Here’s a list of funding opportunities for early career scientists in the EU, UK, Switzerland and the US
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The EU recognises the role of young researchers in shaping the future research and innovation landscape and throughout the years policymakers have pushed for better career paths and put in place specific funding programmes in support of this.
One of the cornerstone initiatives, launched by the Commission in 1996, is the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), which supports early career researchers through fellowships, training, and opportunities to travel.
MSCA, part of Horizon Europe’s Pillar 1, includes five grant programmes, of which doctoral networks and the postdoctoral fellowships are the biggest.
In addition to financial support, the EU prioritises professional development and wellbeing.
However, gaps remain, as Manuel Heitor, director of the Technology Policy lab at the University of Lisbon's Centre for Innovation and formerly Portugal's science minister argued in a recent viewpoint published in Science|Business. The quality of research and innovation jobs and job insecurity is thwarting future development, he said.
After the European Research Council reported a fall in applications from early career researchers in recent years, last July the Commission announced measures to improve recruitment, career paths and working conditions in the European Research Area.
Currently, there is a multitude of calls specifically addressed to, and designed for young researchers in Europe and elsewhere. Science|Business has gathered them here.
The first call is the MSCA postdoctoral fellowships under Horizon Europe to help connect researchers with host institutions around the world. With an indicative budget of €417.18 million, postdoctoral fellowships divide into European and global. Candidates can submit proposals up to 11 September. More details are available here.
Another MSCA call is the doctoral networks 2024, with an indicative budget of €608.6 million to set up doctoral programmes in partnership with universities, research institutions, research infrastructures and companies. The deadline for submitting proposals is 27 November. More details here.
Next, there is an open call for Early Career Grant powered by Alzheimer Nederland to fund researchers affiliated with a university or research institute who are due to be awarded a PhD by 31 December 2024. The goal is to research causes and underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, to contribute to the development of therapies. Research projects with a duration of two years can receive up to €125,000. The deadline to submit application is 25 June. More details here.
The European Molecular Biology Organisation helps young scientists through three grants. The Postdoctoral Fellowships supports internationally mobile postdoctoral researchers in Europe and around the world. The next deadline is 12 July. The Scientific Exchange Grants support international collaborations by enabling transfer of expertise. The New Venture Fellowships fund young scientists who enter a new field of research to promote interdisciplinary research and improve understanding of a particular biological process. Applications for these two last calls are accepted throughout the year.
The Semper Ardens Accelerate grants from Denmark’s Carlsberg Foundation are three-year grants for newly-appointed tenured associate professors to establish an independent research group. Awards are worth DKK 5 million or around €670,210. The closing date for submissions is 30 June. More details here.
The Bosch Research Foundation supports young researchers working on their doctoral theses at research institutes, allocating €620,000. Topics that are currently supported range from algorithms, big data and machine learning, to material sciences and medical technology. Submission of applications is currently closed, but more details are available here.
Through the Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdocs, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation sponsors researchers from across the globe to conduct research in Germany. Grantees will get individual monthly support of €2,670. Fellowships may last from 6 to 24 months. There is no closing date for submitting applications, which are processed as part of an ongoing procedure. However, selection committee meetings take place in March, July, and November, and applicants should apply at least four months ahead of the selection meeting. More details here.
UK charity Wellcome Trust offers salaries and up to £400,000 for research expenses through its Early Career Awards, a scheme that provides funding for any discipline. The grants provide additional funding for overseas allowances, overheads and adjustment support for eligible grantees that request it. The application deadline is 21 May. More details here.
Ambizione, a Swiss National Science Foundation programme, offers funding to young researchers to undertake, oversee, and spearhead an autonomous project at a Swiss higher education institution. Young researchers from both Switzerland and abroad are eligible. The grant covers salary and funds for projects for a maximum of four years. The submission deadline is 1 November. More details are available here.
The US National Science Foundation has opened nine grants and supplementary funding to US-based early career researchers on topics ranging from engineering and mathematical and physical sciences, to developing knowledge and skills needed to conduct rigorous research in STEM education. The closing date for submissions is different for each grant. More details here.
In other funding news
Last week, the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW) released an EU co-funded call for proposals for transnational research projects to support the future of animal health and welfare. The partnership, which comprises 30 funding organisations from 24 European countries, is committed to ensuring a sustainable production system for terrestrial and aquatic animals.
There is total funding of €24.6 million, to be awarded following a two-step evaluation process. The first deadline for submission of pre-proposals is July 8. Full proposals must be submitted by February 4, 2025. Details are available here.
The call covers three research topics.
One is novel technologies for prevention, detection, assessment and management of animal health and welfare.
The second focuses on fundamental research in animal health and welfare, which aims to advance scientific knowledge and understanding of the biological, immunological, and physiological mechanisms that influence the health and welfare of terrestrial and aquatic animals.
The final topic is the relation between animal health and welfare and society, covering social, economic, or ethical studies that examine how pathogens, novel technologies or improved animal welfare might impact farmers, fishers, aquaculture producers, consumers, or the production chain.
Editor’s note: The Funding Radar is a weekly roundup of the most relevant research funding calls. You can read last week’s edition here.
