FENS and the IBRO Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO-PERC) are dedicated to supporting early career researchers and promoting intra-European mobility.*

The FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships Programme is designed to advance neuroscience research and training in Europe by enabling master or PhD students and early postdoctoral fellows to broaden their methodological expertise through targeted laboratory visits.

Grant Details

• Maximum Grant Amount: EUR 4,000
• Usage: Funds can cover travel (economy class, local public transport) and accommodation during the exchange.
• Payment Structure: 60% of the grant will be awarded at least two weeks before the fellowship begins, with the remaining 40% provided upon completion of the exchange and submission of the grant report.

Application Deadlines

• Twice a year: 15 April and 15 October (23:59, Brussels time). 

For queries, please contact: chet@fens.org

Next call: Applications open on 1 June 2025

Eligibility Criteria:

To apply, candidates must:

• Be Master or PhD students in neuroscience or early postdoctoral fellows (within 5 years of starting their postdoc) currently based in Europe.
• Be members of a FENS member society, individual FENS members, or members of an IBRO organisation in the Pan-Europe region that is not a FENS member (see list below¹).
• Have acceptance from the host laboratory.
• Have recommendation from the home laboratory.

¹ Eligible organisations include Armenian IBRO Association; Austrian Academy of Sciences; Israel Academy of Sciences & Humanities; Italian Association of NeuroImmunology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Slovak Academy of Sciences; Trisomy 21 Research Society (T21RS, Spain); Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; Brain Research Society (BARD) in Turkey.

Fellowship Specifications:

• Duration: 4 weeks (minimum) to 4 months (maximum). Stays exceeding 4 months must detail additional funding sources and outcomes for the FENS/IBRO-PERC-supported period.
• Location: Both home and host laboratories must be based in Europe, and the exchange must involve a change of country.
• Timeline: The fellowship must be completed within one year of being awarded.
• Budget Restrictions: Eligible expenses include travel (economy class) and housing. Insurance, equipment, groceries, and personal items are not covered.
• Report Submission: A final report is required within two months of completing the fellowship.
• Application Limitation: Candidates may submit only one application for one fellowship at one host laboratory per application round.

Application Considerations

When preparing your application, please ensure it addresses the following:

• The scientific quality of the proposed project.
• The value of the exchange for your training and research.
• The concrete scientific outcomes expected from the fellowship.
• The suitability of the candidate for the proposed project.
• The feasibility of achieving the fellowship objectives within the proposed timeframe.

*Applicants resident in the Africa, Asia or Latin America region should apply via the general IBRO Exchange Fellowships program.

FENS and the IBRO Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO-PERC) are delighted to announce the awardees of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships (April 2023 call). The programme aims to support the career development of early-career researchers in the field of neuroscience by providing them with opportunities for intra-European mobility and by nurturing their growth in a skill-enhancing context.

FENS and IBRO-PERC are pleased with the high-rate response of the neuroscience community to this new initiative: 75 eligible applications from 23 European countries were submitted during the first FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships call, which closed on 15 April 2023.

FENS and IBRO-PERC warming congratulates the eleven awardees and wish them success in their scientific endeavours.

The recipients of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships are:

FENS and the IBRO Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO-PERC) are delighted to announce the awardees of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships (October 2023 call). The programme aims to support the career development of early-career researchers in the field of neuroscience by providing them with opportunities for intra-European mobility and by nurturing their growth in a skill-enhancing context.

FENS and IBRO-PERC are pleased with the high-rate response of the neuroscience community to this new initiative: 94 eligible applications from 22 European countries were submitted during the first FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships call, which closed on 15 October 2023.

FENS and IBRO-PERC warming congratulates the eleven awardees and wish them success in their scientific endeavours.

The recipients of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships are:

FENS and the IBRO Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO-PERC) are delighted to announce the awardees of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships (April 2024 call). The programme aims to support the career development of early-career researchers in the field of neuroscience by providing them with opportunities for intra-European mobility and by nurturing their growth in a skill-enhancing context.

FENS and IBRO-PERC warming congratulates the eleven awardees and wish them success in their scientific endeavours.

The recipients of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships are:

FENS and the IBRO Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO-PERC) are delighted to announce the awardees of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships (October 2024 call). The programme aims to support the career development of early-career researchers in the field of neuroscience by providing them with opportunities for intra-European mobility and by nurturing their growth in a skill-enhancing context.

FENS and IBRO-PERC warming congratulates the eleven awardees and wish them success in their scientific endeavours.

The recipients of the FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships are: