On 12 and 14 May 2026, the MSCA-GLOPOL project successfully organised two global editions of the “MSCA Best Practice Forum 2: Compliance, Administration and Going Beyond”, bringing together MSCA National Contact Points (NCPs), MSCA-GLOPOL Regional Liaison Officers (RLOs), MCAA Members, policy representatives and institutional stakeholders, from across the world.
The two online sessions attracted participants from more than 50 countries worldwide and provided a practical and highly interactive platform for discussing key implementation aspects of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
The Forum focused on financial management, compliance obligations, intellectual property rights, gender equality, ethics, and open science under Horizon Europe MSCA projects. Both sessions were designed as interactive exchanges, allowing participants to directly engage with experts and raise practical implementation questions related to MSCA projects.
The sessions featured contributions from several distinguished speakers and experts. Leonardo DallAgnol, Chair of the MCAA Brazil Chapter, moderated the 14 May session, while Sureyya Akyuz, Chair of the MCAA Career Development Working Group, moderated the 12 May session.
MSCA-GLOPOL representatives introduced the project and presented its global cooperation and outreach activities. (Presentation is available here.)
Michelle Dubini from the European IP Helpdesk delivered a dedicated presentation on Intellectual Property Rights in MSCA projects, addressing ownership of results, access rights, dissemination obligations, and the relationship between open science and IP protection. (Presentation is available here.)
Financial management and compliance aspects of MSCA projects were presented by Emmanuella de Volpe, Legal Administrator at the Research Executive Agency (REA), European Commission, and Roberto Santorillo, Financial Expert at REA’s Financial Unit (Presentation is available here). Their presentations covered the MSCA unit cost model, eligible costs, audit findings, record-keeping obligations, payment mechanisms, and common implementation challenges observed during project audits.
Jenny Lind Elmaco, MSCA-GLOPOL Task Leader, concluded the sessions with presentations on gender equality, diversity and inclusion, ethics, and open science within Horizon Europe and MSCA. The discussions highlighted the importance of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs), the integration of the gender dimension into research content, ethical compliance procedures, and the growing importance of open science practices across the research lifecycle. (Presentation is available here.)
The events also included extensive Q&A discussions, giving participants the opportunity to exchange directly with the speakers and address practical issues related to proposal preparation, project implementation, researcher mobility, financial documentation, and institutional support mechanisms under MSCA.
The MSCA Best Practice Forum 2 successfully strengthened knowledge exchange and institutional capacity on the practical implementation of Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), particularly in areas that are often considered challenging for beneficiaries, such as financial management, audits, compliance obligations, intellectual property rights, ethics, gender equality, and open science. The sessions provided participants with direct access to experts from the Research Executive Agency (REA), the European IP Helpdesk, the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), and the MSCA-GLOPOL project, creating a rare opportunity for practical dialogue and peer learning.
An important outcome of the Forum was the increased awareness among participants regarding common compliance risks and audit-related challenges in MSCA projects. The practical examples shared by REA experts on documentation gaps, proof of mobility, eligibility checks, and financial reporting obligations helped participants better understand how to strengthen their internal project management and monitoring procedures. The sessions also encouraged institutions to establish more systematic approaches for document retention, researcher support, and administrative coordination throughout the lifecycle of MSCA projects.
The discussions on gender equality, ethics, and open science further contributed to raising awareness of the broader policy priorities embedded in Horizon Europe. Participants received practical guidance on Gender Equality Plans (GEPs), the integration of gender dimensions into research content, ethical self-assessment procedures, and the balance between open science obligations and intellectual property protection. These exchanges supported participants in better aligning their institutional practices and future proposals with Horizon Europe expectations.
Overall, the Forum reinforced MSCA-GLOPOL’s objective of supporting international cooperation and strengthening the global MSCA ecosystem through practical capacity-building activities, direct engagement with institutional stakeholders, and the promotion of sustainable international research partnerships.
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