A new co-funding initiative from the Brazilian National Council of State Funding Agencies (CONFAP) hopes to strengthen research collaboration between Brazil and Europe
The scheme, launched in partnership with various Brazilian State Research Support Foundations (FAPs), hopes to support Brazilian participation in the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchanges 2025 call.
This initiative will provide extra funding to selected research projects under the MSCA Staff Exchanges scheme, allowing Brazilian research and innovation organisations to participate more fully in international research partnerships.
Better support for participation in MSCA Staff Exchange 2025
By doing this, it promotes two-way mobility of researchers, allowing knowledge sharing, and supports skill and career development through international secondments.
The MSCA Staff Exchanges programme is a key part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe framework, designed to foster international, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary research collaborations. It promotes the exchange of staff among global partners, supporting innovation and the development of new ideas. The 2025 call for proposals under this programme is now open, with a submission deadline of 8 October 2025.
Under this new co-funding call, Brazilian entities that are part of successful consortia selected by the MSCA will be eligible to receive financial support from their respective funding agencies (FAPs).
This support will help cover the costs associated with sending Brazilian researchers and innovation professionals to European partner organisations. In turn, this mobility enhances international cooperation, training opportunities, and long-term research collaboration between institutions in Brazil and Europe.
Eligibility and funding for Brazilian entities
To participate, Brazilian research organisations must collaborate with international partners, particularly those from Europe, and jointly submit a proposal through the European Commission’s Funding & Tenders Portal.
Brazilian participants must submit a summarised version of their project to their local FAP, which will evaluate it according to specific regional guidelines and funding availability.
Each FAP sets its own eligibility rules and funding conditions, and applicants are encouraged to consult their respective state foundations for full details. CONFAP has published complete guidance in Brazilian Portuguese on its official website to assist prospective applicants.
The scheme is particularly significant as it not only supports the mobility of Brazilian researchers to Europe but also aims to create balanced exchanges, enabling European researchers to collaborate with and travel to institutions in Brazil. This reciprocal mobility is expected to deepen bilateral scientific ties and foster a more integrated global research environment.
With a focus on fostering collaborative research and promoting long-term partnerships, the MSCA Staff Exchanges programme enables researchers to gain international experience, enhance their professional profiles, and contribute to high-impact scientific projects. For Brazilian institutions, this co-funding opportunity opens new doors to participate in cutting-edge international research, access European expertise and infrastructure, and strengthen global visibility.
Upcoming information sessions
Researchers and institutions interested in applying are also encouraged to attend the upcoming Staff Exchanges 2025 Information Session on 5 June 2025. This session will provide detailed guidance on the application process and offer insights into how to build strong, competitive proposals.
This co-funding initiative marks a significant opportunity for Brazilian research organisations to integrate into European research networks and play a more prominent role in global scientific collaboration through the MSCA Staff Exchanges 2025 programme.
![Figure 1: Sketch of the evolution of the Universe over the last 13.77 billion years. It started with the Big Bang, followed by an extremely short period of rapid exponential expansion. The furthest we can see is the cosmic microwave background, when radiation decoupled from matter, approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang. This is followed by the ‘dark ages,’ during which this radiation redshifted from the visible regime into infrared and sub-mm wavelengths. The occurrence of the first stars, about 400 million years after the Big Bang, ended this phase, spearheading the formation of galaxies as we see them today. [Credit: NASA/WMAP Science Team, public domain]](https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fig-1_1200-100x70.jpg "How did the first stars form in space?")
