Postdoc fellowships for life scientists

American Cancer Society · US · Cancer research

Closes 1 Dec 2026 (47 days)

Deadlines are 1 June and 1 December. The next is 1 December 2026. Eligibility questions go to [email protected] at least 6 weeks before the deadline.

Duration

Up to 3 years (2 or 3 year terms)

Funding

Stipend USD 66,000, 68,000 and 70,000 per year, plus USD 4,000 per year for expenses and an extra USD 1,500 in the final year for a scientific meeting

Host

US academic institution or eligible non-profit

Eligibility

Terminal doctoral degree 3 years ago or less and/or 3 or fewer years of postdoctoral research training. Must hold a designated postdoctoral position (not research or staff scientist, not faculty). US citizens, or non-citizens with an appropriate visa or lawful status. One application per cycle.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Dutch Research Council (NWO) · Netherlands · All scientific disciplines

Closes 1 Dec 2026 (47 days)

Round 2026-3 closes Tuesday 1 December 2026, 14:00 CET.

Duration

12 to 24 months at one host institute

Funding

Salary with fringe benefits, travel and a limited amount of research costs (overheads not eligible); EUR 3,145,000 budget for the round

Host

Abroad (outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Eligibility

Doing doctoral research, or doctorate awarded within the twelve months before the deadline; the PhD must be received before the project starts. Host must be a research institute outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands (a Dutch stay is possible in some cases). You may apply for a Rubicon grant only once. Individual applicants only.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

NIH (this page: NIMH; other institutes publish their own versions) · US · Biomedical and behavioural research (institute-specific; NIMH page covers mental health)

Closes 8 Dec 2026 (54 days)

Standard dates are 8 April, 8 August and 8 December (AIDS-related: 7 May, 7 September, 7 January). The page does not state the year; by the cycle the next is 8 December 2026. Confirm in the NIH Guide notice PA-25-423.

Duration

Up to 3 years of postdoctoral NRSA support in total (counting T32 support)

Funding

Stipend (depends on years of postdoctoral experience), tuition and fees, institutional allowance; dollar amounts are on NIH's NRSA stipend page

Host

Not specified on the page read

Eligibility

Doctoral degree (PhD, MD, DO, PsyD or equivalent) received before the award starts. US citizen, non-citizen national or lawful permanent resident by the time of award. NIMH recommends applying within the first 3 years of a postdoc. The sponsoring site should generally be different from where you did your PhD. Applications that lead an independent clinical trial are excluded.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Howard Hughes Medical Institute · US · Basic biological and biomedical sciences

Opens 3 Nov 2026 · Closes 15 Dec 2026 (61 days)

Applications open 3 November 2026 (9:00 AM ET) and close 15 December 2026 (11:59 PM ET); eligibility questionnaire from 15 September 2026.

Duration

Up to 2 years of postdoctoral support, then a faculty-transition phase

Funding

Salary or stipend support plus additional expenses and professional development (amounts not read)

Host

US (HHMI-eligible institution)

Eligibility

PhD and/or MD, no more than 7 years of postdoctoral experience by 15 December 2026, in a mentored postdoctoral position at an HHMI-eligible institution. Must intend to start a tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position at an HHMI-eligible institution by 1 May 2030 and be authorized to work in the US.

HHMI's pages blocked automated reading; these facts come from search summaries of HHMI's 2028 applicant guide. Confirm on hhmi.org.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Society in Science, ETH Zurich · Switzerland · All disciplines (non-mainstream projects)

Closes 15 Jan 2027 (92 days)

2027 intake closes 15 January 2027, 17:00 CET (the date is on the Timelines page; the eligibility page read here confirms the PhD cut-off date).

Duration

Up to 5 years (2.5-year pioneer phase and 2.5-year exploitation phase)

Funding

Up to CHF 600,000 over up to five years

Host

Any institution worldwide (host invitation letter required)

Eligibility

PhD held by 15 January 2027 and obtained no more than 5 years before that date. Current or former faculty (assistant professors, lecturers) are not eligible. The project must depart significantly from mainstream research; projects other funders could support are typically not funded.

Eligibility, duration and funding were read on the page; the application deadline time came from the Timelines page in a search result.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation · US · Cancer research

Closes 15 Jan 2027 (92 days)

August 2026 cycle closed 14 Aug 2026 (selection meeting 6 Nov 2026). Next: January 2027 cycle, application due 15 January 2027 (selection meeting 8 May 2027).

Duration

Not stated on the page

Funding

Not stated on the page

Host

Not specified

Eligibility

Level 1: PhD conferred within the cycle's window (August 2026 cycle: 14 Feb 2025 to 14 Aug 2026; January 2027 cycle: 15 Sep 2025 to 15 Mar 2027) and joined the sponsor's lab on or after 14 Aug 2025 (August cycle) or 15 Mar 2026 (January cycle). Level 2: board-eligible physician-scientists, any time before their first assistant professorship. Cannot continue training in the PhD lab. Nationality and host location are not stated on the page.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

EMBO · Europe · Life sciences

Closes 22 Jan 2027 (99 days)

Applications accepted year-round; next hard cutoff 22 January 2027, 14:00 CET.

Duration

Up to 2 years

Funding

Salary or stipend, relocation allowance, support for fellows with children (amounts not stated on the page)

Host

Not specified

Eligibility

International mobility is required (a key requirement). A first-author refereed preprint counts as equivalent to a first-author publication. From the Autumn 2026 round a host lab may sponsor only one candidate per round; from Autumn 2027 researchers may submit only one proposal and may not resubmit. Years-since-PhD rules are on EMBO's separate eligibility page.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Novo Nordisk Foundation · Denmark · Natural and technical sciences, biomedicine and biotechnology (interdisciplinary, with impact on human health or sustainability)

Closes 29 Jan 2027 (106 days)

Open now: opened 30 September 2026, closes 29 January 2027, 14:00 Copenhagen time.

Duration

3 years (2 at Oxford, then up to 1 year back in Denmark)

Funding

Up to DKK 3.6 million per grant (about DKK 1.2 million per year)

Host

UK (Oxford) with return phase in Denmark

Eligibility

PhD in natural and technical sciences, biomedicine or biotechnology obtained within 5 years of the fellowship start (still-enrolled PhD students may apply with supervisor confirmation). A Danish university or public or non-profit research institution must employ the applicant and administer the grant, an Oxford PI acts as primary mentor, and you must show a link to the Danish educational or research system. At most one year as a postdoc at Oxford at the time of application.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

EMBL (EU Horizon Europe, MSCA co-funded) · Europe · Interdisciplinary research across EMBL's Molecules to Ecosystems themes (Molecular Mechanisms, Human Health, Planetary Ecosystems, AI and Theory)

Opens 25 Nov 2026 · Closes 1 Feb 2027 (109 days)

Applications open 25 November 2026 and close 1 February 2027. Fellows must start within 4 months of the interviews; the last possible start date is 1 September 2027.

Duration

3 years

Funding

Fully funded contract with social security, travel support and family allowances (salary rates are in a separate PDF)

Host

EMBL (with a partner lab in an EMBL Member State)

Eligibility

PhD by the call deadline (defended but not yet awarded also qualifies) and at most 8 years of research experience since the PhD. All nationalities. A partner lab from an EMBL Member State must be included as co-supervisor. Prior association with EMBL or the partner cannot exceed 12 months in the last 3 years.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research · US · Fundamental research into the causes, treatments and cures of human disease

Closes 1 Feb 2027 (109 days)

Deadline 1 February 2027.

Duration

Not stated on the page read

Funding

Not stated on the page read

Host

US (required for non-US citizens)

Eligibility

PhD not conferred before 1 Feb 2025 (24 months before the deadline); candidates who have not yet received the PhD may apply if it is conferred before the fellowship starts. No more than 12 months of postdoctoral experience at the deadline (first postdoc position not started before 1 Feb 2026). MD not conferred before 1 Feb 2024. Any nationality, but awards to non-US citizens go only to US institutions. Proposals in the lab of your PhD will not be funded.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Swiss National Science Foundation · Switzerland · All disciplines

Closes 2 Feb 2027 (110 days)

Next deadline 2 Feb 2027, 17:00 CET. Final Postdoc.Mobility deadline 3 Aug 2027; a new postdoctoral scheme starts in 2028.

Duration

24 months abroad plus a 3 to 12 month return phase

Funding

Subsistence grant, flat-rate travel allowance, possible research and conference costs

Host

Abroad (outside Switzerland); return grant in Switzerland

Eligibility

Swiss citizens, Swiss permanent settlement permit holders and people married to or in a registered partnership with a Swiss citizen are eligible. Others must hold a doctorate from a Swiss institution and must not have held a postdoc abroad. Submit up to 3 years after the doctoral exam (medical researchers without an MD-PhD: up to 8 years after the state exam). Cannot host at your own institution of education.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

NIH (this page: NIMH) · US · Biomedical research (institute-specific)

Closes 12 Feb 2027 (120 days)

New applications are due 12 February, 12 June and 12 October (resubmissions 12 March, 12 July, 12 November). The page does not state the year; the 12 October 2026 date has just passed, so the next is 12 February 2027 by the cycle.

Duration

K99 phase 1 to 2 years, then R00 phase up to 3 years (independent position)

Funding

K99: up to USD 75,000 per year salary plus fringe and up to USD 20,000 per year research support; R00: total cost up to USD 249,000

Host

US (K99 mentored phase)

Eligibility

No more than 4 years of postdoctoral experience at the time of application, and you must be in a mentored postdoctoral position. No citizenship requirement for K99 applicants.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Cancer Research Institute · US · Immunology and cancer immunology

Closes 1 Mar 2027 (137 days)

Deadlines are 1 March and 1 September. The 1 September 2026 deadline has passed; next 1 March 2027.

Duration

3 years

Funding

Stipend USD 74,000, 76,000 and 78,000 per year plus a USD 5,000 annual host allowance

Host

US or abroad (non-profit institution)

Eligibility

Doctoral degree by the award start. Not eligible with 5 or more years of mentored research at activation (MD applicants exclude residency). Applicants with 3 or more years in the sponsor's lab are considered only in exceptional circumstances. Sponsor must be an assistant professor or higher. No citizenship restrictions.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Carlsberg Foundation · Denmark · Not stated (all disciplines)

Opens 30 Jan 2027 · Closes 1 Apr 2027 (168 days)

The page header gives 1 April 2027, 16:00, but its status box shows a 2026 date and an overview page gives 1 March 2027; confirm with the funder ([email protected]).

Duration

2 to 3 years

Funding

Full salary plus DKK 8,000 per month operating expenses; extra DKK 50,000 per year with a partner or DKK 100,000 per year with children

Host

Abroad (at least half of the project)

Eligibility

PhD from a Danish, Greenlandic or Faroese research institution (or expected before the grant starts), obtained no more than 3 years before the deadline (leave extends this). A strong connection to Danish, Greenlandic or Faroese research is required. Not eligible after 12 months or more at institutions outside Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands since the PhD.

The page contradicts itself on the deadline.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Austrian Science Fund (FWF) · Austria · All disciplines

Rolling, no fixed deadline

No deadlines: submissions are accepted at any time through the elane portal.

Duration

Abroad phase 10 to 24 months; return phase up to 12 months

Funding

Fellowship rate depending on the host country, EUR 300 per month for career development, and where applicable the PI's salary and up to EUR 15,000 flat project costs

Host

Abroad, with a return phase in Austria

Eligibility

Completed doctorate required (you may apply shortly before finishing if the degree will be conferred within the roughly 4-month processing time; the fellowship cannot start until the certificate is submitted). Residence, years-since-PhD and publication rules were not stated on the programme page; they are in the FWF application guidelines.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation · Germany · All fields

Opens 15 Nov 2026

Calls open 15 March, 15 July and 15 November each year and close early at 800 applications. The current call is full; the next call opens 15 November 2026 (this is the opening date, not a closing date).

Duration

6 to 24 months (can be split into up to three stays within three years)

Funding

EUR 3,000 per month for postdocs plus benefits; host receives EUR 800 per month research allowance (natural sciences)

Host

Germany

Eligibility

Doctorate completed within the last 4 years (or before the selection meeting with a written summary of findings); breaks such as child-rearing can extend this. No more than 90 days in Germany in the 18 months before applying. German nationals or residents are generally not eligible unless they have worked abroad for more than ten years (or more than five with strong ties).

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Wellcome · UK · Discovery research on human life, health and wellbeing (any discipline)

Rolling, no fixed deadline

Open round with no deadline (opened 25 Aug 2026), shortlisting three times a year. The July 2026 round closed on 21 July 2026; its shortlisting is October 2026 and interviews 12 to 14 January 2027.

Duration

Usually 5 years

Funding

Salary plus up to GBP 400,000 for research expenses (some costs not counted)

Host

UK, Ireland, Low- and middle-income countries

Eligibility

PhD (viva passed) by submission, or 4 years of equivalent research experience. No more than 3 years of postdoctoral experience at submission (part-time work, career breaks and clinical training can be discounted). Host must be a not-for-profit organisation in the UK, the Republic of Ireland or a low- or middle-income country (excluding India and mainland China). From 29 October 2026, lead applicants must be based in the UK or in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia; applications submitted on or before 28 Oct 2026 follow the current rules.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) · Canada · Health research (biomedical, clinical, health services, social, cultural, environmental and population health)

Check the funder's page for dates

The programme page does not state the competition dates; they are posted on ResearchNet.

Duration

Not stated on the page

Funding

Not stated on the page

Host

Canada

Eligibility

Degree completed no more than 3 years before 1 September of the application year (extensions up to 3 years for qualifying delays; non-research clinical training can extend the window). Up to 20% of awards go to international applicants who are enrolled in or have completed a doctorate at a Canadian institution or are doing postdoctoral research at one.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science · Japan · All fields (humanities, social sciences and natural sciences)

Check the funder's page for dates

The programme page does not state deadlines; it links to separate application guideline and schedule pages.

Duration

12 to 24 months

Funding

JPY 362,000 per month maintenance allowance, JPY 200,000 settling-in allowance, round-trip airfare and insurance (airfare and settling-in not paid to those already living in Japan)

Host

Japan

Eligibility

Doctorate earned within six years of the fellowship start (adjusted for parental leave) or expected by the start. Citizens of countries with diplomatic relations with Japan (Taiwanese and Palestinian researchers treated the same); Japanese citizens and permanent residents of Japan are not eligible. Needs a Japanese host at an eligible institution; each host may submit up to three applications.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

European Commission (Horizon Europe) · Europe · All disciplines

Check the funder's page for dates

Call HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01-01 runs on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal; the deadline is not stated on the scheme page, so check the portal.

Duration

European PF 1 to 2 years; Global PF 2 to 3 years (1 to 2 years abroad plus 1 year return phase)

Funding

Living, mobility and family allowances plus research, training and management costs (amounts not stated on the page)

Host

Europe, Global (return phase in Europe)

Eligibility

PhD by the deadline and no more than 8 years of research experience after the PhD (breaks excluded). No more than 12 months of residence or main activity in the host country in the 36 months before the call deadline. European PFs: any nationality. Global PFs: EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country nationals or long-term residents. Applications are submitted jointly with the host organisation.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Swedish Research Council (VR) · Sweden · Medicine and health (separate calls exist for other fields)

Check the funder's page for dates

The spring 2026 call ran 14 Jan to 17 Feb 2026 (14:00) and is closed. An autumn 2026 call was not found; check VR's calls page.

Duration

18 to 36 months

Funding

SEK 1,300,000 per year plus up to SEK 50,000 per year for accompanying family members (2026 spring call)

Host

Abroad (at least two thirds of the grant period)

Eligibility

Doctorate awarded no more than 2 years before the call deadline, or completed by a date set in the call. At least two thirds of the grant period must be spent at a host department abroad. The applicant's Swedish administrating organisation must be approved by VR and sign the application. Nationality not stated.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC (Government of Canada) · Canada · Health, natural sciences and engineering, social sciences and humanities

No longer accepting applications

The page says the programme is no longer accepting applications.

Duration

2 years (non-renewable)

Funding

$70,000 per year, taxable (as stated on the page)

Host

Canada

Eligibility

Open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and foreign citizens. Years since PhD not stated on the page.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Helen Hay Whitney Foundation · US · Basic biomedical sciences

No upcoming deadline listed

The 2027 fellowship cycle closed on 15 June 2026, 5:00 PM EST. The next deadline is not published yet.

Duration

Not stated in the instructions read

Funding

Annual stipend paid via the host institution plus a USD 1,500 research allowance per year

Host

US, Canada

Eligibility

Early postdoctoral training. US citizens pursuing the fellowship outside the US or Canada must upload proof of US citizenship. A supervisor's endorsement letter is required. Detailed eligibility is on hhwf.org/research-fellowship (not read here).

Deadline and research allowance are from the Foundation's own 2027 application instructions; the fuller eligibility rules are on hhwf.org/research-fellowship, which was not read.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Human Frontier Science Program · International · Basic life sciences, interdisciplinary

No upcoming deadline listed

2027 cycle: letter of intent 12 May 2026 and full proposal 24 Sep 2026 have passed. Dates for the next cycle are not published yet (the 2027-cycle portal opened 12 March 2026).

Duration

3 years (non-renewable)

Funding

Living allowance plus research and travel allowance (amounts not stated on the page)

Host

US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Other HFSP member countries

Eligibility

PhD conferred no more than 3 years before the full-proposal deadline (for the 2027 cycle: on or after 24 Sep 2023). Cannot host in the country of your nationality, host must be in a different country from where the PhD was earned, and prior study or work in the host country must not exceed 12 months. For-profit hosts are not eligible. Purely applied, clinical, diagnostic or therapeutic projects are not funded.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Life Sciences Research Foundation · US · Not stated on the page

No upcoming deadline listed

2026-2027 cycle deadline was 1 Oct 2026, 8:00 PM ET (letters due 1 Nov 2026). Next cycle not announced.

Duration

Not stated

Funding

Not stated

Host

US

Eligibility

Apply within 5 years of receiving the PhD (or MD/DVM, whichever is later) as of 1 Oct 2026. US and non-US citizens may apply; non-US citizens must work in a US laboratory. The postdoc lab must differ from the thesis lab. For this cycle, applicants whose postdoc is in an HHMI Investigator's lab are not eligible.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

British Academy and the Royal Society · UK · Natural sciences incl. biological and biomedical (Royal Society); humanities and social sciences via British Academy

No upcoming deadline listed

2026 round ran 15 Jan to 11 Mar 2026 (decisions by 31 Aug 2026). No upcoming round is listed.

Duration

2 years

Funding

Up to GBP 280,000 over two years (salary, research expenses, relocation and visa costs, indirect costs)

Host

UK

Eligibility

PhD awarded or thesis defended by the closing date; no more than 5 years of full-time postdoctoral experience (breaks excluded). Applicants must be based outside the UK and not be UK citizens; any other nationality.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15

Novo Nordisk Foundation · Denmark · Bioscience and basic biomedicine

No upcoming deadline listed

The 2025-26 round opened 21 October 2025 and closed 13 January 2026 (14:00 Copenhagen time). The next round is not published on the page.

Duration

4 years

Funding

Up to DKK 5 million per grant

Host

Abroad (employment by a Danish institution throughout)

Eligibility

You must be employed by a Danish research institution for the whole fellowship; the fourth year is paid only if you return to Denmark. PhD timing and nationality are not stated on the page.

Official page ↗ · read 2026-10-15