Your MSCACompass@ILL 2026 starts here: apply for MSCA postdoctoral fellowship
Are you interested in conducting your own postdoctoral research project and becoming a Marie Curie fellow? Would you like to join the ILL, a world-class large-scale facility dedicated to neutron science and technology? If so, you should consider applying for a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026 within the HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01 call.
This is a unique opportunity to:
- Conduct your research activities, acquire new skills, and develop your career as a researcher.
- Gain experience at a large-scale facility in different countries, regardless of your discipline
- Prepare your research proposal with expert guidance
Our European Office will provide a training and support package for talented researchers applying to the 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call.
This applies to projects where the Institut Laue-Langevin serves as the host institution (European Fellowships) or the return host institution (Global Fellowships).
If awarded, you will have access to many benefits, including:
- High-level training MSCACompass focused on writing an MSCA-PF proposal. This includes both online training sessions that combine lectures with practical workshops, along with supervision and coaching from experts, available for personalised meetings.
- Direct meetings with your Scientific Supervisor.
- Mentorship and coaching on your proposal development, leading up to submission.
Who can apply?
Researchers who:
- Have completed a PhD or will complete it by the EU call deadline (9 September 2026).
- Have a maximum of 8 years of full-time equivalent research experience by the EU call deadline.
- Have not resided or conducted their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years leading up to the EU call deadline (or for more than 12 months in the country of the host institute, if applying for a Global Fellowship in a third country).
Which topics can be funded?
ILL is one of the large research infrastructures in Europe, combining over 40 state-of-the-art neutron instruments with unmatched supporting laboratories and scientific and technical services. This enables detailed investigations across a wide range of scientific disciplines, providing researchers with advanced tools to study material structures, molecular dynamics, and magnetic properties.
Approximately 60% of research at ILL is dedicated to fundamental science in fields such as soft matter physics, chemistry, biology, nuclear physics, and materials science. The remaining 40% is focused on addressing contemporary societal challenges, particularly in health, energy, environment, and information technology.
Resources
Deadlines and timelines
- April 30th 2026 - Deadline for applying to this call
- May 2026 - The applicants receive an e-mail with the results of their applications
- From May 2026 - MSCA training sessions for selected applicants
- June 2026 – one-to-one work with the supervisor (optional event, but to be agreed before the MSCACompass)
- June-September 2026 - The participants of the MSCACompass, supported by their Supervisors and the EU Office, prepare the project proposals.
- July 5th, 2026 – Deadline for the submission of a draft project proposal to ILL.
- September 9th, 2026 - Deadline for submission of Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship proposals to the European Commission (call ID HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01-01).
Contacts at ILL
Responsible persons for procedures related to MSCA Application:
- Anne-Mathilde Thierry – EU Projects Manager amthierry@ill.fr
- Serena Mancini – EU Support Officer mancini@ill.fr
For information on questions related to this call, you can contact the European Office (part of the Partneship And Communication Service) at europe@ill.fr