1. Read the guide to applicants available here.
2. Watch an information webinar on the programme and how to apply.
3. Develop an interdisciplinary project proposal under the overarching theme of life in context. This will be submitted as part of your application (see 7). The project template (available here at the beginning of November 2024) must be used.
4. Decide on what combination of groups has the skills needed to support your project. All projects need an EMBL host and at least 1 partner. Partners can come from EMBL or from an academic institute, industry or clinic from an EMBL Member State, Associate Member State or Prospective Member State (MS). In order to participate, a MS partner must be actively engaged in research at the level of lab head or equivalent. They should also be eligible to supervise postdocs at their home institution. External partners from institutes or industry already participating in other postdoctoral fellowship programmes with EMBL are not eligible.

EMBL currently has postdoctoral funding schemes with the AI Health Innovation Cluster Innovation Campus Heidelberg Mannheim Healther & Life Sciences Alliance (Deutsches Krebskorschungszentrum, Max-Planck-Institute für Medizinishe Forschung, Universitäts Klinikum Heidelberg, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit) and AstraZeneca, UK (EAZPOD).

5. Contact an EMBL host. EMBL’s research groups can be screened by research area. Make sure the group leader(s) you are interested are participating in the call (available here when the call opens).

6. Choose an EMBL partner or a partner from an external academic institute, industry or clinic from an EMBL Member State, Associate Member State or Prospective Member State. Not sure who to choose? Most EMBL hosts have suggested collaborators (available here when the call opens). Discuss with your EMBL host. Check collaborator suggestions from your EMBL host listed on the participating faculty page (to be updated at the beginning of November 2024.

7. Open an application. The link to the online application database is available here.

For your application to be eligible the following is required:

• The application must be submitted via the programme’s online application platform.
• Applicants must meet the programme’s eligibility requirements.
• Two letters of reference submitted via the online application database and due at the application deadline. Please note that we only accept references from institutional email addresses. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their referees submit their reference by the call deadline (February 13, 2025 at 23:59 CEST).
• The proposal must use the provided project proposal template (available here) and respect the formatting guidelines and page limits.
• Letter of support from the EMBL host (template letter for signature available here) . Please have the form signed by your EMBL host and upload it in the “Confirmation from EMBL project host” section of your application.
• Letter of support from a MS partner if relevant (template letter available here). Please have the form signed by your external partner and upload it in the “Project section” of your application. After you enter the name and affiliation of your external partner in the relevant field you will be prompted to upload the signed letter of support from the external partner.

Evaluation of Written Applications

EIPOD-LinC is a competitive merit-based fellowship programme. It follows a well-defined weighted scoring system (see the Guide to Applicants). Eligible applications are independently reviewed by an EMBL group leader and up to 2 external experts. Evaluators are asked to provide an overall impression of a candidate’s application in terms of excellence, impact and implementation as described in the guide to applicants (available here at the beginning of November.

Interviews

Lab visits: Interviewing candidates interact with the labs involved in their proposed projects prior to the interviews.

Interviews: Candidates give a talk on their research accomplishments and their proposed research project (10 minutes) and a have a panel interview (30 minutes per candidate). The interviews for the 2024 call will take place on April 9th, 2025 by Zoom.

Applicants not put forward following the eligibility check or short-listing or who do not receive an offer following the interviews have the right to request an appeal. The details of the appeal procedure are included in the outcome email. Requests for appeal must be submitted by email to the Programme Manager using the appeal form included with the outcome email within 7 days of a candidate receiving a rejection. Appeal requests will be treated confidentially and are reviewed by an Appeals Committee.

The EMBL Hosts participating in the 2024 EIPOD-LinC call are available here.

FAQ

If you have questions please visit our FAQ page (available here) or contact us at eipod@embl.org.