The EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships support internationally mobile postdoctoral researchers in the life sciences for a period of up to two years. The programme includes salary or stipend support, a relocation allowance, support for fellows with children, access to the EMBO Fellows’ Network, and the opportunity to attend an EMBO Laboratory Leadership course. Applications are accepted throughout the year, with the next cutoff date set for Friday, 10 July 2026, at 14:00 CEST.
Programme Snapshot
Programme: EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships
Category: Postdoctoral Fellowship
Organization: EMBO
Research Focus: Life sciences
Duration: Up to two years
Application System: Online application system
Application Cycle: Applications accepted throughout the year
Next Cutoff Date: Friday, 10 July 2026, 14:00 CEST
Key Requirement: International mobility between countries
About the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships
The EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed for excellent postdoctoral researchers who want to conduct research in a new country. International mobility is a central requirement of the programme.
The fellowship supports postdoctoral researchers in Europe and around the world. It helps fellows continue their scientific development while joining the wider EMBO Fellows community.
The programme also recognises first-author refereed preprints as equivalent to first-author publications for eligibility and assessment purposes, provided the preprint meets EMBO’s definition of a refereed preprint.
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Fellowship Duration
EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded for two years. However, applicants may request a shorter duration.
The minimum fellowship duration that can be requested is one year.
Fellowships must start within one calendar year from the relevant evaluation cutoff.
Funding and Fellowship Benefits
The fellowship support depends on the location of the host institution.
For fellows based in EMBC Member States, EMBO provides grants to host institutions so they can issue employment contracts to EMBO Fellows.
For fellows working in countries outside EMBC Member States, the programme provides a stipend.
Confirmed support may include:
✓ Salary or stipend support
✓ Relocation allowance
✓ Support for fellows with children
✓ Travel and relocation support as a lump sum, where eligible
✓ Access to the EMBO Fellows’ Network
✓ Invitation to join the EMBO Fellows’ Network online community
✓ Opportunity to attend an EMBO Laboratory Leadership course for postdocs free of charge
The fellowship does not cover bench fees, overheads, consumables, or other financial benefits for the host supervisor or receiving institute.
Child and Family Support
The programme includes specific support for fellows with children.
For non-EMBC fellows, child daycare support may be available for children under six years old. Fellows can claim incurred child daycare costs up to EUR 2,500 per fellowship year and per child.
EMBO Fellows based in non-EMBC Member States may also receive an additional allowance for dependent children under 18. The value depends on the country being visited.
Parental leave provisions also apply. Fellows in EMBC Member States may request an extension at no cost to EMBO when parental leave costs are covered by the host country welfare system or the host institute. Fellows in non-EMBC Member States whose children are born during the fellowship are entitled to three months of paid parental leave.
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Who Can Apply?
Applicants must meet the official eligibility requirements before submitting an application.
• Applicants must hold a doctorate or equivalent at the start of the fellowship.
• Applicants who already hold a PhD at the time of application are eligible only if they obtained it during the two years before submitting the application.
• Applicants must have at least one first-author research paper accepted in or published in an international peer-reviewed journal at the time of application.
• A first-author research preprint with public in-depth peer reviews may also meet the publication requirement if the reviews were obtained from an independent peer review service.
• All applications must involve movement between countries.
• Applications to go to the country where the PhD was obtained will not be considered.
• Applications to return to a laboratory where the candidate previously worked for more than six months will not be considered.
• Applications to work in the same laboratory, institute, or department where the candidate completed the PhD will not be considered.
• Applications to work again with the candidate’s PhD supervisor will not be considered.
• Candidates already working in the host laboratory may apply only if they have been there for less than six months at the time of application.
• Candidates may submit only one application for one project at one host laboratory in each selection round.
• Reapplication is permitted only once.
• Projects that directly continue the applicant’s PhD work are not eligible.
Exceptions may be considered for extraordinary personal circumstances, such as parental leave, severe illness, or military service. No exceptions are made for voluntary career breaks.
Host Laboratory Rule
From the Autumn 2026 Selection Round, a host laboratory may support a maximum of one candidate per selection round.
This applies to all applications submitted after January 23, 2026, at 14:00 CET. If multiple candidates apply with support from the same host laboratory, the EMBO office will ask the laboratory to withdraw the exceeding application or applications.
Application Requirements
Applications and supporting documentation are accepted only through the online application system.
Applicants must submit a fully completed application. Required supporting documentation includes:
• Two references
• Receiving institute acceptance
• Complete online application information
Only fully completed applications are considered.
The reference date for eligibility and evaluation is the date when the candidate confirms that the application is complete in the online system.
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Evaluation Cycles
Applications are accepted throughout the year. They enter one of two evaluation cycles depending on the submission date.
• Spring evaluation includes eligible applications submitted by the fourth Friday of January at 14:00 CET.
• Results for the Spring round are announced around mid-June.
• Autumn evaluation includes eligible applications submitted by the second Friday of July at 14:00 CEST.
• Results for the Autumn round are announced around mid-December.
Registration for an online application account is not enough to enter an evaluation round. The application must be complete and confirmed before the official cutoff time.
Applications completed after 14:00 CET on the deadline day enter the next evaluation round. No exceptions are made.
Selection Process
All applications are first reviewed by the EMBO Fellowships Office for completeness and eligibility.
Eligible applications are then sent to the Fellowship Committee for pre-screening. Around twice the number of available fellowships are selected for interview, representing approximately 25% of applications.
The committee reviews a condensed application form, including:
• The applicant’s main scientific achievements
• The three most important publications
• Summary and biological significance of the proposed work
• Justification for the chosen host laboratory
• Reference letters
• Acceptance letters
Applicants who pass pre-screening are interviewed by an expert selected from EMBO Members and EMBO Young Investigators. If a personal or video interview cannot be arranged, the application is sent for written evaluation.
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Selection Criteria
The Fellowship Committee evaluates applications based on the scientific quality and fit of the proposal.
The main criteria include:
• Previous scientific achievements of the applicant
• Novelty and biological significance of the proposed research
• Appropriateness of the host laboratory for the proposed research and training
Applications that continue exploring a topic similar to the PhD project usually receive lower priority for funding.
Final funding decisions are made by the Fellowship Committee. The outcome is typically known 16 to 18 weeks after the evaluation deadline and is sent directly to applicants by email.
Key Dates
• Next Cutoff Date: Friday, 10 July 2026, 14:00 CEST
• Spring Evaluation Cutoff: Fourth Friday of January, 14:00 CET
• Spring Results: Around mid-June
• Autumn Evaluation Cutoff: Second Friday of July, 14:00 CEST
• Autumn Results: Around mid-December
Apply Here
Submit your application through the official application link below.
