HIGH confidence
Researched 2026-07-28 12:51 · profile: researcher
Programme Thesis
The FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships Programme funds short-term (1–4 month) laboratory visits for master's/PhD students and early postdocs in Europe to acquire new methodological skills not available at their home institution, thereby advancing neuroscience research and fostering intra-European mobility. It exists to broaden the technical repertoire of early-career neuroscientists and build collaborative bridges between European labs.
Selection Criteria
- Eligibility: Must be a Master or PhD student in neuroscience or early postdoc (≤5 years from start) based in Europe; must be a member of a FENS member society, individual FENS member, or member of an eligible IBRO organization in Pan-Europe; must have acceptance from host lab and recommendation from home lab.
- Scientific and Training Quality: Clarity and scientific merit of proposed research; relevance of new methodologies/skills to be acquired that are not available at home institution.
- Added Value of the Exchange: How concretely the exchange supports ongoing/planned research; benefit to home lab (collaboration, capacity-building, new expertise).
- Suitability of the Candidate: Match between applicant's current expertise and proposed training; strength of home supervisor's recommendation.
- Expected Outcomes: Clearly defined, realistic scientific and methodological outcomes; likelihood of achieving objectives within the stay duration.
- Feasibility and Need: Demonstrated genuine scientific and financial need for the exchange.
Past Winners / Cohort Profiles
Eleven awardees from 75 eligible applications in the April 2023 call, spanning 23 European countries. Examples include: Emma Nesbit (Master, LMU Munich → University of Oxford); Emma Delhaye (Postdoc, University of Liege → University of Lisboa); Clara Alice Musi (Postdoc, University of Milan → Aston University); Giulia Carini (Postdoc, University of Brescia → University of Oxford); Anna Lech (Postdoc, Polish Center for Technology Development → IGBMC). Profiles are early-career researchers seeking targeted skill acquisition via cross-border lab visits.
Ideal Candidate Fingerprint
A master's or PhD student or early postdoc in neuroscience based in Europe, with a clear need to learn a specific technique (e.g., optogenetics, calcium imaging, computational modeling) not available at their home lab. The applicant has a well-defined research question that the new skill will directly advance, strong support from both home and host supervisors, and a realistic plan for the 1–4 month stay.
Recommended Framing
Eniola should frame the fellowship as a targeted visit to a European computational neuroscience lab (e.g., Kent Berridge at Michigan is outside Europe, but a European collaborator like Nathaniel Daw at Princeton is also non-European; consider Marcelo Mattar at NYU or a European host such as the lab of a co-author on the CCT model) to learn advanced Bayesian model comparison or neural data analysis techniques that complement his existing ODE/PyMC skills. He can pitch integrating his CCT model with real behavioral data from the host lab, leveraging his unique pharmacology-to-circuit modeling background to bridge theory and experiment. His enrollment at HPI/Potsdam (Germany) satisfies the 'based in Europe' requirement, and his independent researcher status can be framed as a strength if he secures a host lab affiliation.
Watch Out
Applicant must be based in Europe (Eniola is enrolled at HPI/Potsdam, so this is satisfied). He must be a member of a FENS member society or eligible IBRO organization (needs to verify membership or join one). The fellowship requires both home and host labs to be in Europe and the exchange to involve a change of country (his home lab would be at HPI/Potsdam; host must be in a different European country). His independent researcher status may complicate the 'home laboratory' requirement—he needs a formal affiliation with a European institution (HPI/Potsdam qualifies) and a home supervisor recommendation. The €4,000 maximum is modest; he must ensure the budget covers travel and accommodation for 1–4 months.