The Commission has on 24 April awarded, for the first time, Seal of Excellence certificates to more than 2300 researchers in recognition of their high-quality research proposals under the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). These are being awarded to all researchers whose 2016 MSCA Individual Fellowship proposals reached a score of 85% or above but could not be funded due to the highly-competitive nature of the MSCA programme. This endorsement provides applicants with recognition for the quality of their work, which they can use to further develop their careers and to support their search for alternative funding at regional or national level. Cyprus and the Czech Republic have drawn on the European Social Fund to introduce funding schemes in support of recipients of the Seal.

Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, said: “I am delighted to award Seals of Excellence to more than 2300 leading researchers who just missed out on funding for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships in 2016. I very much welcome the initiatives of Cyprus and the Czech Republic to introduce new funding schemes for these excellent scientists and I would strongly encourage other countries to do the same.”

Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, said: “I am pleased to welcome MSCA applicants into the Seal of Excellence community. The Seal of Excellence is a simple concept with a big impact. This quality label can help individual researchers find funding for their project.” National funding bodies in Croatia, Slovenia and Poland also have initiatives in the pipeline. Some other countries have opted not to introduce a specific funding scheme but are instead encouraging recipients of the Seal to apply to existing schemes.

For further information, including national funding initiatives, please see here.