AFR Postdoc Grants

The Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (FNR) established the national research
grant scheme AFR (Aides à la Formation-Recherche) to support PhD and postdoctoral
researchers in Luxembourg and abroad. By providing individual fellowships, the FNR wants
to support research training that clearly advances the beneficiary’s own career. The project
should be in-line with the research objectives of the hosting research group and useful to the
Luxembourg R&D setting.
The FNR offers doctoral research grants for up to four years (3+1) and postdoctoral research
grants for up to two years. The FNR actively encourages the conclusion of employment
contracts between AFR beneficiaries and their host institutions, thereby giving the
beneficiaries access to full social security coverage including health and pension insurances.
Stipends without employment contracts are only awarded in exceptional cases.

Research Fields

All

Eligibility criteria

AFR follows a bottom-up approach, has no thematic limitations and is open to all researchers, regardless of their nationality, desirous to engage into research training in Luxembourg (i.e. more than 50% of time spent in Luxembourg). In case the research training takes place abroad, the applicants must have a strong link to Luxembourg (nationals and/or residents > 7 years). In case of a collaboration with a private company in Luxembourg at least 25% of the time must be spent in the company in Luxembourg.
Applicants for the AFR postdoc grants must have obtained their doctoral degree no longer than 8 years before the application deadline. If a candidate does not hold a PhD degree yet, the final PhD examination must have been passed the latest 2 months after the call submission deadline. In addition, postdoctoral candidates are subject to a mobility clause: the postdoctoral research study has to be carried out in a country different from where the applicant has been principally (> 12 months) working in the 24 months preceding the call deadline.

Selection process

The AFR applications for postdoctoral research projects will be assessed according to the following selection criteria:
1. Scientific quality of the research project
2. Profile of the applicant
3. Quality of the host institution
4. Interest of the research project in the Luxembourg R&D setting
5. Potential for career development

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Programme Description

Frequency of calls	2 calls per year
International mobility required ?	yes
Eligible destination country/ies for fellows	All
Eligibility of fellows: country/ies of residence	All
Eligibility of fellows: nationality/ies	All
Website of Fellowship Programme	http://www.fnr.lu/en/AFR-PhD-Postdoc-Grants/Postdoc-Grants

Fellowship's Details

Career Stage	Experienced researcher or 4-10 yrs (Post-Doc)
Research Profile	Recognised Researcher (R2)
Employment contract with full social security	yes
Total amount per fellowship per year	55586
Currency	euro
Covers salary	yes
Covers research costs	no
Maximum duration of fellowship	24