ICGEB Short-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026/27: Stipend, Eligibility & Deadlines

ICGEB Short-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship at a Glance

The Arturo Falaschi Short-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship funds collaborative research between scientists from ICGEB Member States and research groups at ICGEB Component laboratories.

The programme is designed to provide access to advanced research techniques, strengthen international collaboration and build scientific capacity in participating countries.

September 2026 Status and Next 2027 Call

September 2026 cycle

The full-application deadline does not create a second opportunity for new candidates. Only applicants whose Expression of Interest was accepted by their chosen ICGEB research group can proceed.

Next call in 2027

ICGEB has announced that its next fellowship call will include Arturo Falaschi short-term postdoctoral fellowships. The opportunities are scheduled to open in January 2027, with a final application deadline of 31 March 2027.

Who Can Apply?

Nationality

Applicants must be nationals of an ICGEB Member State.

Mobility requirement

Candidates normally cannot undertake the fellowship in their country of origin.

An exception applies where the candidate has been working abroad for at least the preceding three years and remains abroad at the time of application.

Academic and research background

The current call states that candidates should hold a recent PhD in Life Sciences or have at least three years of research experience.

Age

There is no published hard age cutoff for this call. ICGEB states that preference is given to candidates below 35 years of age.

English

An English-language certificate is required during the full application unless English was the medium of instruction. In that case, the university must issue an official declaration confirming the medium of instruction.

Stipend, Travel, Insurance and Accommodation

Travel

ICGEB provides travel from the fellow’s home country to the host laboratory at the beginning of the fellowship and return travel after completion.

Medical insurance

Medical health-insurance coverage is provided for the fellowship period.

Visa and permit costs

Visa or permit-of-stay application and renewal costs are reimbursed.

Family support

ICGEB does not provide financial or administrative support for accompanying family members.

Accommodation

• Trieste: no ICGEB housing service; fellows receive possible accommodation contacts.
• New Delhi: an on-campus Guest House operates on a twin-share basis for a nominal rate.
• Cape Town: accommodation support is provided and arrangements are agreed before arrival.

Stage 1: Expression of Interest

ICGEB introduced a new two-stage procedure in 2026. The Expression of Interest is now the mandatory entry point for a fellowship application.

At this stage, applicants use the ICGEB Service Gateway to:

• select the fellowship type;
• select Trieste, New Delhi or Cape Town;
• select one ICGEB research group and Group Leader;
• provide educational and employment information;
• list relevant awards, prizes and honours;
• write a motivation statement of up to 200 words;
• provide a project title and research abstract.

The selected ICGEB research group then reviews the Expression of Interest. Only shortlisted candidates receive access to the full-application stage.

Stage 2: Full Application for Shortlisted Candidates

Shortlisted candidates receive an email invitation giving them access to the full application in the ICGEB Service Gateway.

Research project fields

Required PDF uploads

For short-term postdoctoral applicants, the current guidelines specify:

• full CV;
• valid passport or identity card;
• English certificate such as TOEFL, Cambridge or similar, or an official university statement confirming English as the medium of instruction.

ICGEB recommends passport validity of at least 12 months.

Reference letters

The current fellowship application system requests referee contact details. The general guidelines specify two or three referees depending on the fellowship configuration, with at least one normally associated with the university or college most recently attended.

Referees receive an automated upload link from ICGEB. Applicants should not upload the recommendation letters themselves.

How ICGEB Selects Fellows

Complete applications are reviewed by the ICGEB Fellowships Selection Committee.

The main published criteria include:

• scientific excellence of the proposed project;
• quality of the applicant’s CV; and
• potential benefit to the candidate’s home country.

Successful and unsuccessful candidates are notified by email. ICGEB notes that the process can take several weeks and that individual feedback generally cannot be provided because of application volume.

What Applicants Should Do Now

If you submitted an Expression of Interest by 14 August 2026

Check your ICGEB communications and Service Gateway status. If your research group selects your Expression of Interest, complete the full application between 16 and 30 September 2026.

If you did not submit the September 2026 Expression of Interest

You cannot newly enter the current cycle at the full-application stage. Prepare instead for the next call, which ICGEB has announced for January 2027 with a final deadline of 31 March 2027.

Preparing for the next call

1. Confirm that your nationality is covered by ICGEB Member State eligibility.
2. Check whether the mobility rule allows the ICGEB Component you want to select.
3. Review the current ICGEB scientific groups in Trieste, New Delhi and Cape Town.
4. Choose the single research group most closely aligned with your proposed work.
5. Develop a concise project concept that can realistically be completed within 1–6 months.
6. Prepare your CV and confirm passport validity.
7. Arrange official evidence of English as the medium of instruction if you will not submit a recognised English certificate.
8. Recheck the detailed 2027 call when it becomes available in January.

Researchers comparing additional opportunities can browse CareerAidHub’s current postdoctoral fellowships and Postdoctoral Fellowships.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

Design a genuinely short-term project

A six-month maximum fellowship requires a tightly scoped question. Avoid proposing a project whose central experiments would normally require a multi-year postdoctoral appointment.

Select the research group before polishing the final project

The Expression-of-Interest system requires applicants to choose one ICGEB research group. Build the project around a real methodological and scientific fit rather than selecting a laboratory only because of its location.

Show home-country benefit

ICGEB explicitly includes potential benefit to the applicant’s home country in its selection criteria. Where relevant, explain how the technique, collaboration or expertise acquired could strengthen subsequent research capacity.

Do not rely on the old host-letter procedure

The September 2026 call uses the new Expression-of-Interest and research-group pre-screening process. Older guides describing a mandatory host-PI support letter before application no longer reflect the current workflow.