Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2026: JSPS, MSCA and Other Postdoc Funding

What are postdoctoral fellowships and how do they differ from a job?

A postdoctoral fellowship is a funded research position awarded to someone who has recently completed a PhD. You usually join a host institution for a fixed term, carry out your own research project and receive a stipend, salary or grant. Unlike a standard postdoc job advert, a fellowship is competitive and awarded to you personally, which means you take the project with you to a host.

Fellowships fall into three broad groups. Government and national schemes, such as the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Japan or the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for International PhD and Postdoc Researchers, are run by public bodies. EU schemes such as the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships fund mobility across Europe. Foundation and university awards, such as the AAUW International Fellowships in USA for Women (Masters/PhD/Postdoc), target specific groups or fields.

What the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships are

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, often searched as Marie Curie or Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowships, are the European Union's mobility scheme for researchers. They fund a research project at a host organisation in Europe or an associated country. The official MSCA page carries the current call dates, budget and eligibility rules, and the application uses a standard template you complete in the EU funding portal.

What the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship is

The JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship is run by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for overseas researchers who want to carry out research in Japan. It is a host-driven scheme: you need a Japanese host researcher who agrees to supervise your project before you apply. The JSPS official site lists the current call, stipend and allowances.

Which postdoctoral fellowships are open for 2026?

The list below shows the awards in our database with deadlines ahead. Read each entry by checking four things in order: the level, the host country, what the award actually covers, and the deadline status. A listing marked as a past round is background only and tells you the scheme exists, not that it is open now.

Fellowships open to women in science and engineering

The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships for Women supports women from developing countries in science, technology, engineering and maths. Grants are based on actual costs up to a maximum of USD 50,000 per year for a PhD and USD 40,000 per year for a postdoc, renewable subject to performance and supervisor recommendations. The deadline is 7 November 2026.

Government and national schemes

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for International PhD and Postdoc Researchers pay CHF 2,450 per month for basic living costs, plus health insurance, a one-time CHF 600 rental deposit grant, a half-fare travel card and a return flight allowance from non-EU/EFTA countries. Tuition and semester fees are not covered. Deadlines vary between September and December 2026.

The BAEF Fellowships for Study or Research in Belgium is a non-renewable 12-month grant with a stipend of $35,000 for postdoctoral fellows plus health insurance through the Foundation's group policy. The deadline is 31 October 2026.

University and research-institute fellowships

The Harvard Sustainability Science Fellowships at CID (Doctoral and Postdoctoral) pay postdoctoral fellows $45,830 across the ten-month academic year, equivalent to $55,000 on a yearly basis. The listing runs annually with a mid-January deadline.

Past rounds you can use for background

Several listings in our database are past rounds. The Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships (IIF) for Developing Countries funded 12 to 24 months of research in a European team. The Guest Scholarship Programme: Post-doctoral Research in Sweden paid SEK 18,000 per month with a SEK 15,000 travel grant. The Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) for Master's, PhD and Postdoctoral Study covered air tickets, tuition, a maintenance allowance and insurance. The Wellcome International Training Fellowships for LMIC Researchers were usually worth £150,000 to £300,000 over three years. The LANL-CBNU Engineering Institute Graduate and PostDoc Scholarships in Korea paid a minimum of KRW 2,500,000 before tax for postdocs. Treat all of these as examples of what schemes offer, then check the official page for the current round.

Postdoctoral fellowships compared: level, funding and deadline

The table groups the awards by what they offer. Every figure comes from the listing for that round.

For awards that are not in this table, including the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship and the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, the official page has the current figures. Use the filtered list for this page to see every postdoc opportunity with a deadline ahead.

Who qualifies for a postdoctoral fellowship?

Eligibility differs by scheme, but most postdoc fellowships check the same set of conditions.

• PhD status. You normally need a PhD awarded or near completion. Some schemes accept final-year doctoral students.
• Time since PhD. Many fellowships limit how many years can have passed since your doctorate. The official page states the limit.
• Nationality or residence. Some awards target specific countries or regions. The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, for example, are for international researchers, while the AAUW fellowship is for women who are not US citizens or permanent residents.
• A host. You usually need a confirmed host institution or supervisor before you apply. The JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship requires a Japanese host researcher.
• Mobility. EU schemes such as the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships normally require you to move to a host country you have not recently worked in.
• Field. Some awards are field-specific, such as the Harvard Sustainability Science Fellowships, and some are open to any discipline.

If you are unsure whether you qualify, check the official call before you spend time on a proposal.

What does a postdoctoral fellowship pay?

Funding comes in three forms. A stipend is a fixed monthly or annual payment for living costs. A salary is paid through the host institution with employment benefits. A grant reimburses or covers research costs, sometimes alongside a stipend.

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships pay CHF 2,450 per month for basic living costs plus insurance and travel support, but not tuition. The BAEF fellowship pays a $35,000 postdoctoral stipend for 12 months plus health insurance. The Harvard fellowship pays $45,830 across the ten-month academic year, equal to $55,000 on a yearly basis. The Schlumberger Foundation covers actual eligible costs up to USD 40,000 per year for a postdoc.

For the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship and the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, the official pages carry the current stipend and allowances. Never budget from a figure you saw in an old listing.

Deadlines and the annual timeline

Postdoc deadlines are spread across the year, and many schemes run on the same cycle each year. The table shows the months you should plan around, based on the listings here.

Work backwards from the deadline. A strong proposal needs a host letter, references and a budget, and those take weeks to arrange. Start at least two to three months before the closing date. For schemes not in this table, including JSPS and MSCA, the official page gives the current call dates.

How to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship step by step

1. Shortlist three to five schemes. Match each one to your field, nationality, years since PhD and willingness to move.
2. Read the official call. Confirm eligibility, funding and the deadline on the scheme's own page before anything else.
3. Find and contact a host. Email a potential supervisor with your CV and a short project summary. For JSPS, the host researcher is part of the application.
4. Write the research proposal. State the question, method, timeline and outputs. Follow the scheme's template and page limits.
5. Prepare the budget. Use the scheme's own categories and currency. Do not convert or estimate figures.
6. Collect references and the host letter. Give referees at least two weeks and send them your proposal.
7. Submit early. Portals slow down near deadlines. Keep a copy of everything you upload.

Documents you need

• Academic CV, including publications and conference papers
• PhD certificate or a letter confirming submission or award date
• Research proposal in the scheme's template
• Host institution confirmation or supervisor letter
• Two or more academic references
• Transcripts if the scheme asks for them
• Proof of nationality or residence where relevant
• Budget or cost table in the required format

Keep a single master folder with clean PDFs, named clearly, so you can adapt it for each scheme.

How fellowships are selected

Panels usually score the research question, the fit with the host, your track record and the feasibility of the plan. The proposal matters most, but a weak host letter or an unrealistic budget can sink an otherwise strong application. Make the project specific and show why this host and this country are needed. For mobility schemes, explain the collaboration clearly. For schemes with a development aim, such as the Schlumberger Foundation, show how the work connects to your home country.

Who these fellowships suit and who should look elsewhere

They suit researchers within a few years of the PhD who have a defined project and are ready to move to a host institution. They also suit candidates who can line up a supervisor early and who fit a scheme's nationality, field or gender criteria.

Look elsewhere if you have not yet finished your PhD and the scheme requires an awarded doctorate, if you cannot move country and the scheme is mobility-based, or if you need a salaried staff post rather than a fixed-term fellowship. In those cases, search for postdoc jobs at the institutions you want and check their own vacancies.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying to a past round. Check the deadline status before you write anything.
• Leaving the host letter to the last week. Supervisors are busy and slow.
• Reusing one proposal for every scheme. Panels spot a generic project.
• Ignoring the page limit or template. Format breaches can disqualify you.
• Budgeting from an old listing instead of the official call.
• Forgetting mobility rules in EU schemes such as the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships.
• Missing the years-since-PhD limit.

Where to look next

Use the postdoc fellowship list to see what is open now, and browse by country if you already know where you want to work: Scholarships in Japan, Scholarships in Switzerland, Scholarships in Belgium, Scholarships in United States, Scholarships in Germany and Scholarships in Canada. You can also filter by field, for example Science and Technology Scholarships, Environmental Management Scholarships or Health Scholarships. For application advice, read the Scholarship tips and the All guides section.