# Young Investigator Programme

**Funder:** EMBO
**Deadline:** 1 April 2027 (Annual deadline: 1 April)
**Duration:** 4 years
**Consortium:** No - individual applicant
**Application:** 2-stage: pre-application → invited full application
**Frequency:** Annual
**Next round:** 2027-04
**Official call:** https://www.embo.org/funding/fellowships-grants-and-career-support/young-investigator-programme/
**Last updated:** 18 Oct 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Supports life scientists who have been group leaders for less than four years at time of application in setting up their laboratories. Provides financial support for networking for four years, training opportunities, support for lab members and mentoring.

## Summary

The EMBO Young Investigator Programme supports life scientists who have led their own research group for less than four years, offering networking, training, lab-member support and mentoring over a four-year period. It is open to newly independent group leaders across the life sciences, and EMBO runs the call annually with a fixed 1 April deadline.

## Who should apply

- Group leaders with less than four years in an independent position
- Life scientists across any subfield of the life sciences
- Applicants seeking structured mentoring and networking rather than direct project funding
- Newly established labs wanting training and lab-member support

## Key dates

- Annual deadline: 1 April, next round expected April 2027
- Two-stage process: pre-application followed by invited full application
- Four-year programme duration

## Tips for applicants

- Because the pre-application stage filters who is invited to submit a full application, make the initial submission stand on its own scientific case rather than treating it as a formality.
- Emphasize independence and the trajectory of your new lab, since the four-year group-leader window is a hard eligibility cutoff.
- Frame the application around the programme's actual benefits, networking, training, mentoring, rather than requesting project funding, since this is not a research grant.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much money does the EMBO Young Investigator Programme provide?

The programme does not provide direct research funding; instead it offers networking support, training opportunities, lab member support and mentoring over four years.

### Who is eligible for the EMBO Young Investigator Programme?

Life scientists who have been group leaders for less than four years at the time of application.

### How long does the EMBO Young Investigator Programme last?

The programme runs for four years.

### Is the EMBO Young Investigator Programme a single submission?

No, it is a two-stage process: a pre-application followed by an invited full application for those who pass the first stage.

### How often does EMBO run this call?

It runs annually, with a fixed deadline of 1 April each year.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/embo-young-investigator-programme-2027-04) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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