformations driven by macro drivers of change, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, digitalisation and demographic change, which have been accelerated by events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. These transformations…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: An in-depth analysis of the socio-economic dimensions and impacts of generative AI on the cultural and creative sectors and related societal implications. Particular attention should be paid to rights and remuneration of creators, diversity of cultural expression, audience perception, consumption patterns, market dynamics, value chains, royalty allocation and the effectiveness of copyright infrastructure. Scenarios, value chains, standards and robust, agile solutions to ensure transparency and trust in the generative AI supply chain are developed, aiming for a fair and transparent market for cultural and creative content. This includes: systems for content provenance detection of AI-generated and manipulated creative content; tools and infrastructure that reinforce rights management, creators’ consent, control, and fair compensation for the use of their works in AI training and generation; measures supporting the findability and discoverability of trustworthy cultural and creative content; mechanisms for the long-term preservation and stewardship of AI-generated creative works. Adaptive policy…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: EU institutions, Member States and decision-makers worldwide, relevant international organisations, civil society organisations and other societal actors have a better shared understanding of the systemic challenges and the underlying drivers and motivations that undermine managing global commons sustainably. EU institutions, Member States and decision-makers worldwide, relevant international organisations, as well as academies of science, higher education institutions and research-performing organisations are better equipped with the tools needed to improve the science-policy interface in the area of foreign and security policies in general, and multilateral / national science advisory bodies in the field of foreign policy in particular with a recognition of the need to engage citizens in a more participatory and inclusive approach to research and policy-making. Rules-based multilateralism is strengthened by the development of concepts, methods, processes, and information relevant for decision-making that foster the sustainable governance of global commons within the evolving geopolitical…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: EU national and local policymakers develop and implement effective strategies for sustainable peace and democratic reconstruction in post-conflict areas, promoting stability, inclusivity, equity, security, human rights, and strengthening integrity and anticorruption measures to ensure transparent, accountable, and ethical use of reconstruction aid. EU and national policymakers inform their decision-making with evidence-based recommendations on international cooperation, EU democracy support, and civil society engagement in post-conflict reconstruction, leading to more effective, inclusive and sustainable reconstruction efforts. Local civil society organisations and community groups, with a focus on persons and groups in a vulnerable situation in post-conflict countries, provide guidance and support to educators, media professionals, public administrators, and other stakeholders on promoting reconciliation, accountability, and sustainable peace. Specialised service providers, including NGOs and community organisations, offer support services and programmes to veterans and the persons and groups…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Provide policymakers with a more detailed understanding of the contribution of basic skills on the economy in the short and medium term, with a focus on their contribution to productivity and innovation, to sustain EU competitiveness and growth. Develop actionable advice about how, in a lifelong perspective, education and training systems can help foster basic skills. Promote productivity, innovation, competitiveness and growth, including by reducing gender, disability and socioeconomic gaps in basic skills. Scope: In the context of the Union of Skills, the 2025 European Commission’s Action Plan on Basic Skills identifies five basic skills: literacy, mathematics (including also financial literacy), science, digital and citizenship. Strong basic skill levels among young people and adults are key to sustaining EU productivity, innovation, competitiveness and growth, as also explained in the 2024 Draghi Report [1] . Other key EU initiatives support lifelong learning as a driver for productivity, innovation, and economic growth, for instance the 2022 Council Recommendation encouraging the…

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Development of systems that utilize real-time data analytics to dynamically respond to disruptions, allowing transport and infrastructure operators to adjust operations swiftly and efficiently; Development of predictive maintenance strategies applying innovative Generative AI solutions and utilizing other digital technologies to anticipate and prevent infrastructure and equipment failures; Development of guidelines and tools to support passenger transport operators and authorities to ensure minimal disruption in unexpected and critical situations and organise real life emergency simulations; Deployment of training programme for transport and infrastructure operators on how to handle transport disruption, including tools and catalogue with contingency planning for specific transport disruptions; Reduction of average passenger delay at corridor level (at least 20%) during planned disruptions, compared to the baseline and of (at least 40%) time needed from the generation to the dissemination of a response plan to different stakeholders (e.g. transport operators, passengers, citizens)…