IBSA Foundation Fellowships 2026: €32,000 Awards, Apply by 31 January 2027

What the fellowship funds

IBSA Foundation offers seven awards of €32,000 before taxes and duties, intended for salary, mobility and living costs over 12 months. Funding may supplement other awards. Bench fees, overheads and consumables are excluded.

Payment is split 50% before the project and 50% by the end of 2027, subject to written start confirmation. Projects cannot defer their start to 2028.

Research Equity Prize

A €5,000 prize recognises the best qualifying project at an institution in a developing country, using the call’s linked country grouping. It is not an automatic top-up for every recipient.

Budgeting advice: Discuss how the host will cover research costs excluded by the fellowship. Ask how other funding interacts with your appointment and confirm the resources available before submitting a project that depends on them.

Eligible research fields

• Dermatology
• Endocrinology
• Fertility / urology
• Orthopaedics / rheumatology / pain medicine
• Healthy ageing / regenerative medicine

Project-fit advice: Select the field that matches your main scientific question. Explain the connection through the project’s objectives and methods, rather than relying on a broad biomedical label.

Applicant and host requirements

Applicants of any nationality must be under 40 at the deadline and hold a degree in medicine, biology, pharmacy, biotechnology or bioengineering. PhD students, PhD holders, postdocs and residents may apply; permanent positions such as professors are excluded.

Applicants must remain active throughout the grant at a host organisation conducting independent, non-economic biomedical research and disseminating results. Universities, hospitals and research centres can qualify.

Eligibility advice: Check age, degree, employment status and host suitability before drafting. Where an appointment title or qualification is ambiguous, request clarification from the organiser rather than assuming equivalence.

Application documents and process

Submit a research proposal through the dedicated online platform by 31 January 2027, with separate files for:

Use the live platform for proposal fields and any additional limits. Applications and supporting documents are accepted only online.

Assessment considers project quality, research experience and host suitability. Working at a different institution receives a note of merit. Decisions normally follow within three months; successful applicants must provide host acceptance within one week of notification.

1. Confirm eligibility and host support. Resolve uncertainties before finalising the research plan.
2. Check the platform. Record its fields, limits and upload instructions.
3. Prepare the project and attachments. Keep the proposal, CV and publication evidence consistent.
4. Review and submit. Check all files and retain the confirmation.

CareerAidHub proposal preparation advice

The following is editorial guidance, rather than an additional application requirement.

Build a feasible research question

Define one question that can be investigated within the available time and resources. State the evidence needed to answer it and explain what the project would contribute.

Connect the methods to the objective

Describe the experiments, analyses or clinical research steps that address the question. Identify dependencies such as approvals, access to samples, equipment or specialist support. Avoid promising outcomes that the design cannot establish.

Explain the host’s contribution

Show why the laboratory is suitable for the proposed work. Identify the expertise, facilities and supervision that support delivery. Distinguish agreed resources from arrangements still under discussion.

Select evidence carefully

Use the CV and selected publications to show your own research contribution. Explain your responsibilities accurately and prioritise work relevant to the proposal.

Check the budget and schedule together

Make sure planned activities are supported by available funds and facilities. Leave room for approvals, recruitment or experimental setbacks where these affect feasibility.

Career Accelerator Program support

CareerAidHub’s Career Accelerator Program offers profile review, opportunity mapping, tailored academic CV feedback, cover-letter and research-proposal review, outreach planning and one-to-one mentorship.

CareerAidHub is independent of IBSA Foundation. Services do not guarantee eligibility, funding or selection.