Skip to content
SPScholarPass
← All scholarships

Europe (multi-country)

MSCA Doctoral Networks (paid PhD positions across Europe)

The EU funds 'doctoral networks' — consortia of universities and companies that each hire 10–15 PhD researchers on salaries that beat most national scholarships. The positions are advertised as jobs on EURAXESS; you apply to the network, not to the EU.

Salaried — a job, not a grantMobility rule appliesNo application feeMulti-country

Fact sheet

Funding
≈ €3,400/month gross (country-adjusted) + mobility/family allowances
Typical deadline window
Year-round — each funded network advertises its own positions (many post Nov – Apr)
Application fee
None
Language test
Per network (English is the default)
Where you study
EU + associated countries

What it covers

  • ✓Employment contract for ~36 months with full social security
  • ✓Monthly mobility allowance on top of salary; family allowance if applicable
  • ✓Training network: secondments at partner institutions and companies across Europe
  • ✓Among the best-paid PhD routes in Europe

Can you apply?

  • ▸Must not already hold a PhD
  • ▸Mobility rule: you must not have lived/worked in the host country for more than 12 of the last 36 months
  • ▸Any nationality

Insider tips

  1. 01Search EURAXESS for 'MSCA' or 'doctoral network' plus your field — new networks post batches of positions after each funding round.
  2. 02One network = many positions in different countries. Read the network's own website and apply to several positions within it.
  3. 03The mobility rule is the most common disqualifier — count your months in the host country before writing a word.
Official page ↗Track this applicationDocument checklist

Useful services for this route

How we fund this site

Magoosh IELTS Prep ↗

Self-paced IELTS prep — far cheaper than coaching centres.

Wise ↗

Pay application/deposit fees abroad at the real exchange rate.

StudentUniverse ↗

Student-only fares for your first one-way flight.

Independent services we'd recommend anyway — using them never costs you extra.

Stipend amounts and deadlines shown are recent figures and change between intakes — always confirm on the official page above before planning.