CALL FOR ACADEMIC APPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED FELLOWSHIPS 2026 within the NETWORK OF THE STAR-UBB INSTITUTE

With a view to building up the capacity for excellent research at Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB), the UBB Scientific Council (CS-UBB) and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology (STAR-UBB) are launching the 2026 competition for International Advanced Fellowship applications within the framework of the CNFIS-FDI-2026-F-1061 project.

The project aims to leverage research excellence at UBB, including the advancement of Open Science (OS) practices, with a focus on strengthening key research infrastructures and the associated human resources, as a foundation for transformative paradigm shifts in the nature, substance, relevance, and epistemic, societal, and community impact of the research projects and programmes carried out within the research units of the STAR-UBB-N network of the STAR-UBB Institute. In this regard, the programme aims to strengthen human resource capacity through the provision of International Advanced Fellowships (IAF) focused on excellence, with the objective of developing (new) fundamental, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research themes and projects with significant epistemic, societal, and community impact.

  • Five (5) International Advanced Fellowships will be granted to distinguished international researchers who can contribute, in collaboration with UBB’s laboratories and research centres, to the development of multi- and transdisciplinary research themes with epistemic, societal, and community impact within the framework of Open Science (OS);
  • Fellowships are awarded to exceptional researchers (e.g., highly cited researchers, researchers from Top 500 universities etc.) who, based on their submitted research topics, may significantly contribute to the development of UBB key strategic/competence fields of expertise and of OS practices;
  • The fellowships are awarded for the following period: 01 September – 30 November 2026;
  • The funding for each International Advanced Fellowship is granted for a duration of one month[1]and amounts to 8,000 RON (which includes travel to UBB, accommodation, daily allowance, etc.);
  • Any institutionally-accredited research unit may recommend for a fellowship an outstanding member of the academic staff / researcher from a European/international prestigious institution. Proposals aimed at strategic UBB RDI fields may be submitted directly by the CS-UBB Operations Council;
  • Applications must be submitted to CSU (Centre for University Strategy) between 18 June and 8 July 2026 by email to Ms. Carmen Pop (carmen.pop@ubbcluj.ro).
  • The application file must include:

i) CV and a list of the applicant’s most relevant academic contributions (maximum 10 publications);

ii) The project proposal for the International Advanced Fellowship, maximum 3 pages, in free format. It should outline the activities to be carried out in the research unit recommending them, with an emphasis on the Open Science component of research data collection and management. Collaborative STEAM approaches (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Humanities, Mathematics) constitute an advantage;

iii) Recommendation from the institutionally-accredited research unit in UBB or CS-UBB, as applicable, indicating the extent to which the applicant will contribute to the development of new multi- and trans-disciplinary research topics and projects with epistemic, societal, and community impact within the framework of Open Science (OS) in collaboration with UBB laboratories, centres or research institutes;

  • Following the implementation of the project at UBB level, each fellowship recipient is required to hold at least one conference / scientific lecture / seminar / workshop (either online or on-site), under the aegis of the STAR-UBB Institute/Network, on a research topic with epistemic, societal, and community impact in the context of Open Science (OS) carried out in one of the institutionally-accredited research units or in a department of the UBB Academic Schools of Science, as well as the preparation and submission for publication of at least one academic contribution co-authored with a UBB faculty member or researcher, addressing fundamental scientific research or multidisciplinary/transdisciplinary research topics with relevance and impact for Open Science (OS) practices.
  • Applications will be shortlisted by the CS-UBB Operations Council by taking into consideration the applicant’s CV and list of relevant academic publications/contributions, the project proposal, and the reputation of the university/RDI unit.
  • Competition calendar:
ActivityDeadline / time frame
Launch of the competition17 June 2026
Submission of application files18 June – 8 July 2026
Eligibility check – evaluation of applications09-17 July 2026
Notification of applicants regarding the preliminary evaluation results20 July 2026
Submission of appeals21 – 22 July 2026
Notification of the final results24 July 2026

[1] One month (recipient’s choice) between 1 September and 30 November 2026.