LEaDing Postdoctoral Fellows Programme Netherlands428 Views

This article explains the structure of the LEaDing Fellows Programme, who it targeted, the funding and training model, and what current applicants can learn when applying to other MSCA COFUND and institutional postdoctoral schemes. Although the calls are now closed, the programme is still an excellent benchmark for researchers who want to understand what a top-tier European postdoctoral fellowship looks like and how to prepare for similar opportunities.

The LEaDing Fellows Programme postdoctoral fellowship in the Netherlands was a highly competitive MSCA-COFUND initiative that brought outstanding early-career researchers to five major institutions in the Leiden–Delft–Erasmus (LDE) alliance. It offered 90 two-year postdoc positions with strong mentoring, interdisciplinary exposure, and excellent working conditions across Leiden University, TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, LUMC and Erasmus MC.

Introduction to the LEaDing Fellows Programme

The LEaDing Fellows Programme (Postdoctoral Fellowship) was co-funded by the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND scheme and coordinated by Delft University of Technology.)

It aimed to attract talented researchers from around the world and give them two years of research and career development in the LDE ecosystem. In total, the programme offered 90 postdoctoral positions, divided over three calls, each providing a

full-time appointment and a personalised training plan.

Because of its design, the LEaDing Fellows Programme is often cited as a model for international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary postdoctoral training in Europe.

Why the LEaDing Fellows Programme Mattered

The programme was more than a standard postdoc contract. Instead, it combined excellent research conditions with structured career development, which is a central priority in MSCA-style fellowships.

For early-career researchers, this mattered for several reasons:

• • Strong institutional network: Fellows joined one of the LDE institutions and could collaborate across universities and university medical centres.
  • International mobility: Applicants had to comply with MSCA mobility rules, which ensured that fellows brought genuinely international experience into the Dutch research system.
  • Visibility and reputation: Being selected in a competitive COFUND call often helped fellows when applying later for tenure-track posts, ERC grants or national fellowships.

Moreover, the programme was part of a broader strategy by the LDE alliance to position itself as a global research hub, especially in interdisciplinary and societally relevant areas.

Host Institutions and Research Areas

The LDE Alliance

Fellows could be hosted at any of the five partners:

• • Leiden University
  • Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)
  • Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • Erasmus Medical Center (Erasmus MC)

Each

institution offered different strengths. For example, TU Delft is known for engineering and technology, while Erasmus University and Erasmus MC are strong in social sciences, business, health and clinical research. Leiden University and LUMC cover a broad spectrum from humanities to life sciences.

Disciplinary Scope

The LEaDing Fellows Programme postdoctoral fellowship in the Netherlands was open to almost all academic fields, including:

• • Engineering and technology
  • Natural and life sciences
  • Medicine and health
  • Social sciences, economics and law
  • Arts and humanities

Therefore, applicants could design projects that were highly specialised or strongly interdisciplinary, often involving multiple faculties or institutes.

Eligibility and Who the Programme Was For

The programme targeted researchers who had recently obtained their PhD and who showed clear potential for research independence.

Key eligibility elements included:

• • A doctoral degree at the time of recruitment (or equivalent research experience).
  • Compliance with the MSCA mobility rule: candidates must not have spent more than 12 months in the Netherlands in the three years before the call deadline.
  • A strong research track record, demonstrated through publications, conference papers and, where relevant, project experience.

In practice, the programme suited applicants who:

• • Wanted to build an international career in Europe.
  • Were ready to
    design and manage their own project.
  • Needed structured training to move towards tenure-track or independent research grants.

Funding, Duration and Training Features

Duration and Contract

Each LEaDing Fellow received a two-year full-time postdoctoral appointment at one of the partner institutions.

Financial Support

The programme followed MSCA-style conditions. While exact salary scales varied by institution and Dutch collective agreements, the package typically included:

• • A competitive monthly salary.
  • Social security and pension contributions.
  • Travel and mobility support.
  • Funding for research-related costs and training activities.

Therefore, fellows could focus on research without needing to secure basic funding on their own.

Training and Career Development

A distinctive feature was the individual training plan that each fellow developed with their supervisor.

This plan often included:

• • Specialist research training and laboratory or field work.
  • Transferable-skills workshops on topics such as grant writing, leadership, data management and research integrity.
  • Opportunities for intersectoral exposure, for example through collaboration with industry, government or NGOs.

Consequently, the programme did not only advance scientific output;

it also deliberately shaped long-term career trajectories.

How the LEaDing Fellows Application Process Worked

The programme ran three competitive calls, with deadlines between 2017 and 2018.

Although calls are now closed, the structure is still a useful template for applicants preparing other MSCA COFUND or institutional postdoctoral schemes.

Typical Application Package

A standard application to the LEaDing Fellows Programme included:

• • A research proposal, outlining objectives, methodology and expected impact.
  • An individual training plan, describing the skills to be gained.
  • A motivation letter explaining fit with the host institution and LDE alliance.
  • A CV with publications and achievements.
  • A commitment letter from the proposed supervisor at one of the partner institutions.

Selection Process

Applications were evaluated on scientific excellence, feasibility of the project, quality of the training plan and potential for career development.

External expert reviewers and institutional committees usually participated in the selection, ensuring independent and transparent assessment.

Lessons, Tips and Alternatives for Today’s Applicants

Because the LEaDing Fellows project was funded under Horizon 2020 with grant agreement 707404, it has now formally concluded.

However, several practical lessons still apply when you target similar postdoctoral fellowships in the Netherlands or elsewhere in Europe.

1. 1. Start with the Host, Not Only the Call: You should identify potential supervisors at LDE or comparable institutions first. Strong supervisor support, reflected in a detailed commitment letter, often distinguishes successful proposals from average ones.

1. 2. Build a Coherent Research and Training Narrative: A competitive proposal does more than describe experiments. It also explains how the fellowship will transform you into an independent researcher within two years. Therefore, you should link research objectives, training activities and long-term career plans in a clear narrative.

1. 3. Use LEaDing Fellows as a Benchmark: Although you cannot apply to this specific programme anymore, you can still:

• • • Study similar MSCA COFUND programmes across Europe.
    • Explore institutional postdoc schemes at Leiden, TU Delft, Erasmus and their medical centres.
    • Compare their eligibility rules, salary levels and training expectations with the LEaDing Fellows model.

1. 4. Plan Early for Future Calls: Many COFUND programmes have long lead times. Consequently, it is wise to contact potential supervisors six to nine months before a deadline. You can then co-develop a project that aligns with both your interests and the host’s strategic priorities.

Conclusion

The LEaDing Fellows Programme postdoctoral fellowship in the Netherlands stands as a strong example of how European COFUND schemes can combine excellent research, international mobility and structured career development. With 90 two-year positions across five leading Dutch institutions, it offered ambitious early-career researchers a powerful platform to build their profiles.

Although the programme has ended, its design remains highly relevant. Prospective postdocs can still learn from its structure, application process and emphasis on interdisciplinary training when preparing proposals for other MSCA COFUND calls or institutional fellowships.

Serious applicants should therefore use the official Leiden–Delft–Erasmus information as a reference point, study current opportunities at LDE institutions, and begin networking and proposal planning well in advance of any future deadlines.

Summary Table

Feature	Details
Program Name	LEaDing Fellows Postdoc Programme
Host Country	Netherlands
Funded By	Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND (Horizon 2020) and LDE institutions
Duration	24 months (two-year postdoctoral appointments)
Study Mode	Full-time, on-site at one LDE partner institution
Eligibility	Researchers with a recent PhD, complying with MSCA mobility rules and selected through competitive evaluation
Financial Support	Competitive salary, social security, mobility and travel support, and funding for research and training activities
Fields of Study	Wide range of disciplines across engineering, sciences, medicine, social sciences, law, arts and humanities
Deadline	Programme concluded; past calls ran between 2017 and 2018 (no active call now)
Official Website	Click here

References

Reference 1: LEaDing Fellows (H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2015) – CORDIS project record with grant agreement details and basic programme information.

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