MSCA Presidency Conference 2026 – Celebrating Mobility, Shaping Resilience
Event marks transformative, 30-year contribution to European research excellence.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Presidency Conference 2026 takes place today and tomorrow in Technological University Dublin, as part of Ireland Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Co-funded by the European Commission, the conference is organised by Ireland’s Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and Research Ireland, the national research and innovation development agency.
The MSCA Presidency Conference 2026 brings together 250 researchers, policy makers, funders, research managers, institutional leaders, industry representatives and other stakeholders from across Europe.
The conference’s theme – ‘Celebrating Mobility, Shaping Resilience’ – has been shaped by ongoing European discussions on attracting, developing and retaining research talent. The conference aims to generate practical and policy-relevant recommendations on how Europe can better support resilient research careers, enabling researchers to navigate increasingly complex career pathways and respond to a rapidly changing research and innovation landscape.
Day 2 of the conference, November 5th, marks the 30th anniversary of MSCA, and celebrates the programme’s transformative contribution to researcher development, mobility, training and European research excellence over that time.
Speaking on the eve of conference, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, said:
For 30 years, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions have played a vital role in supporting research talent, fostering international collaboration and strengthening research excellence across Europe. As Ireland hosts this important conference during our Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we have an opportunity to celebrate these achievements, while also looking to the future. Europe’s competitiveness and prosperity depend on our ability to attract, develop and retain talented researchers. We must continue to invest in research talent and ensure that Europe remains a leading destination where researchers can build rewarding and resilient careers.
CEO of Research Ireland, Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, stated:
The MSCA has been a significant contributor in setting the standards for doctoral and postdoctoral training across Europe, and, indeed, spreading good practice in recruitment, supervision and researcher development. The MSCA is also a major engine for scientific and innovation output, helping to drive the formation of international and intersectoral networks. This is evidenced by the fact that companies now make up almost half of the total number of participating organisations.
Commenting on the conference, Luca Perego Head of Unit, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, DG EAC, European Commission, said:
The European Commission is proud to be celebrating three decades of the MSCA, a programme that has championed international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration as drivers of excellence in research and in research careers. Yet we know that researchers today are operating in a fast-changing world. Geopolitical tensions, research security concerns, pressures on academic freedom, and broader uncertainty all affect how researchers work. This conference contributes to the conversation as to how best to support research in Europe.
Through a combination of keynote presentations, panel discussions, parallel sessions and interactive audience engagement, the conference is exploring how institutions, funders, employers and policy makers can strengthen the conditions that allow researchers to build sustainable, diverse and future-proofed careers.
The central output of the conference will be a set of actionable policy recommendations that will be captured in the Conference Report following the event.
A livestream of the two-day MSCA Presidency Conference 2026 is available via the conference website:
