GALMEEK

 

The YADIAS Fellowship 2027 is a fully funded doctoral research opportunity offered by the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) at the University of Luxembourg. The programme, officially known as Young Academics Doctoral Fellows IAS, is supported through the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND initiative under Horizon Europe.

YADIAS will recruit 15 international doctoral candidates for four-year, full-time research fellowships beginning in 2027. The programme follows a researcher-driven approach, allowing candidates to develop their own interdisciplinary research projects and identify suitable supervisors from complementary academic disciplines.

Unlike a conventional scholarship that simply pays university tuition, YADIAS offers doctoral fellows employee status at the University of Luxembourg, a competitive salary, research funding, mobility support, and structured training and career development.

Applications for the 2027 fellowship opened on September 1, 2026. The deadline is November 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central European Time (CET).

Degree Level

The YADIAS Fellowship 2027 is available for:

• PhD programmes
• Full-time doctoral research
• Interdisciplinary doctoral projects
• Research leading to a recognised doctoral degree at the University of Luxembourg

The fellowship lasts 48 months, or four years. It is intended for candidates who have not yet been awarded a PhD and who hold a recognised Master’s degree qualifying them for doctoral study in Luxembourg.

This is not a scholarship for undergraduate or Master’s study. Applicants must propose a doctoral research project that fits within the University of Luxembourg’s academic disciplines.

Available Subjects

YADIAS is open to research projects across the disciplines represented at the University of Luxembourg. Applicants are encouraged to develop original projects with a strong interdisciplinary dimension.

The university’s doctoral disciplines include:

• Natural Sciences
• Systems and Molecular Biomedicine
• Physics and Materials Science
• Mathematics and Applications
• Complex Systems Science
• Engineering Sciences
• Computer Science and Computer Engineering
• Humanities
• History
• Literature
• Linguistics
• Philosophy
• Educational Sciences
• Psychology
• Social Sciences
• Geography
• Architecture
• Political Sciences
• Sociology
• Law
• Economics
• Management Sciences
• Finance

These areas can support projects involving subjects such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotechnology, engineering, climate research, public policy, economics, education, social sciences, history, law, and other interdisciplinary topics.

The programme does not impose a single fixed research topic. Candidates propose their own projects, provided the projects fit the university’s research expertise and demonstrate meaningful interdisciplinary integration.

Benefits

YADIAS provides a competitive employment and research funding package for successful doctoral fellows.

The official 2026 application guidelines list the following indicative monthly amounts at the start of the fellowship:

• Gross monthly salary: €3,841
• Mobility allowance: €625 per month
• Family allowance: €580 per month, where eligible

The gross salary and mobility allowance are paid 12 times per year. The family allowance is available only to eligible fellows who meet the Foundation’s family-status conditions.

The fellowship also provides a research budget and professional benefits, including:

• Research-related travel allowance of €600 per month
• Research costs budget of €800 per month
• Training costs budget of €800 per month
• 32 days of annual leave for full-time employment
• 18 meal vouchers per month
• Travel insurance for business and personal travel abroad
• One-way economy-class travel to Luxembourg at the start of the fellowship for selected fellows
• Access to University of Luxembourg research facilities
• Interdisciplinary and intersectoral research opportunities
• Mentoring and career development
• A structured doctoral training programme

Important:

The research, travel and training budgets are allocated for project-related purposes and are not additional monthly cash payments made directly to the fellow’s personal account.

The salary is gross, so the amount received after tax and social security deductions will be lower. The published salary and allowances are indicative and may be adjusted through Luxembourg’s salary indexation system.

YADIAS is a fully funded doctoral fellowship with a salaried employment contract lasting up to 48 months.

Instead of offering only a tuition waiver and stipend, the programme recruits fellows as employees of the University of Luxembourg. It provides a gross monthly salary, mobility support and dedicated research and training budgets.

The fellowship is designed to support doctoral research and career development over four years. Applicants should nevertheless distinguish between their salary and the separate project budgets, which must be used according to the programme’s financial rules.

Eligible Nationalities

The YADIAS Fellowship is open to applicants of all nationalities.

There is no nationality-based restriction in the current call. Applicants from different countries, including Pakistan, can apply if they meet the academic, mobility, supervisory, and other eligibility requirements.

Because YADIAS is supported by the MSCA COFUND programme, applicants must also comply with its mobility rule. This means candidates must not have lived in or carried out their main activity, such as work or study, in Luxembourg for more than 12 months during the three years immediately before the application deadline.

Short holidays and brief visits are excluded from this calculation.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants for the YADIAS Fellowship 2027 must meet the following requirements:

• Be of any age and nationality.
• Not have been awarded a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree by November 30, 2026.
• Hold a recognised Master’s-level degree by the application deadline.
• Have a Master’s qualification that makes you eligible for doctoral study in Luxembourg.
• Not have started formal PhD enrolment procedures at the University of Luxembourg by the deadline.
• Meet the MSCA mobility rule.
• Have at least B2-level English proficiency.
• Be legally eligible to work in Luxembourg when recruited.
• Identify two eligible supervisors from complementary disciplines.
• Propose an interdisciplinary doctoral research project.
• Include a suitable secondment outside the University of Luxembourg.
• Complete all three required application stages.
• Submit the required documents in English.

Applicants whose Master’s degree was obtained outside Europe must qualify as equivalent to Level 7 under Luxembourg law. A signed certificate or official letter confirming the Master’s qualification is required by the deadline.

Candidates who have already defended their PhD thesis but have not yet formally received their doctoral degree are not eligible.

MSCA Mobility Rule

• The mobility requirement is an important part of YADIAS eligibility.
• Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity, including employment or studies, in Luxembourg for more than 12 months during the three years immediately preceding November 30, 2026.
• This means that applicants who have spent more than 12 months living or working in Luxembourg during the relevant three-year period may be ineligible.
• Applicants should calculate their residence and activity history carefully before applying.

Research Proposal Requirements

YADIAS follows a bottom-up research approach. This means the candidate initiates and develops the research project rather than applying to a fixed list of advertised PhD topics.

Each proposal must have a clear interdisciplinary dimension and identify two supervisors from complementary disciplines.

The project must include a mandatory secondment outside the University of Luxembourg. The secondment should add an interdisciplinary, intersectoral or, where possible, international dimension to the research.

The proposed secondment must last between six and 16 months in total, although this period may be divided into shorter placements. It can take place with an academic or non-academic organisation outside the university.

The full application must include:

• Research objectives and questions
• Research methodology
• A work plan and Gantt chart
• An interdisciplinary research approach
• A preliminary secondment plan
• An Ethics Self-Assessment
• A preliminary Plan for Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication (PDEC)
• A description of the expected scientific, societal and economic impact

Applicants are responsible for writing their own research proposals. Potential supervisors may answer factual or practical questions but must not help draft or develop the proposal.

Required Documents

YADIAS uses a three-stage application process. Applicants should prepare the following documents and materials.

Step 1: Declaration of Interest

Applicants must complete the online LimeSurvey questionnaire and provide:

• Applicant information
• Curriculum vitae using the mandatory template
• A two-page description of the proposed interdisciplinary research project

The CV and project idea must follow the programme’s required templates.

Step 2: Supervisor Project Announcement

• If a suitable supervisor agrees to consider the project idea, the supervisor or their research support team must create a project announcement in the University of Luxembourg’s Common Research Information System (CRIS).
• Applicants do not have access to CRIS themselves, but they must ensure that this step has been completed before submitting the full application.

Step 3: Full Application

Applicants must email the completed application package to the YADIAS team.

Required documents include:

• Completed YADIAS application form using the mandatory template
• Motivation letter of no more than one page
• Curriculum vitae of no more than five pages
• Copy of the Master’s degree certificate or official proof that the Master’s thesis has been successfully defended by the deadline
• Required research proposal materials, including the Gantt chart
• Ethics Self-Assessment
• Preliminary secondment plan
• Preliminary PDEC

All application documents must be completed in English. If the Master’s degree certificate is not in English, French, or German, a certified translation into one of those languages is required.

Applicants should follow the official templates and formatting requirements. Documents that are not requested may be removed from the application.

How Winners Are Selected

YADIAS uses a multi-stage selection process involving independent external experts and the Institute for Advanced Studies Scientific Council.

The process includes:

• Initial eligibility checks.
• External verification of eligibility.
• Independent written peer review.
• Ranking based on the written assessments.
• An oral research pitch and scientific discussion for shortlisted candidates.
• Final ranking and selection of 15 doctoral fellows.

The written evaluation considers three main areas:

• Excellence: academic merit, research originality, interdisciplinarity and methodology.
• Impact: career development, dissemination and communication of results.
• Implementation: work plan, project management, risk management and the proposed secondment.

Up to 30 candidates who meet the required written-review threshold may proceed to the pitch and scientific discussion. The final selection is made from the ranked applications.

Application Procedure

The YADIAS application process has three mandatory stages.

Step 1: Submit the Declaration of Interest

• Complete the official LimeSurvey questionnaire and upload the required CV and two-page project idea.
• Candidates must identify their preferred main supervisors from eligible University of Luxembourg staff and propose suitable co-supervisors from complementary disciplines.
• The university provides a list of eligible supervisors through its official website.

Step 2: Supervisor Review and CRIS Announcement

• The YADIAS team forwards the project idea and CV to the first preferred supervisor.
• If that supervisor declines, the project may be forwarded to the second and third preferred supervisors. Supervisors are not obliged to accept a project.
• If a supervisor agrees to host the proposed research, the supervisor or their research support team must create a project announcement in CRIS.

Step 3: Submit the Full Application

• After the supervisor has agreed to consider the project, develop the full research proposal independently and complete the application form.
• Prepare the motivation letter, CV, and Master’s qualification documents, then submit the complete package by email.
• All three stages must be completed for the application to be eligible. Candidates should begin early because the supervisor-matching process can take considerable time.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for the YADIAS Fellowship 2027 is:

November 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central European Time (CET).

The current official schedule is:

• Call opens: September 1, 2026, at 9:00 AM CET
• Application deadline: November 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM CET
• Eligibility checks: First two weeks of December 2026
• Written peer-review deadline: March 31, 2027
• Research pitch and scientific discussion: April 5–9, 2027, on indicative dates
• Candidate notification: End of April 2027, indicative
• Earliest fellowship start: June 1, 2027
• Latest fellowship start: September 1, 2027

Applicants should not wait until the final days to submit the Declaration of Interest because the supervisor-matching process must be completed before the full application can be submitted.

Applicants should remember:

• YADIAS is a doctoral fellowship at the University of Luxembourg.
• The programme offers 15 full-time doctoral fellowships.
• Each fellowship lasts 48 months.
• Applicants can propose their own research projects.
• Projects must be interdisciplinary.
• Two supervisors from complementary disciplines are required.
• A secondment outside the University of Luxembourg is mandatory.
• The secondment must last between six and 16 months in total.
• Applicants must hold a recognised Master’s degree by the deadline.
• Applicants must not have been awarded a PhD by November 30, 2026.
• The MSCA mobility rule applies.
• English proficiency of at least B2 is required.
• The indicative gross monthly salary is €3,841 at the start of the fellowship.
• A monthly mobility allowance of €625 is listed.
• An additional family allowance of €580 per month may apply to eligible fellows.
• Research, travel, and training budgets are separate project funds, not personal monthly cash payments.
• The application deadline is November 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM CET.
• The full application must be submitted by email after the declaration and supervisor-matching stages.