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EU Opens €399M Postdoctoral Fellowship Call For 2026

Overview Of A Historic Funding Initiative

The European Commission has announced the 2026 call for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships, allocating €399.05 million to support researchers across Europe and internationally. Designed for PhD graduates, the programme enables participation in advanced research projects abroad, strengthening expertise across disciplines while encouraging cross-sector mobility and collaboration.

Advancing Research Excellence

Selected fellows will work alongside leading scientific teams, contributing to knowledge exchange and reinforcing Europe’s position in global research and innovation. Over the past three decades, more than 150,000 researchers have benefited from the programme, including 23 Nobel laureates. Continued investment reflects its role in supporting long-term career development and strengthening research capacity.

Key Dates And Strategic Context

Applications open on April 16, 2026 and close on September 9, 2026. Within the broader Horizon Europe 2021–2027 framework, funding for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions exceeds €1.25 billion, highlighting sustained commitment to research, innovation, and scientific mobility across the EU.

A Legacy Of Impact And Future Commitments

This year’s call coincides with the 30th anniversary of the programme, marked under the theme “30 Years of Curiosity That Changes the World.” Planned activities will highlight milestones, research outcomes, and personal stories from participants. Contributions from the global Marie Skłodowska-Curie community will include figures such as Hélène Langevin-Joliot, reflecting the programme’s long-standing scientific legacy.

Expanding Opportunities For Researchers

Alongside postdoctoral fellowships, additional funding streams are being rolled out to support different stages of research careers. MSCA Doctoral Networks will run from May 28 to November 24, 2026, with a budget of €593.03 million, focusing on the recruitment and training of doctoral candidates through joint and industrial programmes.

MSCA Choose Europe for Science, scheduled from December 8, 2026, to April 6, 2027, with €51.25 million in funding, aims to improve career conditions and address challenges such as job precarity and talent outflows.

Supporting Collaborative Research And Training

Previously launched initiatives continue to expand programme reach and collaboration. MSCA Staff Exchanges, carrying a budget of €97.92 million, remain open until April 16, 2026 and support international, inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary cooperation. MSCA COFUND has allocated €105.46 million to strengthen doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes and attract high-skilled researchers.

A Pivotal Initiative In European Research

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions continue to serve as a central mechanism for research training and academic mobility within the European Union. Focus remains on attracting global talent, strengthening collaboration between academia and industry, and advancing a more integrated and competitive European Research Area.

OpenAI Brings Unlimited Text Chats To Free ChatGPT Users

Unlimited Text Conversations Roll Out

OpenAI is removing limits on text-based conversations for all ChatGPT users, following the platform’s recent milestone of surpassing one billion weekly users.

The update introduces GPT-5.6 Luna as the default model for Free and Go users, replacing GPT-5.5.

New “Think” Button For More Complex Questions

Alongside unlimited text chats, Free and Go users will gain access to a new “Think” button, allowing them to use additional reasoning power for more complex queries.

OpenAI noted that separate usage limits will continue to apply to file uploads, image generation, voice features and other multimodal tools.

Faster Responses For Paid Subscribers

The update also brings improvements for ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers. They will receive access to GPT-5.6 Sol, an upgraded model designed for everyday tasks such as web research, planning, writing, decision-making and answering questions. According to OpenAI, the model delivers shorter, more robust responses.

The company noted that this version is separate from the GPT-5.6 Sol model used in Codex and Work, which remains unchanged. Plus and Pro subscribers will also receive a new thinking slider, allowing them to adjust how much reasoning the model applies before generating an answer, depending on the complexity of the task.

OpenAI Reports Fewer Errors

According to OpenAI’s internal testing, GPT-5.6 Luna produces 62% fewer factual errors than GPT-5.5 Instant, while GPT-5.6 Sol reduces factual errors by 68%.

The updated GPT-5.6 Sol model is available to Plus and Pro users starting today. The remaining features for Free and Go users will roll out throughout the week, with unlimited text chats and the new Think button becoming available next week.

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