All applications are initially reviewed by the EMBO Fellowships Office for completeness and eligibility.
All eligible applications are then sent to the Fellowship Committee for pre-screening, and about twice the number of available fellowships are selected for an interview (~25% of applications). During the pre-screening, the committee reviews a condensed application form, which includes a summary of the applicant’s main scientific achievements along with the three most important publications, summary and biological significance of the proposed work, justification for choice of the host lab, as well as reference and acceptance letters.
For applicants who successfully passed the pre-screening, an interviewer with expertise in the area of the application will be selected from among the EMBO Members and EMBO Young Investigators. When it is not possible to arrange a personal or video interview, the candidate’s application is sent for written evaluation.
All applications are then evaluated by the Fellowship Committee based on:
- Previous scientific achievements of the applicant.
- Novelty and biological significance of proposed research. Applications to continue exploring a topic similar to the PhD project, usually receive lower priority for funding.
- Appropriateness of the host laboratory for the proposed research and training of the applicant.
- The Fellowship Committee then meets to take the final funding decisions. Typically, the outcome of the selection is known between 16 to 18 weeks after the evaluation deadline and is provided directly to the applicant via email shortly after the committee meeting.
Carefully read the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships guidelines for further information.
Note the following when submitting your EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship application:
Interviews normally take place within six to twelve weeks of the evaluation deadline. The interviews are conducted remotely via videoconferencing and last 90 minutes. The interview should take place at the interviewer’s convenience and the applicant is responsible for contacting the interviewer.