Fyssen Foundation Postdoctoral Grants 2026: Closed, €45,000

Current 2026 Fellowship Status

The Fondation Fyssen 2026 Post-doctoral Study Grants competition is closed. Applications opened on 2 February 2026 and closed on 31 March 2026 at 12:00 noon French time. Results were scheduled for mid-July 2026. The next postdoctoral fellowship cycle and deadline have not been announced on the official programme page.

Fyssen Postdoctoral Grants at a Glance

Research Areas and Scientific Scope

The Foundation supports work investigating cognitive mechanisms—how reasoning, perception, learning, behaviour and their biological or cultural underpinnings develop in humans and animals. Its defined fields include ethology, palaeontology, archaeology, anthropology, psychology, epistemology, logic and neurosciences.

Projects should specify the scientific question, empirical or theoretical methods, expected findings, and how those findings advance the Foundation’s mission rather than merely showing superficial disciplinary overlap.

2026 Eligibility and Mobility Rules

• Be no older than 35 on the competition closing date.
• Have obtained the PhD less than two years before 1 September 2026, or complete the doctoral defence by 31 December 2026 at the latest; the PhD must be completed before fellowship commencement.
• Begin the first postdoctoral fellowship with this Fyssen financial support, subject to the current scheme terms.
• If already at the host laboratory, have been there no longer than three months as of 1 September 2026.
• Hold a doctorate earned outside France for research hosted in France, or a doctorate earned in France for research hosted outside France.
• A destination country involved in doctoral co-supervision (co-tutelle) is ineligible for the relevant mobility route.
• Where a French host employs the fellow on a fixed-term contract, coordinate with its HR department on any necessary co-financing to reach the applicable gross salary level.

The Foundation welcomes applicants of all nationalities, subject to these PhD-location and research-mobility rules.

Award Value and Fellowship Duration

The €45,000 figure is a maximum annual grant, not a guaranteed monthly take-home salary or unconditional two-year entitlement.

Required Documents and Research Proposal

• Official online application form.
• Host laboratory invitation letter; two invitation letters if using two host laboratories.
• Two scientific recommendations, not written by members of the host laboratory. Former PhD advisers or thesis examiners may be suitable.
• Research proposal in English, maximum eight pages, font size 12 and single spacing. Describe objectives, data collection and analysis, predicted outcomes and theoretical significance.
• CV and major publications.
• 150-word project abstract and six keywords in both French and English.
• PhD diploma or evidence of planned 2026 thesis defence, as directed by the official 2026 FAQ.

Source discrepancy: one supporting-document line on the English page still says December 2025, whereas its 2026 eligibility and FAQ specify defence by December 2026. Follow the 2026 requirements and seek clarification from the Foundation when preparing a future application.

How to Apply in a Future Postdoctoral Call

1. Check the official Post-doctoral Study Grants page for the next published competition, not the separate Research Grants portal announcement.
2. Confirm your age, PhD completion date, first-fellowship condition and permitted international research mobility.
3. Agree on your scientific project with the destination host and secure the invitation letter.
4. Prepare an eight-page English research proposal, bilingual abstract and six keywords, publications, diploma evidence and independent recommendations.
5. Register on the Foundation’s online platform, complete the form and upload the documents in the required format.
6. Submit by the newly announced deadline and retain the application’s confirmation message.

The closed 2026 fellowship deadline must not be reused for a future call. The official 2026 instructions require online completion; the old CareerAidHub instruction to mail a hard copy is not substantiated by the current page.

Selection and Applicant Strategy

Present an original cognitive-research question that fits the Foundation’s scientific remit and demonstrate why the proposed international host is essential. A feasible proposal should include theoretical motivation, specific hypotheses, research design, sources or experiments, data-analysis plans and expected scholarly outputs.

• Show how the planned work adds to the doctoral research instead of repeating it.
• Provide concrete evidence of independent technical and scientific capabilities.
• Explain access to relevant archives, field sites, participant populations, instruments or collaborators.
• Align the host invitation, project dates and researcher-development plan.
• Discuss research ethics, reproducibility, transparency and relevant institutional standards.

Separate Fyssen Research Grants — October 2026

The Foundation’s Research Grants programme is a different scheme for researchers developing independent research projects. Its 2026 application portal states a closing date of 14 October 2026 at 12:00 noon. This deadline does not apply to the closed postdoctoral fellowship. Applicants must check the Research Grants eligibility independently; do not present those grants as an extension of a postdoctoral award.