Postdoctoral Fellowhips
The Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) action targets researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers, through advanced training and experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.
PF give outstanding postdoctoral researchers the possibility to work on their own projects while receiving training and supervision to enhance their skills and boost their careers through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility.
These prestigious fellowships are also a stepping stone in researchers’ careers, strengthening research cooperation with leading scientific teams and figures worldwide.
There are 2 types of Postdoctoral Fellowships:
- European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world to pursue their research career. These fellowships take place in an EU Member State (e.g. Italy) or Horizon Europe Associated Country and can last between 1 and 2 years. Researchers of any nationality can apply.
- Global Postdoctoral Fellowships fund the mobility of researchers moving outside Europe and back. The fellowship lasts between 2 to 3 years, of which the first 1 to 2 years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to the Host Institution based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country (e.g. UNIBO). Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.
Both types of fellowships can also include a secondment period up to 1/3 of the whole duration of the fellowships for European and of the duration of the outgoing phase for the Global. Secondment(s) can be anywhere in the world, in a host organisation of the academic or non academic sector. A placement period up to 6 months in a host organisation of the non academic sector settled in a EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country is possible at the end of the fellowships.
The fellowship grants an allowance to cover your living, travel and family costs. The research, training and networking costs and management and indirect costs of the host organisation(s) are also supported.
Who can apply?
- Researchers with a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research from the achievement of the PhD degree. Extensions are possible in case of activity outside research or career breaks or research activity in Third Countries.
- Researchers from anywhere in the world: all nationalities can apply to European Fellowships, Member States/Associated Countries national or long term residents in Europe can apply also for Global Fellowships.
- Researchers from all research areas and disciplines.
- Researchers compliant with the mobility rule of the chosen type of Fellowships. Fellows choosing the University of Bologna as Host Intitution must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Italy for European Postdoctoral Fellowships, or in the Country of the host organisation of the outgoing phase for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.
Researchers shall submit their own application together with a supervisor and her/his Host Institution (e.g. UNIBO).
Why UNIBO as Host Institution for your Postdoctoral Fellowship
To be successful in MSCA-PF it is crucial to find a strong host with expertise that can deepen and expand yours, with people, resources, and facilities suitable for implementing your project idea. The Host Institution has to actively support researchers during the application process as well as during the fellowship and beyond its duration.
UNIBO is a research intensive university that carry out research in all disciplines, offering excellent research environments, infrastructures and training opportunities to develop your Postdoctoral Fellowships as well as providing support in the pre-award and post-award phase of your fellowships.
How to find a Supervisor at UNIBO
The Supervisor is the scientific responsible of the Fellowships and he/she has a mentoring and training role for the Fellow.
In order to find a potential Supervisor at UNIBO, check our Departments’ pages and contact the identified researcher to ask for his/her availability to be the Supervisor for your proposal within the selected call. To identify a suitable Supervisor, possible contacts can be based on your research interests, training needs and the infrastructures and research environment offered at UNIBO. Check the Departments’ websites (“Research” section of each website) to discover their research activities and find the research topics and areas of interest you are looking for.
Career opportunities
In the framework of its strategy to attract international research talents, Unibo considers the possibilities offered by the national law (Ministerial Decree No. 919 of 22-07-2022) to assign a tenure track position to the fellows who are granted a three year Global Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Alternative funding for MSCA Seal of Excellence labelled projects
The European Commission awards a Seal of Excellence to proposals ranked equal or above the score of 85/100, and which, although recognized as excellent, were not funded due to budgetary constraints. Projects awarded with the Seal of Excellence may have access to other funding opportunities provided by European, national and local support programmes.
For instances the Italian Ministry for University and Research runs the Young Researcher programme, aimed at funding MSCA Seal of Excellence holders, and UNIBO supports the participation as Host Institution.
Carring out your MSCA fellowships at UNIBO
UNIBO hosts 21 MSCA Individual Fellowhips of Horizon 2020 and Postdoctoral Fellowhips of Horizon Europe. A growing number of Fellows and many PhD researchers under MSCA projects are performing their research activity at Unibo.
- Under Horizon Europe: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships funded at Unibo
- Under H2020: MSCA Individual Fellowships funded at Unibo
Support services for fellows and supervisors
In case you choose University of Bologna as Host Institution the Supervisor and the Fellow can benefit of our support in:
- Eligibility check and administrative requirement on the Funding and Tender Opportunity portal
- Training opportunities, information and networking: infodays and specific training activities for the proposal preparation
- Project design and review: individual support in proposal preparation and advice
- Grant Agreement Preparation, Project management and financial reporting
- Training, indication and advice about the role of MSCA Supervisor
Useful link
- Video "Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions for Postdoctoral researchers – Advance your research career"
- European Commission MSCA official webpage
- 6 step to prepare your MSCA-PF application
- MSCA and the Research Executive Agency
- MSCA-NET
- EURAXESS
- Marie Curie Alumni Association
- Doing research in Emilia-Romagna region
Doctoral Fellowhips
The objective of Doctoral Networks is to implement doctoral programmes by partnerships of organisations from different sectors across Europe and beyond, to train highly skilled doctoral candidates, stimulate their creativity, enhance their innovation capacities and boost their employability in the long-term. These doctoral programmes respond to well-identified needs in various research and innovation areas, exposing the researchers to both the academic and non-academic sectors, and offering research training, as well as transferable skills and competences relevant for boosting innovation and long-term employability.
Open positions for candidates
Support services for Unibo Supervisors
UNIBO supports the participation of their researchers as Supervisors by organizing infodays, providing training opportunities, helping fulfill the administrative requirements of the call and giving advice for the proposal presentation. UNIBO provides support also for the Grant Agreement Preparation, the project management and financial reporting of the granted MSCA Doctoral Network project.