The EACR-Mark Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships fund excellent early-career scientists to carry out cancer research in laboratories across Europe. They are run by the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) with funding from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research.
Each fellowship runs for three years and is held at a European non-profit research institution chosen by the applicant. The programme aims to support talented EACR members during their postdoctoral training, advance innovative cancer research, and build a global network of scientists.
Benefits & funding
- Three years of funding, held at a European non-profit research institution.
- Salary based on the published EMBO country-specific postdoctoral fellowship rate for the host country; the first-year rate rises by 5% each subsequent year.
- An additional 10% of the annual rate goes to the host institution for overhead costs, spent at the employer’s discretion.
- No separate consumables budget.
- Fellows join the EACR-Mark Foundation Fellows’ Network and are invited to the annual EACR Congress.
Eligibility
- Must be an EACR member holding a PhD, with no more than 5 years of postdoctoral experience (excluding career breaks such as parental leave or long-term illness) at the outline proposal deadline.
- Must work actively and currently in cancer research.
- At least one first (or joint first) author primary research paper published in an international peer-reviewed journal, in English, at the time of application.
- Must be based at a European non-profit research institution for the whole fellowship; industrial or for-profit laboratories are not eligible.
- Projects must address the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer through evidence-based laboratory, data, or medical science; psychosocial projects are not considered.
- Open to applicants of any nationality.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
PhD
Experience required
≤ 5 yrs
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Application process
- 1Confirm or obtain EACR membership and secure the agreement of a European host institution and supervisor.
- 2Submit an outline proposal (max 750 words) with a brief CV and three key publications via the EACR online portal by the outline deadline.
- 3Applications are pre-screened for eligibility, then scored by an independent Review Panel; top-ranked outlines go to The Mark Foundation.
- 4Shortlisted applicants are invited to submit a full proposal (max 3,000 words) with a host-institution support letter and one reference letter.
- 5Fellowships are awarded on the Panel’s final rankings; successful applicants accept and sign contracts ahead of the start date.
Program timeline
Outline proposal submission deadline (23:59 CEST)
19 August 2026
Pre-screening, Review Panel scoring, and shortlisting
Autumn 2026
Full proposal submission deadline (23:59 CET)
23 November 2026
Final decisions and contract signing
Early 2027
Fellowships start
1 May 2027