The European Commission is set to considerably broaden its Choose Europe project with a plan to initiate a call for €51.25 million in 2027 that aims at enhancing research careers all over Europe and attracting scientific talent from all over the world. A draft of the 2026–27 work program for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) under Horizon Europe reveals that the Commission intends to increase the budget for the pilot phase of the program, which was launched in October 2025 with a budget of €22.5 million, by more than two times.
The program is aimed at reversing Europe’s long-standing brain drain problem and the issue of research positions being less and less secure in the academic area. By supporting the postdoctoral positions financially, the Commission is looking at the two birds with one stone, that is to firstly bring about employment stability and secondly attract highly-skilled researchers from out of Europe to make long-term careers in EU institutions.
How the programme works
Choose Europe gives the possibility to co-fund the recruitment of researchers who have recently gained their PhDs for a maximum period of five years. The model involves the EU funding the researchers’ salaries and training for two to three years, while the host institutions should finance the remaining period—usually an additional two years. Every participating institution in the project is required to undertake the commitment of hiring a minimum of three researchers as part of the single program.
The closing date of the pilot call is 3 December 2025. The research community has welcomed the call positively; nevertheless, it has also expressed concerns. Cuts of budgets in several EU member states have resulted in universities and research organizations being in a difficult position when it comes to providing the required co-funding. The 2027 draft for the call is introduced with provisions that give institutions the opportunity to choose between the first and the second phase of employment for EU funds, thus they will have more time to arrange other resources. Despite that, critics claim that it does not solve the root problem of decreasing national research budgets.
Focus on attracting international researchers
Choose Europe’s chief objective is to have an influx of talents from abroad, the US, specifically, where economic and visa constraints are limiting the opportunities for research careers for international scholars. The applicants can come from any country, but they must observe the MSCA mobility regulations, i.e., for the past three years, they must not have resided or worked in the country from which they apply for the host institution for over 12 months.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) 2026-27 work program also has provisions aiming at the research staff’s increased flexibility to conduct their research on a part-time basis for reasons related to private life, family, or professional activities. The policy would most likely attract the researchers who are on the move globally and at the same time have to look after their families in different locations or those researchers living in different countries but want to carry on professional activities other than research.
Maria Leptin, the European Research Council (ERC) President, recently stated that giving the researchers such freedom is absolutely necessary, Europe should be the “sanctuary” for scientists, even when they divide their time between continents.
Better working conditions as a key metric
The main focus of the proposal beyond mobility is to improve research careers’ quality and stability in Europe. A candidate’s application will earn points on such factors as salary competitiveness, career development opportunities, and long-term employment prospects after the end of the fellowship period–areas in which Europe has traditionally been a step behind such competitors as the US.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hinted earlier this year that funding might be directed more towards rapidly progressing scientific fields like artificial intelligence, however, the draft call indicates that the program will continue to accept applicants from all disciplines.
Part of a larger investment in research excellence
Choose Europe is only one of many steps that amount to 500 million euros intended to make Europe “a magnet for researchers” such as the launch of the ERC’s new seven-year “super grants” each worth up to €7 million starting from 2026.
The initiative’s outline was first seen when, in October 2024, an expert advisory group proposed stronger backing for mobility of researchers within Horizon Europe.
The programme, if it manages to get the extension, will effectively turn around the Europe’s international research competition by providing a more attractive, stable and flexible workplace environment- therefore it will be easier for global talents to choose Europe as their scientific home for the long run.