{"id":825,"date":"2025-10-03T16:31:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T16:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/2025\/10\/03\/rethinking-doctoral-supervision-balancing-excellence-and-humanity-the-2025-msca-guidelines\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T13:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:09:13","slug":"rethinking-doctoral-supervision-balancing-excellence-and-humanity-the-2025-msca-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/2025\/10\/03\/rethinking-doctoral-supervision-balancing-excellence-and-humanity-the-2025-msca-guidelines\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking Doctoral Supervision: Balancing Excellence and Humanity \u2013 The 2025 MSCA Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<hr>\n<p><a class=\"abg-legacy-link abg-legacy-link--anchor\" href=\"#1\">Main innovations in the 2025 Guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"abg-legacy-link abg-legacy-link--anchor\" href=\"#2\">The ABG approach: a concrete extension of the MSCA Guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"abg-legacy-link abg-legacy-link--anchor\" href=\"#3\">Critical analysis<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"abg-legacy-link abg-legacy-link--anchor\" href=\"#4\">ABG training on supervision &amp; European projects<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"abg-legacy-link abg-legacy-link--anchor\" href=\"#5\">Professionalize supervision within your organization<\/a><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/op.europa.eu\/en\/publication-detail\/-\/publication\/1803a3f6-0084-11f0-9503-01aa75ed71a1\/language-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The revised document of the MSCA Supervision Guidelines<\/a><\/strong> does not constitute a regulation per se, but rather <strong>an evolving reference framework of good practices<\/strong>. It reflects a continuous improvement approach, built upon the experience and feedback of the wide network of researchers and supervisors involved in the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions and the MCAA.<\/p>\n<p><strong>While these guidelines do not create formal obligations, <span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">they nonetheless define a credible and influential benchmark to which any actor involved in doctoral or postdoctoral training would benefit from comparing themselves.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"1\">Main innovations in the 2025 Guidelines<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/visu_1_Guidelines-1.jpg\">The major conceptual innovation lies in the formalization of a structured \u201c<strong>supervision ecosystem<\/strong>\u201d built around a dynamic triangle:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Supervisors<\/strong>: responsible for scientific supervision and professional development<\/li>\n<li><strong>Researchers<\/strong>: active beneficiaries of training and mentoring<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutions<\/strong>: guarantors of frameworks, resources, and structural support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This ecosystem is enriched by an extended network including the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), National Contact Points (NCPs), REA Project Officers, and all academic and non-academic organizations.<\/p>\n<p>The 2025 Guidelines give a prominent place to <strong>shared supervision models<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>These models take different forms: <strong>intra-institutional co-supervision<\/strong> involving several supervisors within the same organization, <strong>joint inter-institutional supervision<\/strong> promoting collaboration between institutions, and <strong>intersectoral supervision<\/strong> creating bridges between academia and industry \u2014 a model exemplified by the French <strong>doctorat CIFRE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>These approaches aim to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>distribute the supervision workload;<\/li>\n<li>diversify perspectives and networks;<\/li>\n<li>prepare researchers for varied career paths;<\/li>\n<li>ensure continuity of supervision. Frameworks include <strong>supervision structures<\/strong> (guidelines, agreements, model contracts), <strong>formal onboarding processes<\/strong> (information access, integration into networks), <strong>conflict resolution mechanisms<\/strong> (transparent, confidential and impartial procedures), as well as <strong>continuous evaluation systems<\/strong> (satisfaction surveys, effectiveness tracking, continuous improvement).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"2\">The ABG approach: a concrete extension of the MSCA Guidelines<\/h2>\n<p>For several years, ABG has supported research actors in the professionalization of doctoral supervision. Its approach, based on field experience, complements and operationalizes the recommendations of the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).<\/p>\n<p>Both initiatives share a common vision: promoting supervision excellence centered on relationship quality and researcher development. ABG adds a pragmatic and managerial dimension, essential to putting these principles into everyday practice.<\/p>\n<h4>Co-constructing the supervisory relationship<\/h4>\n<p>The MSCA Guidelines emphasize the need for alignment of expectations between supervisors and researchers. ABG turns this into a method: from day one, it encourages the <strong>co-construction of the doctoral project vision<\/strong>, where the doctoral candidate becomes an active player in their own trajectory.<\/p>\n<h4>Integrating management fundamentals<\/h4>\n<p>ABG considers supervision as a <strong>specific managerial relationship<\/strong>, based on responsibility and communication.<\/p>\n<p>Its training programs rely on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>team management principles<\/strong> adapted to the doctoral context,<\/li>\n<li><strong>progressive development of autonomy<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li><strong>and prevention of critical situations<\/strong> through practical tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This approach brings to life what the MSCA Guidelines state: demanding yet humane supervision.<\/p>\n<h4>Welcoming, integrating, and fostering research culture<\/h4>\n<p>The European Guidelines highlight the importance of structured onboarding for doctoral candidates; ABG complements this with a <strong>human and intercultural dimension<\/strong>. The first year is seen as a key period to build trust, transmit laboratory codes, and establish a shared culture rooted in mutual respect. It also emphasizes <strong>the importance of quality recruitment<\/strong>. Supervisors are encouraged to become familiar with interview techniques and identifying high-potential profiles. Recruiting a doctoral candidate means identifying a future research collaborator.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"3\">Critical analysis by ABG \u2013 Dr. Vincent Mignotte<\/h2>\n<p>ABG emphasizes that successful supervision does not rely solely on institutional compliance, but on a <strong>balance between guidance and autonomy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.linkedin.com\/in\/vincentmignotte\/fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Vincent Mignotte<\/a>, <strong>Training and Support Manager for Senior Researchers at ABG<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe new MSCA Guidelines indeed provide a rigorous framework for doctoral supervision; however, the doctoral candidate is a young professional, and as such, bears part of the responsibility for the quality of the relationship with their supervisors. The document could have addressed this point in greater depth. ABG decided to tackle it through a dedicated training course for doctoral candidates entitled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abg.asso.fr\/fr\/candidatFormation\/show\/id_formation\/57#:~:text=Le%20doctorat%20est%20un%20marathon,parties%20prenantes%20facilitera%20son%20int%C3%A9gration.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong><span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">Bien vivre son doctorat<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/a>, conceived as the mirror of the program for supervisors. What truly matters is the ability of both supervisors and doctoral candidates to exchange on their mutual expectations and to build a climate of reciprocal trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the doctoral candidate should be viewed as a <strong>co-actor in their own training<\/strong>, demonstrating <strong>curiosity, creativity, initiative, responsibility, and perseverance.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"abg-legacy-callout\"><span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">ABG recommendations for balanced supervision:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">1 &#8211;<\/span> <\/strong>Value mutual commitment: clarify expectations for proactivity, curiosity, and accountability from the doctoral candidate.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">2 &#8211;<\/span> <\/strong>Contextualize the guidelines: adapt recommendations to disciplinary and sector-specific realities.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">3 &#8211;<\/span> <\/strong>Foster progressive autonomy: structure supervision according to a decreasing gradient of dependency.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">4 &#8211;<\/span> <\/strong>Recognize reciprocity: emphasize the mutual benefits of the supervisory relationship.<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"4\">ABG training &amp; European projects<\/h2>\n<p>ABG offers specialized training sessions on doctoral supervision designed to meet both European requirements and real-world needs. <strong>Designed and delivered by former researchers and supervisors<\/strong> with international experience, these sessions are based on the principles of the <a href=\"https:\/\/euraxess.ec.europa.eu\/sites\/default\/files\/brochures\/eur_21620_en-fr.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European Charter for Researchers<\/a> and on the <strong>MSCA Guidelines<\/strong> (Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions).<\/p>\n<h4>Participants appreciate&#8230;<\/h4>\n<div class=\"abg-legacy-lead\">\u201cI realized I had been working in free-style mode!<br \/>\nNow I have tools.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"abg-legacy-lead\" style=\"text-align: right;\">\u201cThe training was relevant for any kind of supervision,<br \/>\nnot only for doctoral candidates \u2014 that made it very useful.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"abg-legacy-lead\">\u201cWhen I was a doctoral student, my supervisor was excellent \u2014<br \/>\nnow I understand why.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"abg-legacy-lead\" style=\"text-align: right;\">\u201cThe exchange of experiences within the group was extremely enriching.<br \/>\nI particularly appreciated the diversity of profiles (Michelin, CNRS, medicine).\u201d<\/div>\n<h4>&#8230; As do European organizations!<\/h4>\n<p>ABG\u2019s training sessions are highly valued by participants \u2014 who find them practical and impactful \u2014 and by institutions, which <strong>recognize their strategic value<\/strong> and regularly entrust ABG with implementing such sessions.<\/p>\n<p>Recent examples of collaborations with European projects and key research actors include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>COFUND EuReCa Project, coordinated by Institut Curie<\/strong>: one-day doctoral supervision training offered to three cohorts of supervisors (<a href=\"\/fr\/article\/2494\/fr-l-institut-curie-lance-un-nouvel-appel-a-candidatures-dans-le-cadre-du-programme-doctoral-international-eureca-europe-research-care-2494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Team-up for Startup #HealthTech event, coordinated by Institut Pasteur<\/strong>: project pitch session (3 minutes each, focused on clearly expressing development-stage needs to ease networking between participants and startups) (<a href=\"\/fr\/article\/2123\/fr-team-up-for-startup-healthtech-by-l-institut-pasteur-2123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>EUTOPIA project, coordinated by CY Cergy Paris Universit\u00e9<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyu.fr\/europe-et-international\/eutopia\/decouvrir-lalliance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link<\/a>): online half-day workshop entitled <em>Introduction to team management<\/em>, focused on the fundamentals of team leadership and preparing postdoctoral researchers for supervisory roles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abg.asso.fr\/fr\/article\/fr-collaboration-l-abg-projet-europ%C3%A9en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Discover more examples of European collaborations with ABG<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"5\">Professionalize supervision within your organization with ABG<\/h2>\n<p><strong>For over 10 years, <span class=\"abg-legacy-accent\">ABG has supported the upskilling of supervisors<\/span><\/strong>, playing a recognized leading role in the professionalization and monitoring of doctoral supervision in France and Europe. This expertise translates into <strong>tailored training programs<\/strong>, built upon a deep understanding of both academic and industrial contexts.<\/p>\n<p>Companies, research institutes, universities, foundations and other organizations wishing to <strong>professionalize their supervisors<\/strong> can benefit from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tailor-made training<\/strong>: sessions adapted to your organizational context;<\/li>\n<li><strong>On-site delivery<\/strong>: we train your teams directly on your premises;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Long-term support<\/strong>: post-training follow-up and in-depth coaching.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn\" href=\"mailto:formation@abg.asso.fr\">Contact us to organize a session<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n<h4>BONUS TRACK: The success story \u2013 [Michelin x ABG] Supervisors Training<\/h4>\n<p>Since 2023, the Michelin Group has been collaborating with ABG to jointly train the doctoral supervisors of its industrial teams together with academic researchers from the Auvergne Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes region.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This unique training fosters experience sharing and harmonization of practices between academic and industrial research environments<\/strong>, to the benefit of successful CIFRE doctoral projects.<\/p>\n<p>Watch the cross-testimonies of participants and project leaders in the video below, which perfectly illustrates the spirit of innovation and collaboration fostered by ABG.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn\" href=\"http:\/\/formation@abg.asso.fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contact us<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"abg-legacy-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HGicBaYmu5Q?si=ozX8CQ8a3XABMJ2Y\" title=\"YouTube video player\" width=\"560\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/europa.eu\/!j6Hbdd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/couv_guidelines-1.jpg\"><\/a>To go further&#8230;<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions guidelines on supervision<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.eu\/!j6Hbdd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/europa.eu\/!j6Hbdd<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions \u2013 Supervision guidelines: annex with best practices<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.eu\/!k94F3n\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/europa.eu\/!k94F3n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8211; <strong>Social media posts:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/mscactions_msca-supervisors-marieskagkodowskacurieactions-activity-7318906163280969729-2s1c?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAACrMCdoBepEelQs2363F8XlV3zdJaXWS6is\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MSCA\u2019s LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>ABG Supervision training<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abg.asso.fr\/formations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.abg.asso.fr\/formations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Marie Curie Alumni Association<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariecuriealumni.eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.mariecuriealumni.eu<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Article written by the ABG Editorial Team \u2013 Association Bernard Gregory<\/p>\n<h4>For any questions, contact ABG<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dr Felisa Berenguer:<\/strong> Training and Support Manager \u2013 <a href=\"mailto:felisa.berenguer@abg.asso.fr\">felisa.berenguer@abg.asso.fr<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the European Union\u2019s flagship programme for researcher training and mobility, support thousands of scientists around the world every year. In January 2025, the European Commission revised its supervision guidelines, following a consultation process launched during the 2024 MCAA Conference in Milan, to better guide doctoral and postdoctoral supervision practices. ABG shares these key updates and provides its critical analysis to shed light on this essential issue for research and innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=825"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2119,"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825\/revisions\/2119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abg.asso.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}