Celebrating 30 years of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

To mark the anniversary, ViroiDoc invites its doctoral candidates to share their mobility experiences in a blog series on the project website in 2026.

In 2026, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) celebrate a major milestone: 30 years of supporting research careers, mobility, and excellence worldwide.

Launched in 1996, the MSCA have become the European Union’s flagship programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training. Over the past three decades, they have supported more than 150,000 researchers at all career stages, fostering skills development, international mobility, and long-term career progression. Among MSCA alumni are 23 Nobel Prize laureates, a testament to the programme’s lasting scientific impact.

At the heart of MSCA lies a strong belief in mobility as a driver of innovation – not only across disciplines and sectors, but also across borders. Moving to a new country opens doors to new scientific perspectives, professional networks, and ways of thinking, while also reshaping everyday life and personal identity.

ViroiDoc and the MSCA spirit of mobility

The ViroiDoc project proudly contributes to this legacy. ViroiDoc brings together 22 academic and industrial partners from 11 countries across Europe and the Americas. The project trains 10 doctoral candidates (DCs) in advanced plant pathology, biotechnology, and bioinformatics, while addressing pressing challenges in sustainable agriculture.

ViroiDoc investigates how viroids cause disease, develops cutting-edge detection methods, and designs innovative strategies to control their transmission. Funded with €2.5 million under the Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Networks programme, the project supports the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy, contributing to secure and sustainable food production.

Mobility that shapes careers and lives

To mark the 30th anniversary of the MSCA, ViroiDoc invites its DCs to reflect on their mobility experiences through a dedicated blog series to be published on the project website in 2026.

Our PhD fellows have moved to a new country to join the programme – an experience that goes far beyond research. Living abroad reshapes routines, identities, and perspectives. Through this blog series, we explore the human side of mobility: the discoveries, challenges, and small personal revolutions that come with starting a life somewhere new.

Upcoming MSCA opportunities

Named after the double Nobel Prize winner Marie Skłodowska-Curie, the programme carries forward the values she embodied: curiosity, courage, and international collaboration.

In 2026 and beyond, the MSCA will continue to support doctoral and postdoctoral training, collaborative research and innovation, and public engagement with science—shaping the next generation of researchers and ideas.