[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/14944\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n        \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EScience without borders: the lasting legacy of Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENearly a century after her death, Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie remains one of science\u2019s most enduring symbols of curiosity and discovery. The breakthroughs she made in radioactivity transformed medicine and physics, and her legacy reaches far beyond the laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am among those who think that science has great beauty,\u201d she once said. Born in Warsaw at a time when women were barred from higher education, she moved to Paris to continue her studies and in 1903 she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the only woman to win it twice and the only person to win it in two different scientific fields.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor generations of scientists, she has come to embody the idea that science can cross borders, challenge conventions and improve lives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis spirit is at the heart of the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the EU\u2019s flagship programme for researchers\u2019 training, career development and mobility between borders, disciplines and sectors,\u0026nbsp;supporting both individual researchers and large international doctoral networks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECrossing borders for science\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than a century later, thousands of scientists supported by the MSCA follow a similar path: crossing borders, connecting fields and tackling some of the world\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an interview marking the programme\u2019s 30th anniversary in 2026, Professor H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Langevin-Joliot, Sk\u0142odowska-Curie\u2019s granddaughter, reflected on how closely the programme echoes her grandmother\u2019s ideals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I first heard about the programme, it reminded me of the fact that Marie promoted mobility \u2013 to be able to pay young researchers to travel around Europe.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I saw the MSCA programme\u0026nbsp;launched, I couldn\u2019t have imagined the scale it would take on. But it was based on an idea she would have loved.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EFor me, the MSCA fellowship was really critical.\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EDr Yara Bernaldo de Quir\u00f3s, biologist at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 1996, the MSCA has supported more than 150\u0026nbsp;000 researchers from Europe and beyond. About 40% of those researchers come from outside the EU. For many of them, the programme is a concrete sign that Europe is willing to invest in people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe programme has also helped universities, research institutes and companies build long-term international partnerships and training networks that continue beyond individual projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the researchers who have passed through the programme are 23 Nobel Prize laureates \u2013 as fellows, supervisors or project coordinators \u2013 a measure of how it helps accumulate talent and foster research excellence from one generation to the next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECuriosity without limits\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom cancer researchers developing new therapies to climate scientists tracking environmental change and AI specialists building trustworthy technologies, around 8 000 researchers receive MSCA support each year through\u0026nbsp;doctoral programmes,\u0026nbsp;postdoctoral fellowships\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;staff exchanges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany work within international doctoral and research networks that connect universities, companies and public institutions across Europe and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat distinguishes the programme is not only its scale, but its commitment to scientific curiosity across every field and sector. It gives researchers the freedom to explore their own ideas, however niche, often long before they make it to a policy agenda.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Yara Bernaldo de Quir\u00f3s, a Spanish biologist at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, used her MSCA fellowship to investigate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/en\/horizon-magazine\/why-dolphins-arteries-dont-age-and-what-means-us\u0022\u003Ewhy dolphins and whales appear to avoid the arterial ageing\u003C\/a\u003E that affects humans and contributes to cardiovascular disease, with the ultimate aim of improving human health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer research grew from earlier work on decompression sickness in marine mammals.\u0026nbsp;In humans, ageing naturally causes arteries to stiffen and blood vessels to function less efficiently. Diving can also trigger short-term vascular changes. Bottlenose dolphins, however, appear largely protected despite combining extreme longevity with lifelong deep diving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor me, the MSCA fellowship was really critical,\u201d she said. \u201cMy PhD was very niche, very few people are working in this area, so finding employment opportunities to diversify my research was hard.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe funding gave her the opportunity to train in cardiovascular research at the University of Colorado in the US.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m in a vet school, so to be able to go to a human research lab and learn from them, and train, and return to Gran Canaria to apply that knowledge to marine mammals is really special.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe MSCA fellowships are prestigious and highly competitive because of their reputation for transforming careers. The investment in personal development helps researchers stand out when they are applying for future grants and jobs. Bernaldo de Quir\u00f3s credits it with helping her gain a permanent academic position.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFrom laboratory to startup\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBacking researchers to ask daring questions and pursue unconventional ideas also encourages entrepreneurial thinking, and the scheme has nurtured the talent and technology behind many of Europe\u2019s startup companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Michela Puddu, a former MSCA researcher, co-founded Haelixa, a Swiss technology company that uses DNA markers to trace products and raw materials through global supply chains, improving transparency and reducing fraud.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u2019s technology applies microscopic DNA \u201cfingerprints\u201d to products such as cotton, textiles, gemstones and precious metals, allowing companies to verify origin claims.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy PhD was funded through the MSCA fellowship, and it played a crucial role in shaping my career,\u201d said Puddu. \u201cIt gave me the opportunity to join a highly innovative research group, where I developed the core technology that I later commercialised.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as importantly, it was during her PhD that she met her company\u2019s co-founder, Gediminas Mikutis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Puddu, early investment in researchers is also an investment in Europe\u2019s future competitiveness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSupporting researchers at an early stage is critical for Europe\u2019s competitiveness,\u201d she said. \u201cEarly backing enables researchers to explore bold ideas, build expertise and advance technologies toward future real-world applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this sense, MSCA acts as\u0026nbsp;one of Europe\u2019s quiet talent engines, giving young scientists the confidence that the system will support them when their ideas are still unproven.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt also ensures that promising technologies are developed and retained in the region. In a landscape where innovation cycles are accelerating,\u0026nbsp;this early support can make the difference between leading and lagging behind,\u201d Puddu said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe programme is building increasingly strong ties between academia and a wide range of non\u2011academic organisations \u2013 from industry and public administrations to hospitals, museums and other actors in the research community. Companies, including SMEs, now account for half of participating organisations, giving smaller firms access to highly skilled international research talent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese networks often continue long after individual grants end, creating lasting collaborations and shared expertise across sectors and countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EScience for society\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe MSCA\u2019s impact extends well beyond laboratories and startups. Public engagement has become a growing part of the programme\u2019s mission, particularly through the annual European Researchers\u2019 Night, which brings science directly to people across Europe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn 25 September this year, events in around 40 countries are expected to draw more than 1 million visitors to museums, universities and research institutions to meet scientists and see research first-hand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EEarly backing enables researchers to explore bold ideas, build expertise and advance technologies toward future real-world applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EDr Michela Puddu, co-founder of Haelixa AG, Switzerland \u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENamed after one of history\u2019s most famous women scientists, the programme has also consistently promoted gender equality in research. Women represent 45% of supported researchers, making the MSCA one of the most gender-balanced parts of the EU Framework Programme.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Anne L\u2019Huillier, recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/prizes\/physics\/2023\/lhuillier\/facts\/\u0022\u003E2023 Nobel Prize in Physics\u003C\/a\u003E and a former MSCA beneficiary, believes the diversity that the programme encourages is essential to scientific creativity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cResearch is done by groups of people, never by an individual person,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd if research groups are diverse, you have different ideas and ways of seeing things. And this is where you have a truly creative environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is a principle that has defined the programme from the start \u2013 and looks set to define the next chapter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBacking the next generation\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThirty years after its creation, the MSCA continues to demonstrate how investing in people and curiosity can generate impact far beyond academia. By starting from researchers\u2019 questions, and trusting them to chart the course, it offers a degree of freedom that many scientists see as increasingly rare.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom advances in health and sustainability to breakthrough technologies and international cooperation, the programme has helped build a generation of researchers capable of addressing complex global challenges,\u0026nbsp;while strengthening Europe\u2019s wider research and innovation networks, institutions and international partnerships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt has shown in practical terms what it means when Europe chooses to invest in people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n            \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n      Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-mbn-x9yq6tdoksixeywkekoiela-5wedcf8jqz1e1je\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-mBN_X9Yq6tDoKSIXEYwkeKoiElA_5wEDCf8jQZ1e1JE\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]