Postdoc guide 2027 · Marie Curie · 47 sources Postdoc Guide 2027: How to Find a Funded Postdoc and Win the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship What a postdoc really is, how the Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Fellowship works in 2027, how to find a host who says yes, how to write a proposal that scores above 90%, and 47 places to look for funded positions around the world. By Dr. Muhammad Aammar TufailCodanicsUpdated 5 November 2026About 25 min read Subscribe on YouTube The short answerA postdoc is a paid, fixed-term research job after your PhD. You get one in two ways: apply for an advertised position, or win a fellowship that lets you bring your own project to a lab of your choice. The best-known fellowship in Europe is the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) European Postdoctoral Fellowship. It is open to any nationality, pays a living allowance of €6,350 a month (gross, adjusted by country) plus €710 for mobility, and the next deadline is 8 September 2027. €6,350monthly living allowance (gross, before country coefficient) 8 Sep2027 deadline for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 10pages for the whole proposal (Part B) 47places to find a funded postdoc 47Postdoc positions, funding and fellowships worldwide47 job boards, national funders and university postdoc offices in Europe, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Every link checked in November 2026.See all 47 links → There are far more postdoc opportunities out there than most PhD students realise. On one side are postdoc jobs: positions that professors have already funded and advertise on EURAXESS, Nature Careers and university job pages, where you apply with a CV and a cover letter. On the other side are postdoc fellowships and funding schemes: Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Humboldt, EMBO, JSPS, national research councils and university fellowships, where you bring your own project and the funder pays your salary at a host of your choice. Fellowships are harder to win, but they are worth it: better pay, your own research idea, and a CV that opens doors for years. The best example is the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship, one of the best-funded postdoc fellowships in the world, and open to researchers of any nationality. That is why I use it as the main case study in this guide. Once you understand how to win an MSCA fellowship (finding the right host, writing to the evaluation criteria and planning months ahead), you can use the same approach for almost any other fellowship. I did my PhD in a Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme, and since then I have helped many researchers from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and beyond move into postdocs in Europe. The people who succeed are not always the ones with the most papers. They are the ones who start early, pick the right host, and write a proposal that answers exactly what the evaluators score. Already know you want a list of job boards? Jump to 47 places to find a funded postdoc (it first appeared as the 16th heading of my study abroad and PhD research guide). Still finishing your PhD application documents? My CV, motivation letter, SOP and LOR guide has a postdoc CV and cover letter template you can copy. Follow me for daily postdoc and scholarship updatesI share new positions, deadlines and application tips on these channels.FacebookInstagramTikTokYouTubeWhatsApp In this guide What is a postdoc, and is it right for you? Two routes: advertised jobs vs. fellowships Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027: rules, pay and dates How to find a host and supervisor How to write a winning MSCA proposal Other postdoc fellowships worth knowing 47 places to find a funded postdoc Your 10-month plan to the 2027 deadline Postdoc video library Official links and related guides FAQ Section 1What is a postdoc, and is it the right next step for you? Quick answerA postdoc is a fixed-term research position, usually one to three years, that you take after your PhD. You are paid as an employee, you lead research rather than follow it, and the aim is to build the papers, network and independence you need for a permanent job in academia or industry research. Think of the PhD as learning to do research, and the postdoc as proving you can do it on your own. During a postdoc you usually publish more, start to supervise students, write your first grant applications and decide which direction you want your career to take. PhDPostdoc Your roleTrainee, guided by a supervisorEarly-career researcher, increasingly independent Length3–4 years in Europe1–3 years per contract Who sets the projectMostly the supervisor or the funded projectThe project (advertised job) or you (fellowship) What you are judged onPotential, grades, research experiencePublications, independence, fit with the host, your research plan Main application documentsCV, motivation or cover letter, referencesCV with full publication list, cover letter, research statement or proposal, references Is a postdoc right for you? It is a great step if you enjoy research, want an academic or R&D career, or want to move countries with a paid contract. It is a weaker choice if you already know you want to leave research, because a second or third postdoc can delay a move to industry. Be honest with yourself about this before you invest six months in a proposal. Short · 1:30Two Prestigious Postdoc Fellowships in Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Humboldt Fellowship. The two fellowships I recommend most often, side by side.Short · 1:34People don't believe that the Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship pays so much per month in the EU. What the Marie Curie postdoc really pays, and why people don't believe it. Key takeawaysA postdoc is a paid, fixed-term research job after the PhD.It is where you build independence: papers, supervision, grants.Decide early whether you want an academic or industry career. Next: Two routes: advertised jobs vs. fellowships → Section 2What are the two routes to a postdoc: advertised jobs or fellowships? Quick answerYou either apply for a postdoc job that a professor has already funded, or you write a fellowship proposal with a host of your choice. Advertised jobs are faster but tied to someone else's project. Fellowships take months to prepare but give you your own project, a stronger CV and a better path to independence. Advertised postdoc jobPostdoc fellowship (e.g. MSCA, Humboldt, EMBO) Who writes the project?The PI already has funding and a planYou, together with your host supervisor Where to find itEURAXESS, Nature Careers, university job pagesFunder websites and EURAXESS hosting offers How you applyCV, one-page cover letter, references, interviewFull proposal written with the host, evaluated by experts Time to resultWeeks to a few monthsOne deadline a year (for MSCA); results about five months later Why choose itQuick start, clear tasksPrestige, your own idea, a big step towards your own group My advice: do both at the same time. Apply to advertised jobs every month, and work on one fellowship proposal a year. Many of my students got an advertised job first and then won a fellowship while already in Europe, but remember the mobility rule (Section 3) if you plan to apply for MSCA in the country where you already work. For advertised jobs, your cover letter has to follow the advert's criteria, point by point. I explain this, with a ready postdoc cover letter template, in my cover letter section. Key takeawaysAdvertised jobs: fast, someone else's project.Fellowships: slower, your own project, stronger for your career.Run both tracks in parallel. Next: Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027 → Section 3Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027: who can apply, how much it pays and when Quick answerThe MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship funds an experienced researcher to carry out their own project with a host in Europe (European Fellowship, 12–24 months, any nationality) or outside Europe with a return phase (Global Fellowship, for EU nationals and residents). You need a PhD by the deadline, no more than eight years of research experience since then, and you must meet the 12-in-36-months mobility rule. The 2027 call opens on 7 April 2027 and closes on 8 September 2027. Many students call it the "European Fellowship" or "Marie Curie postdoc". The official rules are in the Horizon Europe MSCA Work Programme 2026–2027 (PDF), and the summary page with the latest deadline is on the official MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships page. Here is what matters most, taken from those two documents. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships at a glance (2027 call) CallHORIZON-MSCA-2027-PF-01 · opens 7 April 2027 · deadline 8 September 2027, 17:00 Brussels time Budget€459.70 million: €390.74m for European and €68.95m for Global Fellowships WhoPhD holders at the deadline (an unconditional defence before the deadline also counts), with a maximum of 8 years' full-time research experience since the PhD NationalityEuropean Fellowships: any nationality. Global Fellowships: EU or Associated Country nationals and long-term residents Mobility ruleYou must not have lived or had your main activity in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the deadline DurationEuropean: 12–24 months. Global: 12–24 months abroad + 12-month return phase. Optional extra 6 months in a non-academic organisation HostA university, research centre, company or other organisation in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. The host submits the proposal with you ProposalPart B limited to 10 pages (excluding annexes). One proposal per researcher per call ScoringExcellence 50% · Impact 30% · Implementation 20%. Threshold 3/5 per criterion; 70% overall to be considered If not fundedSeal of Excellence for scores of 85% or more. Scores below 80% cannot be resubmitted with the same host the next year European or Global Fellowship? European FellowshipYou move to a host in an EU Member State or Associated Country (for example Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, the UK or Switzerland) for 12–24 months. Open to researchers from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh or anywhere else. This is the one most readers of this guide will apply for.Global FellowshipYou spend 12–24 months at a partner outside Europe (for example in the USA, Canada or Japan), then return to the European host for 12 months. Only for EU or Associated Country nationals and long-term residents (five years' legal residence). How much does it pay? The EU pays the host a fixed amount per month for you, and the host must employ you with full social security. The living allowance is multiplied by a country correction coefficient so that the money is worth roughly the same everywhere. All figures are gross: tax and social contributions come off, and how much depends on the country. Host countryCoefficientLiving allowance / month+ mobility (€710) Belgium100.0%€6,350€7,060Germany101.5%€6,445€7,155Netherlands111.8%€7,099€7,809France116.6%€7,404€8,114Sweden119.3%€7,576€8,286Denmark131.3%€8,338€9,048Spain94.2%€5,982€6,692Italy93.8%€5,956€6,666Portugal94.6%€6,007€6,717 Calculated from the €6,350 living allowance and the country correction coefficients in Table 1 of the MSCA Work Programme 2026–2027. If you have a family (spouse or dependent children), add a €660 family allowance per month. Your host also receives €1,000 per month for your research, training and networking costs, which pays for conferences, lab material and publication fees. Short · 2:59Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship: Complete Guide for PhD Holders to Apply. The whole fellowship explained in three minutes.Short · 0:58Podcast about Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship in Urdu with Dr. Fatima Anjum. A clip from my podcast with Dr. Fatima Anjum, a Marie Curie fellow. Check the mobility rule with dates, not memory. Count backwards from 8 September 2027: if you lived or worked in the host country for more than 12 months since 8 September 2024, you cannot apply there. Short holidays and compulsory national service don't count. The EU also publishes a self-assessment tool for the 8-year experience rule on the call page. Checklist: am I eligible for MSCA PF 2027?Copy templateMSCA PF ELIGIBILITY SELF-CHECK (answer before you contact a host) [ ] I have a PhD, or I will have defended it unconditionally before 8 September 2027 [ ] I have no more than 8 years of full-time research experience since my PhD (career breaks don't count) [ ] I have not lived or had my main activity in the host country for more than 12 months between 8 Sept 2024 and 8 Sept 2027 [ ] European Fellowship: any nationality ✓ | Global Fellowship: I am an EU/Associated Country national or long-term resident [ ] My host is a single legal entity in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country [ ] I am submitting only one PF proposal this year [ ] If I applied in 2026 with this host and scored below 80%, I am NOT resubmitting with the same host in 2027 Key takeawaysEuropean Fellowships are open to any nationality.€6,350 a month gross before the country coefficient, plus €710 mobility.Deadline 8 September 2027; the call opens 7 April 2027.Check the 12-in-36-months mobility rule and the 8-year rule with real dates. Next: How to find a host and supervisor → Section 4How do you find a host and supervisor for a postdoc fellowship? Quick answerStart from your own network and the authors you cite, then search the hosting offers on EURAXESS, where supervisors say they want to host MSCA fellows. Send two to five personalised emails with a one-page project idea, show what you bring and what you will learn, and agree on the project at least four months before the deadline. The host decides more of your score than most applicants realise. Evaluators look at the supervisor's track record, the facilities, the training you will get and, above all, the two-way transfer of knowledge: what you bring to the group and what you learn from it. A famous lab where you would learn nothing new scores worse than a good lab that clearly complements your skills. Where to look Your own reference list. Who wrote the five papers you cite most in your thesis? Those groups already care about your topic. EURAXESS hosting offers: supervisors post "expressions of interest" saying they want to host MSCA postdoctoral fellows. Filter by field and country. University MSCA pages. Many universities run their own MSCA PF calls for hosts, internal deadlines and proposal-writing support. Search "[university] MSCA postdoctoral fellowship hosting". Conferences and LinkedIn. A short conversation after a talk is worth ten cold emails. My LinkedIn networking guide shows how to approach researchers without being pushy. Google Scholar alerts. Follow potential hosts so you can mention their latest paper in your first email. Here is how to set up Google Scholar properly. Tutorial · 14:34Apply for Marie Curie PhD & PostDoc in Europe | Complete euraxess.ec.europa.eu Tutorial. My complete EURAXESS tutorial: how to search Marie Curie PhD and postdoc positions and hosting offers.Short · 2:07PhD and Postdoc Positions in Europe on the EURAXESS Website. The quick version: finding postdoc positions on EURAXESS. Write to a potential host Keep the first email short. The professor should understand in 30 seconds who you are, why them, and what you want. Attach your CV and a one-page idea; the full proposal comes later, together. Template: email to a potential MSCA PF hostCopy templateSubject: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027 – proposal idea on [topic] with your group Dear Prof. [Surname], I am a [field] researcher who completed my PhD at [university] in [month/year], working on [one-line topic]. My main result, published in [journal, year], was [finding in one sentence]. I read your recent paper "[title]" ([journal, year]) and I would like to build on it by [one-sentence idea that connects your expertise to theirs]. I would like to apply for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowship (call opens 7 April 2027, deadline 8 September 2027) with your group as host. I meet the eligibility rules: I hold a PhD, I have [x] years of research experience since my PhD, and I have not lived or worked in [country] for more than 12 months in the past three years. What I would bring to your group: [method / dataset / skill they don't have]. What I would learn from you: [method / facility / network you need]. I have attached my CV and a one-page project idea. Would you be open to a 20-minute call in the next few weeks to discuss it? Kind regards, [Your Name], PhD [Current position, institution] · [email] · ORCID: [ID] · Google Scholar: [link] Template: one-page project idea to attachCopy templateONE-PAGE PROJECT IDEA — [Acronym]: [Working title] Researcher: [Your Name], PhD · Proposed host: [Prof. Name], [Institute, Country] Panel: [CHE / SOC / ECO / ENG / ENV / LIF / MAT / PHY] · Duration: [24] months 1. THE PROBLEM (3–4 lines) [What is unknown or broken, and why it matters now.] 2. THE IDEA (3–4 lines) [Your hypothesis or approach and what is new compared with the state of the art.] 3. OBJECTIVES O1: [objective] — [method] O2: [objective] — [method] O3: [objective] — [method] 4. WHY ME + WHY THIS HOST (two-way transfer of knowledge) I bring: [your expertise, data, methods] I gain: [host's expertise, facilities, network, training] 5. EXPECTED IMPACT Science: [papers, data, tools] · Society/industry: [who benefits] · My career: [next step, e.g. independent group, ERC Starting Grant] No reply after 10 days? Send one polite reminder. Still nothing? Move on, without taking it personally. Senior professors get many of these emails, and a "no reply" is usually about their inbox, not about you. Key takeawaysThe host shapes your score: look for complementary skills, not just a famous name.Use EURAXESS hosting offers, your reference list and conferences.Send a short email plus a one-page idea; agree on the project four or more months before the deadline. Next: How to write a winning MSCA proposal → Section 5How do you write a Marie Curie postdoc proposal that gets funded? Quick answerWrite the 10-page Part B directly against the three award criteria: Excellence (50%), Impact (30%) and Implementation (20%). Use the official headings, make the two-way transfer of knowledge concrete, link your training to a career development plan, add a realistic work plan with risks, and get at least two rounds of feedback from people who know MSCA. 50%Excellence: your science, methods, supervision and your own experience30%Impact: your career, plus dissemination, exploitation and communication20%Implementation: work plan, risks and the host's capacity Because Excellence is half of the score, most of your writing time should go there, but Impact and Implementation are where many good scientists lose the points that separate a 88% from a 94%. Evaluators score what is on the page, against the official criteria. Make their job easy: use the official headings, write one clear message per paragraph, and use bold sparingly for the sentences they must not miss. Live session · 2:51:44Postdoctoral Fellowships in Europe | Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship | Codanics. Our full live session on Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships: eligibility, choosing a host and writing every section of the proposal, with questions from participants. The proposal, section by section Step 1The gapState of the art and the one problem you solveStep 2ObjectivesThree measurable objectives, one method eachStep 3Two-way transferWhat you bring, what you learn, with examplesStep 4Career and impactCareer plan, dissemination, exploitation, communicationStep 5Work planWork packages, Gantt chart, risks and mitigation Template: Part B working outline (official criteria)Copy templateMSCA PF PART B — WORKING OUTLINE (10 pages maximum, excluding annexes) Check the official template on the Funding & Tenders Portal when the call opens. 1. EXCELLENCE (50%) 1.1 Quality and pertinence of the research and innovation objectives – State of the art (with 10–15 key references) → the gap → your objectives – Why it is ambitious and goes beyond the state of the art 1.2 Soundness of the proposed methodology – Approach per objective, interdisciplinary aspects – Gender dimension and other diversity aspects (if relevant) – Open science practices (open access, FAIR data management) 1.3 Quality of the supervision, training and two-way transfer of knowledge – Supervisor's track record and how often you will meet – Training plan: research skills + transferable skills (teaching, writing, leadership) – What you transfer to the host, what the host transfers to you 1.4 Quality and appropriateness of the researcher's professional experience, competences and skills – Your best outputs and how they prepare you for this project 2. IMPACT (30%) 2.1 Credibility of the measures to enhance your career perspectives and employability – Link to your Career Development Plan; where you will be in 5 years 2.2 Suitability and quality of the measures to maximise expected outcomes and impacts – Dissemination plan (journals, conferences, open data) – Exploitation plan (who will use the results, IP if any) – Communication plan (public talks, social media, schools, policy briefs) 3. QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION (20%) 3.1 Quality and effectiveness of the work plan, risk assessment and effort per work package – Work packages, deliverables, milestones, Gantt chart – Risk table: risk → likelihood → mitigation 3.2 Quality and capacity of the host institution and participating organisations – Facilities, infrastructure, hosting arrangements, secondment partner (if any) What separates funded proposals from the rest Weak"I will learn many new techniques at the host and improve my skills." General, and it only talks about what you gain.Strong"I bring single-cell RNA-seq analysis, which the host group does not yet use; I will learn their CRISPR screening platform (WP2), and I will train two PhD students in my pipeline (Deliverable 2.3)." Show the gap with recent references (the last three to five years), not textbook background Give each objective a method, a deliverable and a month Name the training: courses, teaching, supervision, a secondment, writing an ERC or national grant Cover open science: open access papers, FAIR data management, data and code repositories Add the gender dimension and other diversity aspects if they are relevant to your research question Make dissemination, exploitation and communication three separate, concrete plans with target audiences Include a risk table with real risks (not "the experiment may fail") and a plan B for each Use the optional six-month non-academic placement only if it truly helps the project and your career Live session · 2:35:50Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship 2026-2027: Complete Procedure & Success Story (Urdu/Hindi). The complete 2026–2027 procedure, step by step, with a real success story.Live session · 1:21:50How to Win Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship | Success Story & Workshop with Dr. Fatima Anjum. Workshop with Dr. Fatima Anjum on how she won her Marie Curie postdoc. Struggling with the gap and the state of the art? A systematic review is one of the fastest ways to master a literature and it gives you a publication too: see why every researcher should learn systematic review and meta-analysis. For the reading itself, these AI tools for students and academics help you find and organise papers, but the ideas and the words in the proposal must be yours: evaluators notice generic AI text, and AI tools can invent references. Short · 1:48Find a Research Gap Using Scientific Methods for Your PhD or Postdoc Proposal. How to find a real research gap for your postdoc proposal using scientific methods. Key takeawaysWrite against the criteria: Excellence 50%, Impact 30%, Implementation 20%.Make the two-way transfer of knowledge specific.Separate dissemination, exploitation and communication.Get at least two rounds of feedback before you submit. Next: Other postdoc fellowships worth knowing → Section 6Which other postdoc fellowships should you know about? Quick answerBesides MSCA, the strongest options for international researchers include the Humboldt Research Fellowship (Germany, any nationality, any field), EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships (life sciences, open all year), JSPS fellowships (Japan), and national schemes such as UKRI and the Royal Society (UK), NSF and NIH (USA) and ARC DECRA (Australia). Most open once a year, so put their deadlines in your calendar now. FellowshipWhereWho it suitsLink MSCA Postdoctoral FellowshipEU and Associated CountriesAny field, any nationality (European Fellowship)MSCA PF Humboldt Research FellowshipGermanyAny field and nationality; you choose your German host; applications accepted all yearHumboldt Foundation EMBO Postdoctoral FellowshipEurope and beyondLife sciences; you need a host lab and a mobility moveEMBO JSPS Postdoctoral FellowshipJapanForeign researchers with a Japanese hostJSPS Max Planck, Helmholtz, LeibnizGermanyAdvertised postdoc jobs at research institutesSee the list below ETH Zurich and EPFL fellowshipsSwitzerlandHighly competitive; you need a host professorSee the list below Short · 1:36Humboldt Fellowship in Germany for all PhD holders from Pakistan. The Humboldt Research Fellowship in Germany, open to PhD holders from Pakistan and everywhere else.Short · 1:0520 Postdoc Fellowships in Europe: Fully Funded Research for Pakistani PhDs. Twenty fully funded postdoc fellowships in Europe in about a minute. Key takeawaysHumboldt and EMBO are strong alternatives or additions to MSCA.Each funder has its own eligibility and mobility rules: read them before you start writing.One good proposal can often be adapted for a second funder. Next: 47 places to find a funded postdoc → Section 747 places to find a funded postdoc position Quick answerSet up alerts on two or three global job boards (EURAXESS and Nature Careers are a good start), then check the national funders and university postdoc offices in the countries you are targeting. Below are 47 job boards, fellowships and postdoc offices, grouped by region. This list first appeared as the 16th heading of my study abroad and PhD research guide, and it was one of the most shared sections on Codanics. I have updated it here and checked every link. Bookmark it, and share it with a friend who is finishing their PhD. Search and filter the 47 sourcesAll regions🌍 Global job boards🇺🇸 United States🇨🇦 Canada🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇪🇺 Europe🇦🇺🇳🇿 Australia & New Zealand🌏 Asia🌐 Middle East 🌍 Global job boards 7 1EuraxessThe EU's free portal for research jobs and hosting offers 2Nature CareersScience jobs from labs and institutes worldwide 3ResearchGate JobsAcademic jobs alongside your research profile 4FindAPostDocA job board just for postdoc positions 5Academic PositionsStrong for Europe, especially Scandinavia and Benelux 6PostdocJobsPostdoc listings, mainly in North America 7Scholarship Positions (postdoc section)Fellowship round-ups by deadline 🇺🇸 United States 11 8NIH Postdoc Fellows (OITE)Postdoc training at the US National Institutes of Health 9NSF Postdoctoral FellowshipsNational Science Foundation fellowships 10Science Careers (AAAS)The job board of the journal Science 11Harvard Postdoc AffairsHarvard's postdoc office 12Stanford Postdoc AffairsStanford's postdoc office 13UC Berkeley Postdoc AffairsVisiting scholars and postdocs at Berkeley 14Yale Postdoc AffairsYale's postdoc office 15MIT Postdoc ServicesMIT's postdoc office 16UC San Diego Postdoc AffairsUCSD's postdoc office 17Johns Hopkins PostdocJohns Hopkins' postdoc office 18Cornell Postdoc AffairsCornell's postdoc office 🇨🇦 Canada 5 19Canadian Association of Postdoctoral ScholarsAdvice and links for postdocs in Canada 20Canada Postdoctoral Research AwardThe national award that replaced Banting 21Mitacs AccelerateIndustry-linked research internships (Elevate ended in 2025) 22University of Toronto PostdocsToronto's postdoc office 23UBC Postdoc OfficeUniversity of British Columbia postdocs 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 6 24UKRI Funding FinderAll UK Research and Innovation calls in one place 25Royal Society FellowshipsEarly-career and research fellowships 26Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral FellowshipsThe UK is associated to Horizon Europe, so UK hosts are eligible 27Wellcome FellowshipsBiomedical and health research funding 28University of Oxford JobsResearch staff vacancies at Oxford 29Cambridge Postdoc AcademySupport and opportunities for Cambridge postdocs 🇪🇺 Europe 7 30EMBO Postdoctoral FellowshipsLife-science fellowships, open all year 31Max Planck SocietyPostdocs at the Max Planck Institutes in Germany 32Helmholtz AssociationGermany's largest research organisation 33CERN Research FellowshipPhysics, engineering and computing at CERN 34EPFL PostdocsFunding for postdocs at EPFL, Switzerland 35Leibniz AssociationJob board of the Leibniz institutes in Germany 36ETH Zurich Postdoctoral FellowshipsETH's own fellowship programme 🇦🇺🇳🇿 Australia & New Zealand 5 37ARC DECRAAustralia's early-career researcher award 38University of Sydney Horizon FellowshipsFive-year research fellowships 39University of Melbourne McKenzie FellowshipsEarly-career fellowships at Melbourne 40University of Queensland JobsResearch vacancies at UQ 41University of Auckland CareersResearch vacancies in New Zealand 🌏 Asia 4 42JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships (Japan)Fellowships for foreign researchers in Japan 43National University of SingaporeResearch fellow vacancies at NUS 44Chinese Academy of Sciences (PIFI)International fellowships at CAS institutes 45IISc Postdoctoral Fellowship (India)Postdocs at the Indian Institute of Science 🌐 Middle East 2 46QRDI Council, formerly QNRF (Qatar)Qatar's research talent programmes 47KAUST Global Fellowship ProgramFellowships at KAUST, Saudi Arabia No sources match your search. Try a country, a field or a funder name. Short · 0:49Top Websites to Find PhD & Postdoc Positions in the UK. The best websites for PhD and postdoc positions in the UK.Short · 0:52Agristock website for finding life science PhD and postdoc positions. A useful extra for life-science and agriculture researchers: Agristock. Short · 0:45Fully Funded PhD/PostDoc Positions in ETH Zurich. How to find fully funded PhD and postdoc positions at ETH Zurich. How to use this list without drowning: pick one global board, two countries and two fellowships. Set alerts for those, check them every Monday, and ignore the rest until you have applied. Focus beats volume. Never miss a postdoc deadlineFollow the Codanics WhatsApp channel for new postdoc positions, MSCA and Humboldt deadlines and live sessions.Join on WhatsApp Next: Your 10-month plan to the 2027 deadline → Section 8Your 10-month plan to the 8 September 2027 MSCA deadline Quick answerStart now. Use November to January to check eligibility, choose your topic and contact hosts; February and March to agree the project; April to July, after the call opens, to write and revise Part B with your supervisor and the host's grants office; and August to finalise. Submit a few days before 8 September 2027. November – December 2026Decide and shortlist. Check eligibility with real dates, pick your topic, and shortlist five to ten potential hosts. Update your CV and Google Scholar profile. January 2027Contact hosts. Send personalised emails with your one-page idea. Book short calls with those who reply. February – March 2027Agree the project. Settle on one host, agree objectives, training and secondments, and contact the host's grants or EU office. Draft the state of the art and objectives. 7 April 2027Call opens. Download the official Part B template and guide for applicants from the Funding & Tenders Portal. Rebuild your draft under the official headings. April – June 2027Write the full draft. Excellence first, then Impact, then Implementation. Ask your supervisor for feedback on each section. July 2027Mock evaluation. Ask one or two former MSCA fellows or the grants office to score it against the criteria. Revise. August 2027Finalise. Check page limits, references, Gantt chart and annexes. The host completes the administrative forms. By 8 September 2027, 17:00 BrusselsSubmit. Aim for a few days early; the portal gets slow on deadline day. Results usually arrive about five months later. While you wait, keep applying for advertised postdoc jobs. Your CV and cover letter matter there: use the postdoc CV tips and templates in my CV, motivation letter, SOP and LOR guide, and prepare for interviews with the five standard questions in my interview lesson. Key takeawaysContact hosts by January, agree the project by March.Write from April, when the official template is available.Run a mock evaluation in July and submit early. Postdoc video libraryMore short videos from the Codanics channel on postdoc positions and fellowships Short · 0:59How to Apply for Marie Curie PhD and Postdoc Positions. How to apply for Marie Curie PhD and postdoc positions, in one minute.Short · 1:07Apply for the Marie Curie PostDoc Fellowship Today and Earn a Monthly Salary of 1.5 to 1.8 Million PKR. Why it is worth applying, and what the monthly salary looks like. Every postdoc video in this guideSearch the videos1Postdoctoral Fellowships in Europe | Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship | CodanicsLive session · 2:51:442Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship 2026-2027: Complete Procedure & Success Story (Urdu/Hindi)Live session · 2:35:503How to Win Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship | Success Story & Workshop with Dr. Fatima AnjumLive session · 1:21:504Apply for Marie Curie PhD & PostDoc in Europe | Complete euraxess.ec.europa.eu TutorialTutorial · 14:345Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship: Complete Guide for PhD Holders to ApplyShort · 2:596Find a Research Gap Using Scientific Methods for Your PhD or Postdoc ProposalShort · 1:487Two Prestigious Postdoc Fellowships in Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Humboldt FellowshipShort · 1:308Humboldt Fellowship in Germany for all PhD holders from PakistanShort · 1:36920 Postdoc Fellowships in Europe: Fully Funded Research for Pakistani PhDsShort · 1:0510People don't believe that the Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship pays so much per month in the EUShort · 1:3411Podcast about Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowship in Urdu with Dr. Fatima AnjumShort · 0:5812PhD and Postdoc Positions in Europe on the EURAXESS WebsiteShort · 2:0713How to Apply for Marie Curie PhD and Postdoc PositionsShort · 0:5914Top Websites to Find PhD & Postdoc Positions in the UKShort · 0:4915Agristock website for finding life science PhD and postdoc positionsShort · 0:5216Fully Funded PhD/PostDoc Positions in ETH ZurichShort · 0:4517Apply for the Marie Curie PostDoc Fellowship Today and Earn a Monthly Salary of 1.5 to 1.8 Million PKRShort · 1:07No videos match. 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Official links and tools 1MSCA Postdoctoral FellowshipsOfficial summary, rules and latest deadline 2MSCA Work Programme 2026–2027 (PDF)The full official rules, budgets and allowances 3HORIZON-MSCA-2027-PF-01-01 on the Funding & Tenders PortalTemplates, guide for applicants and submission 4EURAXESS hosting offersSupervisors looking for MSCA fellows 5EURAXESS jobsAdvertised postdoc positions across Europe 6European Research Executive Agency (REA)The agency that manages MSCA evaluations 7Humboldt Research FellowshipPostdoc fellowship in Germany, any nationality 8ORCIDThe researcher ID every proposal and CV needs Related guides on Codanics 1Study abroad, PhD & research: 16 lessonsThe original 47 postdoc sources (heading 16)2CV, motivation letter, SOP & LOR guidePostdoc CV, cover letter and research statement templates3All Marie Curie PhD positions 2026–27141 Doctoral Networks, for your students or juniors4Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters 2027 guideFully funded master's in Europe5Successful scholarship huntingHow to find and shortlist funded opportunities6Systematic review and meta-analysisMaster a literature and publish while you prepare7Google Scholar kaise use kareinBuild the profile hosts and evaluators will check8AI tools for students and academicsResearch helpers for reading and organising papers9LinkedIn networking guideReach potential hosts the right way10Why learning bioinformatics is essentialA skill that strengthens life-science postdoc proposals More scholarship, research and career guides on the Codanics blog. Want to add data skills to your proposal? Try the free AI and data science roadmap or the systematic review and meta-analysis course. Codanics on YouTubeScholarships, PhD and postdoc guidance, AI, data science and bioinformatics, in Urdu and Hindi.Subscribe Frequently asked questions Search the FAQWhat is a postdoc?A postdoc (postdoctoral position) is a fixed-term research job, usually one to three years, that you take after finishing a PhD. You work in a host lab or institute, publish, build independence and prepare for a permanent academic or industry research role. You either apply for an advertised postdoc job or bring your own funding through a fellowship such as the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship.Can researchers from Pakistan or other non-EU countries apply for the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship?Yes. European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality who move to a host in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, which send researchers outside Europe, are only for EU or Associated Country nationals and long-term residents.How much does the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship pay?Under the Horizon Europe MSCA Work Programme 2026–2027 the living allowance is EUR 6,350 per month, multiplied by the host country's correction coefficient, plus a EUR 710 mobility allowance and, if you have a family, a EUR 660 family allowance. These are gross amounts before tax and social security, which vary by country.When is the next Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship deadline?The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2027 call (HORIZON-MSCA-2027-PF-01) is planned to open on 7 April 2027, with a deadline of 8 September 2027 at 17:00 Brussels time. The Commission can shift these dates slightly, so confirm them on the Funding & Tenders Portal.Do I need to have my PhD degree before I apply?You must hold a PhD at the call deadline. If you have successfully defended your thesis but the degree has not been formally awarded yet, you are still eligible, as long as the defence is unconditional and takes place before the deadline.How many years after my PhD can I apply?You can have at most eight years of full-time equivalent research experience after the award of your PhD at the call deadline. Time outside research and career breaks such as parental leave do not count.What is the MSCA mobility rule for postdocs?For a European Fellowship you must not have lived or carried out your main activity, such as work or studies, in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.How long is the Marie Curie postdoc proposal, and how is it scored?Part B has a 10-page limit, excluding annexes. Experts score Excellence (50%), Impact (30%) and Implementation (20%) out of 5, with a threshold of 3 for each criterion; proposals need at least 70% overall to be considered for funding.How do I find a host for a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship?Use your own network first, then search the hosting offers on EURAXESS, where supervisors advertise that they want to host MSCA fellows. Email two to five potential supervisors with a short project idea, explain the two-way transfer of knowledge, and agree on the project several months before the deadline.What happens if my MSCA PF proposal is not funded?Proposals scoring 85% or more that cannot be funded receive a Seal of Excellence, which some countries and universities use to fund fellows. Read the evaluation report carefully: if you score below 80%, you cannot resubmit with the same host the following year, so improve the proposal or change the host.Where else can I find funded postdoc positions?Set alerts on EURAXESS, Nature Careers and Academic Positions, then check national fellowships such as Humboldt in Germany, EMBO for life sciences, UKRI and the Royal Society in the UK, NSF and NIH in the USA and JSPS in Japan. This guide lists 47 sources grouped by region.No questions match. Try another word. Your next postdoc could be one message awayFollow Codanics on WhatsApp for postdoc openings, Marie Curie and Humboldt deadlines, and live proposal-writing sessions.Join on WhatsApp Stay connected with Dr. AammarShort videos, live sessions and new postdoc openings, every week.FacebookInstagramTikTokYouTubeWhatsApp About the author. Dr. Muhammad Aammar Tufail is the founder of Codanics and completed his PhD in a Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme. He helps researchers from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and beyond prepare for funded PhD and postdoc positions in Europe, and teaches AI, data science and research skills in Urdu and Hindi. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sources: Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, Part 2: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (call dates, budgets, unit contributions, country correction coefficients, eligibility and award criteria); MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships page (summary of rules, Seal of Excellence and resubmission). Dates and amounts can change: always confirm on the Funding & Tenders Portal before you apply. Last checked on 5 November 2026.
