Fully Funded Life Science PhD, Fellowship and Scholarship Deadlines: August 2026 Onwards

Thirty-three life science funding opportunities are open or opening now, covering PhD positions, fellowships, scholarships and postdoc awards worldwide. The earliest binding deadline is 3 August 2026 (Rhodes Scholarship, Southern Africa) and nine ICGEB fellowships close their Expression of Interest stage on 14 August 2026. Every date below was read from the funder’s own website on 31 July 2026.

This is the first of our weekly funding roundups for life scientists. Every entry was checked against the funding organisation’s own website on 31 July 2026, not against a scholarship aggregator. That distinction matters more than it sounds, and the section on how we verify explains why.

The list covers biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, biomedical science, bioinformatics, structural biology, immunology and neuroscience, at master’s, PhD and postdoctoral level. Most entries are open to applicants of any nationality. Where a programme is restricted, we say so in the eligibility line rather than letting you discover it three hours into an application.

† The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so we show the date exactly as the funder prints it and do not convert it. Check the official page for the exact cut-off time, and submit a day early if you are applying from another country.

Global: what is open and when it closes

Rhodes Scholarship, Southern Africa

Who can apply: Citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and eSwatini. Constituency-specific criteria are in the Information for Candidates document on the Rhodes page. What is funded: For the 2025-26 academic year the stipend is GBP 20,400 per year (GBP 1,700 per month), plus University of Oxford course fees, the Oxford application fee, student visa and International Health Surcharge, two economy flights to and from the UK, and a settling-in allowance. Deadline: 3 August 2026, 23:59 SAST. Round: Entry to Oxford in October 2027.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: The Rhodes Trust, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Arturo Falaschi Postdoctoral Fellowships

Who can apply: Nationals of an ICGEB Member State, holding a recent PhD in life sciences or at least three years of research experience. You may not apply to work in your own country of origin unless you have been working abroad for at least the last three years. Preference is given to candidates below the age of 35. What is funded: Two years with the possibility of a one-year extension. Monthly stipend of EUR 2,300 in Trieste, USD 1,749 in New Delhi and ZAR 27,500 in Cape Town, plus travel to and from the home country, medical health insurance and research costs. Deadline: 14 August 2026, 23:59 CET (Expression of Interest). Round: September 2026 round. Full application closes 30 September 2026, but only for applicants cleared at the EOI stage..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Arturo Falaschi Short-term PhD Fellowships

Who can apply: Nationals of an ICGEB Member State. A BSc (Honours) degree is required for Trieste and Cape Town; an MSc is required for New Delhi. An English proficiency certificate is needed unless your degree was taught in English. What is funded: One to twelve months. Monthly stipend of EUR 1,500 in Trieste, USD 1,122 in New Delhi and ZAR 16,500 in Cape Town, plus travel to and from the home country, medical health insurance and visa costs. Deadline: 14 August 2026, 23:59 CET (Expression of Interest). Round: September 2026 round. Full application closes 30 September 2026 for cleared applicants only..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Arturo Falaschi SMART Fellowships

Who can apply: Nationals of ICGEB Member States in the early stage of their career, spending three to nine months at a research institution in a Member State other than their own. Support for laboratories in Italy, India and South Africa is considered only in exceptional circumstances. What is funded: Three to nine months. Stipend of USD 1,500 per month for PhD-level fellows and USD 2,000 per month for postdoctoral fellows, plus international economy return travel and health insurance. A USD 500 monthly bench fee can be paid directly to the host laboratory. Deadline: 14 August 2026, 23:59 CET (Expression of Interest). Round: September 2026 round.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Rhodes Scholarship, East Africa

Who can apply: Citizens of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi. Kenyan citizens are not eligible here and should apply for the separate Scholarship for Kenya. What is funded: Stipend of GBP 20,400 per year for 2025-26 (GBP 1,700 per month), plus Oxford course fees, the application fee, visa and International Health Surcharge, two economy flights and a settling-in allowance. One scholarship is offered. Deadline: 27 August 2026, 23:59 East Africa Time. Round: Entry to Oxford in October 2027.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: The Rhodes Trust, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Rhodes Scholarship, West Africa

Who can apply: Citizens of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo. What is funded: Stipend of GBP 20,400 per year for 2025-26 (GBP 1,700 per month), plus Oxford course fees, the application fee, visa and International Health Surcharge, two economy flights and a settling-in allowance. Three scholarships are offered. Deadline: 27 August 2026, 23:59 GMT. Round: Entry to Oxford in October 2027.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: The Rhodes Trust, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Faculty for the Future Fellowships

Who can apply: Women who are citizens of a developing country or emerging economy where women are under-represented in STEM, preparing for a PhD or postdoctoral research, already enrolled in or admitted to or applied to a host institute abroad, willing to return home, with a proven record of teaching experience. Note that the… What is funded: Fellowships are awarded on academic ability, leadership potential and engagement in STEM outreach in underserved communities in the applicant’s country of origin. No grant value is published on the application page. Deadline: 6 November 2026 (portal opens 1 September 2026). The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: 2027-2028 new fellowships round.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Schlumberger Foundation, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships

Who can apply: Candidates from eligible low and middle income Commonwealth countries, for full-time taught master’s study in the UK. India is on the eligible list. Applications go through a national nominating agency, not direct to the CSC. What is funded: Approved return airfare from the home country, full tuition fees by agreement between the CSC and the UK university, and a living allowance of GBP 1,712 per month or GBP 2,000 per month in the London metropolitan area, plus a study travel grant and child allowances where applicable. Deadline: Opens Tuesday 8 September, closes Tuesday 20 October at 16:00 BST. The funder’s page prints no year, so no date is asserted here.. Round: 2027/28 academic year intake.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for least developed countries and vulnerable states

Who can apply: Only candidates from the 18 listed least developed countries and vulnerable states: Bangladesh, The Gambia, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda and Zambia. India is NOT on this list and cannot apply to this… What is funded: Approved return airfare, full tuition fees, and a living allowance of GBP 1,712 per month or GBP 2,000 per month in the London metropolitan area, plus a study travel grant, fieldwork airfare and a paid mid-term home visit. Doctoral study is funded for 36 months. Deadline: Opens Tuesday 8 September, closes Tuesday 20 October at 16:00 BST. The funder’s page prints no year, so no date is asserted here.. Round: 2027/28 academic year intake.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Who can apply: Citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom. US citizens resident in the USA use a separate earlier round closing 14 October 2026; US citizens studying or working overseas apply in this round. What is funded: Award values are not stated on the timeline page and are published separately by the Trust. Deadline: Varies by programme. Round: The main round, used by applicants from outside the United States. Applications open September 2026 for 2027/28 entry..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Gates Cambridge Trust, University of Cambridge, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

India: what is open and when it closes

Project-JRF, platelet factor 4 and CXCR3 in dengue infection (Advt. 23/Project/2026/HR)

Who can apply: An MSc in life sciences or a related natural science with at least 60 per cent marks, plus selection through a national eligibility test (CSIR-UGC NET including lectureship, GATE) or a national level examination of DST, DBT, DAE, DOS, DRDO, MoE, ICAR, ICMR, IIT, IISc, IISER or NISER. Experience with dengue or BSL2… What is funded: Rs. 37,000 per month plus 27 per cent HRA. Initially for one year, extendable for the duration of the project. Deadline: 5 August 2026, 5:00 pm. The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: Advt. No. 23/Project/2026/HR.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad, funded by DBT, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Project Associate-I, Dr Diya Binoy Joseph Lab (Advt. inStem/Temp/28/2026)

Who can apply: A master’s degree in natural sciences, or a bachelor’s degree in engineering, technology or medicine, from a recognised university. Age limit 35. One post. A background in cellular and molecular biology with basic computational and statistical skills is expected; mouse handling and mammalian cell culture are… What is funded: Rs. 31,000 per month plus HRA if NET-qualified, or Rs. 25,000 plus HRA if not. A contractual appointment for eleven months, renewable on review of progress. Deadline: 31 August 2026. The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: Advt. No. inStem/Temp/28/2026.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: BRIC-inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine), Bengaluru, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

International Travel Support (ITS)

Who can apply: You need a master’s degree in science or a bachelor’s in a professional course, and must be an active Indian researcher working in a recognised academic institution or research laboratory in India. You must hold an invitation to present an original paper, and must not have used this scheme in the last three years. For… What is funded: Return economy airfare by the shortest route, airport tax and visa fees for attending a specific event. Registration fee as per actual or Rs. 50,000, whichever is less, is provided to young scientists. Deadline: Rolling. Round: The eligible event window advances daily, so check the portal on the day you apply..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), formerly SERB, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Young Investigator Programme (TIFR Advt. 2026/16)

Who can apply: Researchers who have just finished a PhD, or young scientists with some postdoctoral experience. NCBS directs those with more than three years of postdoctoral experience, or who are already senior independent investigators, to apply for faculty positions instead. You need a CV, a one to two page summary of… What is funded: NCBS states that salary and benefits are attractive and that accommodation is provided at nominal rent. A Young Investigator appointment normally runs for three years plus three. No figure is published, so none is stated here. Deadline: Rolling. Round: Evaluation period 1 July to 31 December 2026. NCBS advises that the earlier you apply, the better..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: NCBS-TIFR (National Centre for Biological Sciences), Bengaluru, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

North America: what is open and when it closes

Damon Runyon Fellowship Award

Who can apply: Postdoctoral researchers. Level 1 basic scientists must have received their degree no more than 18 months before the deadline. Candidates who are not United States citizens may apply only if they plan to conduct their research at a United States institution; US citizens may work abroad. What is funded: A four-year term with a stipend of USD 70,000, 72,000, 74,000 and 76,000 across years one to four, plus a USD 2,000 annual expense allowance paid to the host laboratory and a USD 1,000 per child per year dependent allowance. Up to USD 100,000 of qualifying medical-school loans can be retired for eligible physician… Deadline: 14 August 2026, 4:00 pm Eastern Time. Round: August 2026 cycle.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship

Who can apply: Postdoctoral researchers whose project falls in immunology with relevance to cancer. Applicants with five or more years of mentored research experience at award activation are not eligible. The fellowship may be held in the United States or abroad at a non-profit institution. The Cancer Research Institute states there… What is funded: USD 243,000 in total over three years, with a stipend of USD 74,000, 76,000 and 78,000 across years one to three. The host institution receives a USD 5,000 annual allowance for research supplies, conference travel, health insurance or childcare. Deadline: 1 September 2026, 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Round: September 2026 round. The scheme recurs every 1 March and 1 September..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Cancer Research Institute, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA)

Who can apply: A doctorate or health professional degree completed no more than three years before 1 September of the application year, with extensions available. International applicants are eligible if by the deadline they are enrolled in or have completed a doctorate at a Canadian institution, or are doing postdoctoral research… What is funded: CAD 70,000 per year for 24 months. An Indigenous Scholars Supplement of CAD 10,000 for one year is available to successful Indigenous applicants through NSERC or SSHRC. Deadline: 16 September 2026 for CIHR (health and life sciences); 19 October 2026 for NSERC (biology). Round: 2026 competition. Deadlines differ by agency, so apply to the one that matches your field..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC (Canada Research Training Awards Suite), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)

Who can apply: You must be a US citizen, US national or US permanent resident. International applicants are not eligible regardless of host institution. You must not have worked in a position requiring a doctoral degree for more than 15 full-time months before the deadline. One proposal per year, two in a lifetime. Fellows may host… What is funded: USD 110,000 per year for two years, USD 220,000 in total, made up of an USD 85,000 stipend paid directly to the fellow and a USD 25,000 fellowship allowance. About 75 awards are expected from a USD 16.5 million programme budget. Deadline: 29 September 2026, 5:00 pm submitting organisation’s local time. The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: FY2026 competition.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: US National Science Foundation, Directorate for Biological Sciences, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Life Sciences Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship

Who can apply: Within five years of your PhD, MD or DVM as of 1 October 2026; degrees conferred before 1 October 2021 are not eligible. You must begin in the proposed laboratory between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2027, in a different laboratory from your thesis lab. Applicants in an HHMI laboratory are not eligible. The award is open… What is funded: For fellowships beginning on or after 1 August 2026 the total award is USD 255,000 over three years (USD 85,000 per year), comprising a USD 237,000 stipend and an USD 18,000 research allowance. Between 18 and 27 awards are made annually from more than 800 applications. Deadline: 1 October 2026, 8:00 pm Eastern Time (portal opens 15 August 2026). Round: 2026 cycle, awards activating 1 August 2027.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Life Sciences Research Foundation, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Doctoral (CGRS D)

Who can apply: No more than 36 months of full-time-equivalent doctoral study completed by 31 December of the application year. If you are not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person you must be registered in your doctoral programme at an eligible Canadian institution by the deadline. Up to 15 per cent of awards go… What is funded: CAD 40,000 per year for 36 months. An Indigenous Scholars Supplement of CAD 5,000 for one year is available to successful Indigenous students through NSERC or SSHRC. Deadline: 19 October 2026, 8:00 pm Eastern Time when applying direct to the agency. Round: October 2026 competition.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC (Canada Research Training Awards Suite), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program

Who can apply: Postdoctoral scientists with no more than seven years of postdoctoral training experience as of 15 December 2026, at an HHMI-eligible institution. There is no citizenship requirement: HHMI instead requires that you are authorised to work in the US or eligible to obtain work authorisation for the duration of the… What is funded: Up to two years of salary or stipend support, additional support for certain fellowship-associated expenses, and tailored professional development including personalised support for the faculty search. No dollar figure is published. Deadline: 15 December 2026, 11:59 pm Eastern Time (applications open 3 November 2026). Round: 2028 competition. The programme runs every other year..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship

Who can apply: No more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience at the deadline, so your first postdoc must not have started before 1 February 2026. The PhD must have been conferred no more than 24 months before 1 February 2027, or three years for an MD. PhD candidates without the degree in hand at the deadline may still… What is funded: A three-year fellowship with a USD 2,000 research allowance and a separate USD 1,800 travel fund awarded to the fellow. The Fund also pays travel, lodging and meals for the required annual symposium. No stipend figure is published on the accessible pages. Deadline: 1 February 2027, 3:00 pm EST (portal opens 1 October 2026). Round: 2027 cycle.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Who can apply: Non-US citizens only. This is the inbound programme, so it is the main US route for students from India, Asia and Africa. You apply to the Fulbright Commission or US Embassy in your home country, and eligibility, field restrictions and deadlines are all set nationally. In India, central and state government employees… What is funded: Grant values are set by each binational Fulbright Commission or US Embassy, not centrally, so no figure is stated here. For India, USIEF publishes the benefits per fellowship, which include J-1 visa support, a monthly stipend, accident and sickness cover, round-trip economy airfare and modest affiliation fees. Deadline: Varies by programme. Round: 2027-28 cycle, country-dependent.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Europe: what is open and when it closes

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026

Who can apply: You must hold a PhD and have at most eight years of research experience since the PhD was awarded. Mobility rule: you must not have resided or carried out your main activity in the country of the host organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the deadline. For European Postdoctoral Fellowships… What is funded: Call budget of EUR 399.05 million. Support comprises a living allowance and a mobility allowance, plus family, long-term leave and special needs allowances where applicable. Per-month rates are set in the Horizon Europe Work Programme rather than on the call page. Deadline: 9 September 2026. The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: European Commission, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

EMBL-EBI and Sanger Postdoctoral Fellowship (ESPOD)

Who can apply: You may apply for up to three advertised projects, or propose your own if it has been agreed in advance with both an EMBL-EBI and a Sanger group leader. The application must include a cover letter, a CV and two recent letters of reference, or it will not be considered. What is funded: A three-year project-based contract. Benefits listed include monthly family and child allowances, a stipend reviewed yearly, a pension scheme, 30 days of annual leave, private medical insurance, and visa and financial support to relocate from overseas. No stipend figure is published on the posting. Deadline: 27 September 2026, 23:59 CET. Round: ESPOD 2026 call.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: EMBL-EBI and Wellcome Sanger Institute, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

ARISE2 Postdoctoral Fellowship

Who can apply: You need a PhD at the time of the call deadline. Researchers who have successfully defended their thesis but have not yet been formally awarded the degree are eligible. A university degree in a relevant STEM discipline and experience in technology development, in academia or industry, are also required. What is funded: Over 20 fully funded three-year fellowships. Entry-level gross salary ranges from EUR 3,228.38 to EUR 4,118.45 per month depending on the EMBL host site. Fellows are exempt from national taxes because of EMBL’s intergovernmental status but contribute to EMBL’s own social security system. Deadline: 30 September 2026. The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: 2026 call for applications.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: EMBL, co-funded by Horizon Europe MSCA COFUND, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships

Who can apply: You may apply regardless of nationality or where you did your PhD, provided the move is international. The PhD must have been obtained within the two years before submission, and you need at least one first-author peer-reviewed paper. Applications to work in the country where you obtained your PhD are not eligible… What is funded: Fellowships run up to two years and include a salary or stipend, a relocation allowance and support for fellows with children. EMBO funds the host institution to cover a full-time employment contract, at a rate that depends on the country being visited. Rates are published in a separate contract-rates document. Deadline: 22 January 2027, 14:00 CET (next cutoff). Round: Spring 2027 selection round. Applications are accepted all year; the cutoff decides which round assesses you..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds MD Fellowship

Who can apply: Medical students undertaking a doctoral thesis in basic biomedical research. Full criteria are on the funder’s separate eligibility page. What is funded: Granted initially for 10 to 12 months and extendable once by up to six months. Monthly stipend for unmarried fellows of EUR 1,560 in Germany, 1,890 in the United Kingdom, 2,280 in Switzerland and 2,470 in the USA, plus a child care allowance of up to EUR 500 and a spouse allowance of EUR 200. Deadline: 1 October, the next of three fixed annual deadlines (1 February, 1 June, 1 October). The funder’s page prints no year.. The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: The application portal opens one month before each deadline..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowship

Who can apply: European citizens working in Europe or overseas, and non-European citizens pursuing their PhD in Europe. At the deadline your first university entrance qualification must not be more than 96 months old. If you began your project more than six months before the deadline you are no longer eligible. Fewer than 10 per… What is funded: Monthly stipend of EUR 2,400 in Germany, 2,200 in Spain, 2,450 in Austria, 2,900 in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, 3,500 in Switzerland and 3,800 in the USA. Granted initially for two years and extendable once by up to 18 months, plus a child care allowance of up to EUR 500 and a spouse allowance of EUR 200… Deadline: 1 October, the next of three fixed annual deadlines (1 February, 1 June, 1 October). The funder’s page prints no year.. The funder does not state a timezone for this deadline, so check the official page for the exact cut-off time. Round: The application portal opens one month before each deadline..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds Travel Grants

Who can apply: PhD students, medical students during their doctoral thesis, and postdocs, plus PhD candidates who have applied for a PhD abroad but not yet started. European citizens working in Europe or overseas, and non-European citizens doing their MD, PhD or postdoc in Europe or travelling to Europe. Measured from your… What is funded: Grants of up to three months, paid as a lump sum contributing to travel, lodging and course fees. It does not cover living expenses, local travel, visa or insurance. Additional funds for living costs may be granted to doctoral and postdoctoral applicants from countries with very low incomes. No figure is published on… Deadline: Rolling.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

EMBL International PhD Programme

Who can apply: Not specified on this page; EMBL directs enquiries to the Graduate Office. The programme is normally aimed at students holding or completing a master’s-level qualification. What is funded: A fully funded, salaried EMBL predoctoral fellowship. No figure is published on this page, so none is stated here. Deadline: See official page. Round: Two recruitment rounds are run each year across all EMBL sites. The 2026 summer round is closed..

Read the full call and apply on the official page: EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants

Who can apply: You must work at an institution in an EMBC Member State or a global partner country, which explicitly includes India, and be an active researcher at any career stage with at least one year of graduate-level research experience. Grants are not awarded between two laboratories in the same country, and the collaboration… What is funded: Exchanges of up to three months between laboratories in eligible countries. The grants cover travel and subsistence costs for the fellow. Deadline: Rolling. Round: Continuous intake, no rounds.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization), official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS)

Who can apply: Open to international applicants; the Max Planck Society states that about half of the junior researchers trained at an IMPRS come from Germany and half from around the world. Choose a school by scientific focus and contact its coordinator directly. What is funded: No stipend figure is published centrally. Funding is arranged by each individual school. Deadline: Varies by programme.

Read the full call and apply on the official page: Max Planck Society, official page. Last verified: 2026-07-31.

What closes first?

Four deadlines are close enough to act on this week.

• 3 August 2026: the Rhodes Scholarship for Southern Africa closes at 23:59 SAST.
• 5 August 2026: the RCB Faridabad Project-JRF post on dengue immunology closes at 5:00 pm.
• 14 August 2026: the Damon Runyon Fellowship Award closes at 4:00 pm Eastern Time, and all nine ICGEB Arturo Falaschi fellowships close their Expression of Interest stage at 23:59 CET.

The ICGEB date deserves a warning. Its calls advertise two dates, an Expression of Interest on 14 August and a full application on 30 September. The September date looks like the real deadline and it is not. You cannot submit a full application unless ICGEB first notifies you that you may proceed, and that notification only follows a cleared Expression of Interest. Miss 14 August and the 30 September date is unreachable. This pattern, where the earliest stage is the one that actually locks you out, repeats across several programmes below, so we list every stage rather than only the final one.

Which of these can I actually apply to?

Three restrictions in this list catch people out, because the programmes are widely recommended without the caveat attached.

The NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology require you to be a US citizen, national or permanent resident. That is not negotiable and it does not depend on where you hold the fellowship, since NSF allows fellows to host at an international institution while still requiring US status of the person.

The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are restricted to 18 least developed countries and vulnerable states, and India is not among them. Indian students are eligible for the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships, which is a different scheme with a different page. The short URL cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships/commonwealth-phd-scholarships/ now redirects to the restricted page, so anyone sharing that link is quietly sending Indian readers to a scheme they cannot apply to.

Faculty for the Future, the Schlumberger Foundation programme for women in STEM from developing countries, currently publishes an eligible-country list headed 2025-2026 even though the open call is for 2027-2028. As printed today that list excludes India, China, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa and Mexico. Check it again when the portal opens on 1 September 2026, because the list may be refreshed.

Against those, four programmes place no citizenship condition on the applicant at all. The Cancer Research Institute states plainly that there are no citizenship restrictions on its Irvington fellowship. The Life Sciences Research Foundation and the Jane Coffin Childs Fund both accept citizens of any country, with the condition that non-US citizens hold the award at a US institution. HHMI’s Hanna Gray Fellows Program asks for work authorisation rather than citizenship.

Why do so many scholarship listings turn out to be wrong?

Three kinds of stale listing circulate widely, and all three were live on aggregator sites while we were compiling this.

Programmes that look open but are not. The HFSP postdoctoral fellowship page still advertises a September 2026 date for full proposals. That stage is invitation-only. The Letter of Intent, which is the only way in, closed on 12 May 2026, and HFSP runs one competition per year. A student skimming that page would reasonably conclude they had two months in hand.

Programmes that no longer exist. Canada’s Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships and Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships have both been discontinued and replaced by the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award and the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship. Both old names are still listed as open on scholarship sites. Similarly, the ICMR Junior Research Fellowship applies only up to the 2023 batch and was replaced by the Biomedical Research Eligibility Test from 2024, and SERB became ANRF under the ANRF Act 2023.

Deadlines with the year rolled forward. While researching this list, a search summary confidently stated that the next ICGEB round would open in January 2027 with a March 2027 deadline. ICGEB’s own page, read at the same moment, showed an open round closing on 14 August 2026. A student who trusted the summary would have missed a deadline that was two weeks away.

How is this list verified?

Every fact in this article comes from the funding organisation’s own domain, fetched on 31 July 2026. Aggregators are used only to notice that an opportunity might exist. We then find the funder’s page and read the deadline, the eligibility and the funding there. If we cannot find an official page, the opportunity does not appear here.

We also refuse to print a date we cannot stand behind. Where a funder gives a day and month but no year, as Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission both do, we print exactly what they printed instead of inferring the year. Where a numeric date could be read two ways, we do not guess. Where a funder points at a per-course or per-school deadline, as Gates Cambridge and the Max Planck IMPRS network do, we say the deadline varies and link you to the place that holds it. A vague but honest answer costs you five minutes. A confidently wrong date costs you the application.

Deadlines change. Funders extend them, close them early and occasionally correct them. We re-check every live deadline in this list daily and update the entry when the funder changes it, so the date you read here is the date on the official page.

What should I do before the deadline?

Two practical notes that apply across most of this list.

References are part of the deadline. The Life Sciences Research Foundation needs three reference letters and a supervisor letter by 1 November 2026, a month after the application itself. The Jane Coffin Childs Fund requires three referee letters inside the portal by the same instant as the application, and states “no exceptions”. EMBL-EBI will not consider an ESPOD application without two reference letters attached. Ask your referees now, not the week before.

Your institution’s internal deadline may be the real one. Canada’s CGRS D and CPRA are usually submitted through a Canadian institution, and that institution sets its own endorsement deadline well before the agency date. The same is true of most MSCA applications, which are submitted jointly with a host organisation. If you are applying through an institution, ask its research office for the internal date before you plan around the public one.

If you are still building the computational skills these labs screen for, our computational biology skills roadmap sets out the order to learn them in, and our free assessments and certificates give you something verifiable to put on an application while you wait for the next round to open.

Frequently asked questions

Which life science fellowships are open to international applicants?

Most in this list. The Cancer Research Institute states there are no citizenship restrictions on its Irvington postdoctoral fellowship. The Life Sciences Research Foundation and the Jane Coffin Childs Fund accept citizens of any country, provided non-US citizens hold the award at a US institution. MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality, and EMBO fellowships can be held by an applicant of any nationality as long as the move is international. The notable exception is the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology, which require US citizenship, nationality or permanent residency.

Can I apply for a PhD fellowship before I finish my master’s?

It depends on the scheme, and the distinction is between fellowships that fund a person and positions that fill a project. The ICGEB Arturo Falaschi short-term PhD fellowships ask for a BSc (Honours) for Trieste and Cape Town and an MSc for New Delhi. Indian project posts such as the RCB Faridabad Project-JRF require a completed MSc plus a national eligibility test such as CSIR-UGC NET or GATE. Structured programmes like the EMBL International PhD Programme are normally aimed at students holding or completing a master’s-level qualification.

Do any of these charge an application fee?

None of them. We exclude any opportunity that asks for an application, processing or registration fee, without exception, even where the organisation is otherwise legitimate. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission states directly that it does not charge to apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through its online application system. A request for money to apply, a demand for your bank or Aadhaar details before any selection decision, or a contact address that is only a WhatsApp number are the three clearest signs that a scholarship listing is not genuine.

What does fully funded actually mean?

It varies more than the phrase suggests, so read the funding column rather than trusting the label. Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds pays a monthly stipend of EUR 2,400 in Germany and up to EUR 3,800 in the USA, and the stipends are usually tax-free. The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships cover full tuition, return airfare and GBP 1,712 per month, or GBP 2,000 in London. Rhodes covers Oxford fees plus GBP 20,400 per year at the 2025-26 rate. Some programmes, including HHMI’s Hanna Gray Fellows and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, publish no figure at all on the pages we checked, so we leave the amount blank rather than estimate.

How competitive are these fellowships?

Where funders publish the numbers, they are demanding. The Life Sciences Research Foundation makes 18 to 27 awards a year from more than 800 applications. Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds states that fewer than 10 per cent of applicants receive a fellowship. Canada’s CPRA reserves up to 20 per cent of postdoctoral awards for international applicants and CGRS D up to 15 per cent, which is a cap rather than a target. Apply to several, and treat the rolling schemes such as EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants and the ANRF International Travel Support as genuine options rather than consolation prizes.

How often is this list updated?

We publish a new roundup every week and re-check every live deadline in the published lists daily. When a funder extends, changes or closes a deadline, we update the entry and note the change. Each entry carries the date it was last verified so you can judge for yourself how fresh it is. Always open the official link before you apply, because the funder’s page is the authority and this page is a signpost to it.