Data Corner: which scientific fields does the MSCA fund most?

09 Dec 2025 | News

As EU policymakers ponder introducing top-down calls for researcher training and mobility grants, we ask where the money currently goes

Photo credits: DragosCondrea / BigStock

The EU’s researcher training and mobility programme Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) has always been bottom-up, allowing researchers to apply for projects in any field of science. But it does not mean each field is funded equally.

Overall, natural science research is the most frequently funded in the MSCA, with almost 3,300 projects. That’s almost half of the 6,687 grants distributed by the MSCA since 2021. 

The second most popular field is engineering and technology (1,423 projects), closely followed by medical and health sciences (1,192 projects) and the social sciences (1,174).