First IANUS project study shows how MSCA supports research careers and where the programme could be improved
A large-scale survey of 1,604 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions beneficiaries highlights the programme’s positive contribution to research careers, mobility and scientific collaboration. The results also identify opportunities to strengthen digital skills, innovation, advanced open science practices and collaboration beyond academia.
The first large-scale study conducted by the EU-funded IANUS project provides new insights into how participants experience the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The survey gathered feedback from 1,604 fellows, supervisors and coordinators involved in projects funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.
The study examined how MSCA supports skills development, collaboration, research outputs and career progression. It also explored connections between MSCA projects and wider European policy priorities, including the European Research Area and the EU Missions, with a particular focus on Cancer and Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.
Steinbeis Europa Zentrum brings results into the European dialogue
As a project partner, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is responsible for communicating, disseminating and exploiting the project results, as well as for developing policy recommendations. By actively engaging relevant stakeholders, it helps to raise the visibility of the findings from IANUS, facilitate discussion from different perspectives and ensure that they can contribute to the long-term development of the MSCA.
To this end, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum brings together MSCA fellows and alumni with representatives from academia, policymaking, industry and other relevant networks. Through workshops and dialogue formats, participants jointly assess the results and translate them into practical, evidence-based recommendations.
Mobility, networks and training emerge as key strengths
Overall, participants reported a positive impact on research careers. International mobility, collaboration and professional networking were among the most frequently recognised benefits of MSCA participation. The findings suggest that mobility helps researchers access new environments, develop their skills and build professional relationships that can extend beyond the original project.
Training also emerged as a core strength of the programme. Fellows and supervisors particularly valued methodological development and interdisciplinary learning, which they regarded as important for scientific quality and for addressing complex societal challenges. Respondents also appreciated the bottom-up nature of MSCA, which gives researchers and consortia the freedom to develop their own research ideas.
Further support could increase long-term impact
Alongside these strengths, the results point to areas where additional support could increase the programme’s longer-term impact. Training in innovation and commercialisation, artificial intelligence, software development and some transferable competences currently receives less systematic attention. Strengthening these areas could help researchers translate scientific results into practical applications and prepare for a wider range of career paths.
The survey also found differences in intersectoral collaboration across MSCA actions. Cooperation with non-academic partners was most consistently embedded in network-based programmes, particularly Doctoral Networks and COFUND. In individual fellowships, such collaboration depended more strongly on host arrangements, existing networks and the relevance of external partners to the research topic. Administrative requirements and limited time were among the barriers identified by respondents.
Basic open science practices, including open access publishing and data management plans, are now widely used. More demanding reproducibility practices, such as systematic data and code sharing or preregistration, remain less consistent and are often influenced by disciplinary norms, institutional infrastructure, intellectual property considerations and the type of data involved.
Contributions to EU Missions are often indirect
Many MSCA projects contribute to EU Mission priorities through their research topics, methods and networks, even when they are not formally designed around a Mission. The results reflect the bottom-up character of MSCA: the programme primarily supports research excellence and researcher development, while the resulting work can also contribute to wider European policy objectives and societal challenges.
The IANUS project will build on the findings through further analysis, case studies and stakeholder engagement. This work will support the development of evidence-based recommendations on how the impact of MSCA can be further strengthened.
The full findings, as well as further results and project updates, are available on the project website ianusproject.eu.
About IANUS
IANUS, short for Integrative MSCA Achievements and Networks for Unified Strategies, is a Horizon Europe project examining how the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions contribute to research careers, the European Research Area and the EU Missions. The project aims to identify successful practices and areas for further support and to develop evidence-based recommendations for the future development of the programme. IANUS is coordinated by the University of Agder in Norway.
Study Unit Coordinator:
Ivan Buljan, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split
ibuljan@ffst.hr
Project Coordination
Marco Seeber, University of Agder, marco.seeber@uia.no
Press Contact
Luise Sanders, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum. luise.sanders@steinbeis-europa.de
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Ivan Buljan, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split
ibuljan@ffst.hr
Weitere Informationen:
https://ianusproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/IANUS_D4.1-Report-on-Results-and-Analysis-of-the-Survey.pdf - Report
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