The EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships give early-career life-science researchers up to two years of funded postdoctoral research in a new country. Run by the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), it is built around one idea: you move to a different country for postdoctoral work, and EMBO supports that move.
Applications are open all year, grouped into two evaluation rounds. The next hard cutoff is Friday 22 January at 14:00 CET, and only fully completed applications confirmed by that time enter the spring round. Miss it, and your application rolls into the autumn round.
What you receive
The fellowship includes a salary or stipend, a relocation allowance, and support for fellows with children. No fixed salary figure is stated on the official page, as the amount depends on the host country and setup, so this article does not quote one. Fellows can also attend an EMBO Laboratory Leadership course and join the global EMBO Fellows network — lasting contacts across many countries, plus training in skills a PhD alone does not teach.
Key facts at a glance
| Organisation | European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) |
| Programme | EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships |
| Field | Life sciences |
| Length | Up to two years |
| Support | Salary or stipend, relocation allowance, support for fellows with children |
| Next cutoff | Friday 22 January, 14:00 CET (spring round) |
| Second round | Second Friday of July, 14:00 CEST (autumn round) |
| Application route | EMBO online application system only |
The mobility rules that decide applications
International mobility is a key requirement: every application must involve movement between countries. You cannot apply to the country where you obtained your PhD, or return to a laboratory where you have worked for more than six months. You also cannot hold the fellowship where you did your PhD, or work again with your PhD supervisor, wherever that supervisor is now based. Projects that simply continue your PhD work are not eligible: EMBO funds a genuine new step, in a new place, with a new group.
Two more rules matter. If you have already started in the host laboratory, you can apply only if you have lived in the host country for less than six months when you submit. You also cannot return to a country where you lived or worked for more than six months in the previous 18 months, counted from submission. Check each rule against your own history before investing weeks in a proposal. The one exception covers extraordinary personal circumstances, such as parental leave, severe illness or military service — voluntary career breaks do not qualify, so contact the Fellowship Office first.
Who fits, and who should pause
You are a strong fit if you:
- a doctorate or equivalent in the life sciences, held or due by the start of the fellowship;
- a PhD obtained within the two years before submission, if you already hold it;
- at least one first-author paper in an international peer-reviewed journal, or a qualifying first-author preprint with verifiable in-depth peer reviews;
- a host laboratory in a different country that is genuinely new to you.
Pause if your plan keeps you in your PhD country, returns you to a former lab, or continues your PhD project under a new title. Pause too if your PhD is older than two years without an approved exception, or if you cannot name a host lab willing to support you. A host lab may support at most one candidate per round, so confirm early it is free.
How the two rounds work
EMBO accepts applications throughout the year and sorts completed applications into two rounds. The spring round covers applications submitted by the fourth Friday of January at 14:00 CET, with results around mid-June; the autumn round covers applications submitted by the second Friday of July at 14:00 CEST, with results around mid-December. Creating an account is not enough: your application counts only once submitted and confirmed, and that date is the reference date for eligibility and evaluation. Completed after 14:00 on the cutoff day, an application enters the next round, with no exceptions.
The one-application rule
You can submit only one application, for one project at one host laboratory, in each round. From the autumn round onwards, re-applications will no longer be permitted for applications submitted after the January cutoff — each researcher may submit only one EMBO Fellowship Proposal. There is no second attempt to fix a weak proposal, so send your strongest version, not a trial run. State your research question in plain language, explain why the host lab fits it, and show what is new compared with your PhD work.
How to apply
- Read the official programme page, guidelines and FAQs before you start.
- Agree your project and host laboratory, and confirm the lab is not backing another candidate this round.
- Register in the EMBO online application system and complete every section.
- Arrange your two references and the receiving institute’s acceptance early.
- Confirm completion before Friday 22 January at 14:00 CET, and keep proof.
For comparison, see our guides to the IQMR Fellowships at Syracuse University and the Harvard W. E. B. Du Bois Fellows Program.
Common questions
Q: Does the fellowship pay a fixed salary?
A: No fixed figure is stated on the official page. The fellowship includes a salary or stipend, a relocation allowance and support for fellows with children, with amounts depending on the host country and setup.
Q: Can I apply if I already work in the host lab?
A: Only if you have lived in the host country for less than six months when you submit. Longer than that, or past work in that lab of more than six months, rules the application out.
Q: Can I apply again if I am not successful?
A: For applications submitted after the January cutoff, re-applications are no longer permitted. Each researcher may submit only one EMBO Fellowship Proposal.
If your research is ready for a genuine new step in a new country, start with the mobility rules, secure your host lab early, and confirm well before the deadline.
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