Design your own interdisciplinary PhD in Luxembourg — and join a 48-month doctoral fellowship where you are employed by the University of Luxembourg.
The Young Academics Doctoral Fellows at IAS (YADIAS) programme is accepting applications for its 2027 cohort. The programme offers 15 full-time doctoral fellowships lasting 48 months, open to applicants from all research fields, ages and nationalities. Fellows receive employee status at the University of Luxembourg and access to interdisciplinary research, training, mentoring and career development.
Quick Facts
- Opportunity type: Fully funded doctoral fellowship / PhD
- Host: University of Luxembourg — Institute for Advanced Studies
- Programme: Young Academics Doctoral Fellows at IAS (YADIAS)
- Location: Belval / University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Countries involved: International
- Number of fellowships: 15
- Funding status: Funded doctoral employment/fellowship
- Participant cost: None
- Duration: 48 months
- Format: Full-time
- Research fields: All fields represented at the University of Luxembourg
- Salary/remuneration: Competitive contract
- Research support: Funded doctoral research project
- Training: Customized scientific and career-development training
- Application fee: None
- Age requirement: No age restriction
- Nationality: All nationalities
- Degree requirement: Recognized Master’s degree qualifying the applicant for doctoral studies in Luxembourg
- Work experience: Not specified
- English: Minimum B2
- Application opening: 1 September 2026 at 9:00 AM CET
- Application deadline: 30 November 2026 at 2:00 PM CET
- Earliest start: 1 June 2027
- Latest start: 1 September 2027
Research Areas
YADIAS is open to all research fields available at the University of Luxembourg.
The programme specifically encourages interdisciplinary projects connecting at least two academic disciplines and incorporating intersectoral collaboration.
Potential areas therefore include:
- Computer science
- Artificial intelligence
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Economics
- Finance
- Psychology
- Health sciences
- Life sciences
- Environmental sciences
- Social sciences
- Humanities
- Law
- Education
- Data science
- Public policy
- Related interdisciplinary fields
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be of any nationality and any age.
- Not already hold a PhD by 30 November 2026.
- Hold a recognized Master’s degree by the deadline.
- Be eligible to undertake doctoral studies in Luxembourg.
- Not have started PhD enrolment procedures at the University of Luxembourg before the deadline.
- Meet the MSCA mobility rule.
- Identify:
- One main University of Luxembourg supervisor
- One complementary co-supervisor
- Demonstrate English proficiency of at least B2.
Degree Requirement
Applicants must hold a recognized Master’s degree that qualifies them for doctoral studies in Luxembourg by the application deadline.
Mobility Requirement
Applicants must not have:
- Resided in Luxembourg, or
- Carried out their main activity, including work or studies, in Luxembourg
for more than 12 months during the three years immediately preceding 30 November 2026.
Short holidays and brief stays are excluded.
Financial Support
The official programme confirms:
- 48-month full-time fellowship
- Employee status at the University of Luxembourg
- Funded doctoral research
- Customized training
- Career-development programme
- Access to research infrastructure
- Mentoring
- Interdisciplinary and intersectoral research environment
- International mobility/secondment component
Application Process
YADIAS uses a three-step process:
Step 1 — Declaration of Interest
Submit:
- Candidate credentials
- CV using the mandatory template
- Two-page interdisciplinary research project idea
Step 2 — Supervisor Project Announcement
Your preferred supervisor submits a project announcement through the University’s CRIS system.
Step 3 — Full Application
Submit:
- Full application form
- Motivation letter
- CV
- Master’s degree copy
- Full interdisciplinary research proposal
- Ethics self-assessment
- Preliminary dissemination/exploitation/communication plan
- Gantt chart
- Proposed secondment
All documents must be completed in English.
Important Notes
- Your PhD project must be candidate-driven.
- You need two eligible supervisors from complementary disciplines.
- The project must include a secondment.
- The secondment should add an intersectoral and/or interdisciplinary dimension and, where possible, an international dimension.
- The programme will recruit only 15 doctoral fellows.
- The top 30 candidates after written evaluation proceed to the oral presentation stage.
- Final funding decisions are validated by the University Rector.
Official Application Link
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