Job Description

18 MSCA-Cofund postdoctoral positions now open under the IRIS Programme at VUB & ULB. Apply by 31 Oct 2025. All research fields welcome!

IRIS Postdoctoral Programme (2025–2030) – Belgium

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), together with the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Horizon Europe), are pleased to launch the IRIS Postdoctoral Programme (2025–2030).

Through this initiative, 36 international postdoctoral researchers will be recruited over two open calls. The first call, open from 1 July to 31 October 2025, will select 18 fellows—12 at ULB and 6 at VUB—for a period of 30 months.

Programme Highlights

• Funding Scheme: Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA Cofund)
• Positions Available: 18 (first call)
• Host Institutions: Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
• Research Fields: Open to all, with a focus on interdisciplinarity and alignment with the Brussels-Capital Region’s six societal challenges
• Duration: 30 months
• Eligibility:
  • Applicants of any nationality and age
  • PhD degree or thesis defended by deadline
  • Maximum 8 years of full-time research experience post-PhD (with exceptions for career breaks)
  • Mobility rule: Applicants must not have resided or worked in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years before the deadline
  • Commitment of two supervisors with the capacity to guide the fellowship

Why Apply?

IRIS offers an opportunity to conduct cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research at two leading universities in Brussels. Fellows will benefit from world-class supervision, infrastructure, and resources, while also engaging with the international and multicultural academic environment of the Brussels-Capital Region.

Both VUB and ULB uphold values of freedom, equality, solidarity, and inclusivity, ensuring that researchers from diverse backgrounds thrive. Fellows will also be part of the EUTOPIA alliance, which brings together like-minded European universities committed to reinventing higher education and research.

Application Deadline – 31 October 2025 

How to Apply