Embo Young Researcher Program Applications are Open

The European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), whose implementation in Turkey is overseen by TÜBİTAK, runs various scholarship and support programs for scientists working in the life sciences. These programs, funded by member and partner countries of the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC), of which Turkey is also a member, provide researchers with grants, mobility, and scientific networking support.

The Young Investigator Programme offers young group leaders working in the life sciences in EMBC member or partner countries grant support and scientific networking opportunities for four years to develop their independent laboratories.

Application Requirements:

Applicants must have worked as an independent group leader for at least one year and a maximum of four years in an EMBC member or partner country by April 1, 2026 (the independent group leader position must have started between January 1, 2022, and April 1, 2025)*;

Research areas must be aligned with EMBO's areas of focus;

Applicants must have a final authored research paper published in an international peer-reviewed journal from independent research conducted within their own research group, or have a paper accepted for publication;

Participation in an online interview following the application evaluation is required.

* The limit of having worked as an independent group leader for a maximum of 4 years may be extended due to circumstances such as parental leave, illness, military service, or becoming a clinical scientist. Applicants with these circumstances should contact the EMBO program office (yip@embo.org) before applying. There is no age limit for applying to the program.

Detailed information on application requirements can be found here.

Support Coverage:

The program lasts 4 years.

Award recipients receive €15,000 in support in the second year of the program, and may apply for an additional grant of up to €10,000 each year.

Award recipients receive access to EMBO scientific networking events and support for organizing conferences.

Award recipients receive mentorship support from an EMBO member and support for their participation in EMBO Laboratory Leadership Courses.

Award recipients receive access support to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

Detailed information on the scope of support can be found here.

Application and Evaluation:

Applications are submitted directly to EMBO through the application system.

Applications are accepted until April 1st each year.

Detailed information about the program can be found here and the application guide here.

Additional Information and Contact:

Unlike the EMBO Young Investigator Program, researchers who wish to establish a research group from scratch or are in the initial stages of establishing one are advised to examine the EMBO Installation Grants program.

Detailed information about EMBO scholarships and grants can be found on the official EMBO program page or on our institution's EMBO program page.

Video recordings of the EMBO National Education Days event, held on October 16 and 17, 2025, to promote EMBO scholarship and grant programs and encourage successful applications, can be accessed here and here.

To stay informed about announcements regarding EMBO scholarships and grants, you can subscribe to our e-newsletter here.

For questions regarding the EMBO Young Researcher Program, please send an email to yip@embo.org or embo@tubitak.gov.tr.