Call to host the MCAA Annual Conference 2026

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Our flagship event gathers hundreds of our members and stakeholders together each year to celebrate our Association and European research and innovation. Take advantage of the chance to host it in your country!

The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) is currently accepting applications for venues to host the 2026 edition of its biggest event of the year, the MCAA Annual Conference.

The event brings together MCAA members and non-members from diverse backgrounds, including researchers, policymakers, and experts from the industry and non-profit sector, to network and discuss topics related to academic life, science policy, and advances in research and innovation. In past editions, this event has attracted, on average, around 300 on-site attendees and many more online. 

The call for venues is open to MCAA members, who must be supported by their local Chapter. Only Chapter Chairs based in Europe can submit applications. While the MCAA Board and Secretariat will lead the general organisation of the conference, the applicants must have an active team that can take care of the local organisation.

Dates of the Annual Conference 2026

The conference should take place from Wednesday to Saturday, according to the following plan:
• Wednesday and Thursday (full days): Satellite events
• Friday and Saturday (full days): Annual Conference

The options for desired dates for the conference are:
1. Wednesday, 25 March, till Saturday, 28 March 2026
2. Wednesday, 15 April, till Saturday, 18 April 2026
3. Wednesday, 22 April, till Saturday, 25 April 2026

Applicants must indicate their order of preference among the three proposed date ranges. If one or more of these dates is not feasible for the proposed host city, a justification must be provided in the application.

Application process

1. Fill in and submit the form below by 15 August 2025.
2. After the deadline, a first screening will be conducted, and a shortlist of applicants will be compiled.
3. Selected applicants may be contacted after the submission and asked to provide additional information.
4. The final decision will be communicated to the applicants. The evaluation will be based on the following criteria.

CategoryCriteriaWeight
Cost & value • Availability of complimentary or in-kind use of the venues.*
• Support from the local host, like universities or other institutions.
• Averages hotel rates or supply of affordable accommodation.
• Best value for the money.		35
Venue, accommodation & functionality • Conference space capacity and flexibility (main hall for 350–400 people, four parallel session rooms for 80–100 people each, and additional smaller rooms)
• Exhibition spaces(at least ten)
• Capability of hosting the event in hybrid mode.
• Hotel accommodation quality and proximity.		25
Local support & services • Support from local authorities or conference bureaus.
• Local host assistance and volunteer availability.
• Catering options, quality, and price.
• Priority for proposals with financial and/or staff support from a local university		20
Accessibility & location• Ease of travel (airport, train, local transport).
• Venue accessibility from hotels and transport hubs. 		15
MCAA considerations• Strong MCAA Chapter and/or Working Group presence.
• Adherence to sustainability guidelines.
• Alignment with the MCAA’s values.
• Flexible visa process for global MCAA members.		15

*Priority will be given to applications that have a venue free of charge, support from a local university and/or partners providing in-kind or financial support, and already identified sponsors.

**The conference organisation should comply with the MSCA Green Charter and/or local
regulations for green meetings. More specifically, the venue and city must actively pursue
environmental sustainability, including using green materials, recycling facilities, measures to
reduce waste, and appropriate resource use.

Application timeline

ItemsDeadline
Submission of proposals15 August 2025
Evaluation and communication of the resultsEarly September 2025

Proposal for hosting the MCAA Annual Conference 2026

General Info

Event Info

Do you, as the local organiser, have sufficient support from active MCAA members to organise the event in practice? *
Do you already have potential sponsors that can provide monetary or in-kind support to the conference? *
Is the suggested venue free of charge? *
Does the venue have a main auditorium with a capacity of around 350–400 people for the plenary sessions? *
Does the venue have at least three extra rooms, each accommodating around 80–100 people, for parallel sessions? *
Does the venue have at least one room for around 20 people to be used as an office for the organising team? *
Does the venue have enough space to host a poster exhibition of around 50 posters? *
Does the venue have a dedicated space to host coffee breaks and lunches for about 350 people? *
Does the venue have a dedicated space to host around 15 sponsor booths? *
Does the venue have one or more rooms that can be used as quiet rooms, spaces for breastfeeding, or to accommodate other social needs? *
Is the venue accessible to people with disabilities or specific needs? For instance, all spaces should be wheelchair accessible. *
Is the venue equipped with technology for hybrid events? *
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Disclaimer

Disclaimer
The personal information submitted with this form is saved on ACQUIA Εuropean servers and an external IT company that works under contract with MCAA has access to them. Access to this personal data is granted to a very small number of EC personnel in case of audit, to the MCAA relevant staff of the appointed EC contractor and to the MCAA Board, for the purpose of analysing and evaluating the application.

I acknowledge and agree that the processing of the personal data provided through this form, undertaken by the MCAA, will take place in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For more details, please read the MCAA Privacy Statement.

Please submit after finishing. Once submitted, you cannot resubmit for 24 hours.