Former Mînzatu cabinet member appointed head of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions in research agency

Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, a former member of the cabinet of the Executive Vice-President for Skills Roxana Mînzatu, has become Head of Department for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in the European Research Executive Agency

Debiais-Sainton announced on 16/04/2026 that this new role was a "continuation of my commitment to strengthening Europe by investing in people — supporting the next generation of researchers and innovators who will shape our future".

In her new position in the European Research Executive Agency (REA), she will lead a team of 320 people to continue developing the MSCA as the initiative celebrates its 30^th anniversary this year.

She had been a member of the cabinet of Mînzatu since December 2024, advising on EU policies on education, training and skills, from schools to higher education and vocational education and training. She had previously been Head of Unit for Higher Education in the Commission's Education and Culture department (from March 2018 to December 2024), where she worked on the European Universities alliances, the European Education Area…