The Research & Innovation Foundation (RIF) has announced a new €4.6 million funding call under the “Post-Doc” programme to support post-doctoral researchers leading ambitious projects across Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Social & Human Sciences. The programme aims to strengthen Cyprus’s research capacity, create high-skill jobs, and retain top talent.

Who should apply

The call is open to:

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• Post-doctoral researchers who will coordinate the project. The coordinator must hold a PhD awarded within the last 7 years(extensions allowed for maternity/paternity, military service, or certified long-term sick leave). 
• Each Post-Doc can participate only in one (1) proposal, and each proposal can include
• only one (1) Post-Doc. The Post-Doc must be named in the proposal and will be the Coordinator of the Proposal, and will be committed to working on the proposal for its whole duration. If the Post-Doc leaves the project, the project and its funding will be terminated.
• Post-doc researchers must be employed by a Cyprus-based Host Organisation (Research Organisation, Enterprise, or Other Organisation) for the full duration of the project.
• Host Organisations may be Research Organisations (A1/A2), Enterprises (B1/B2/B3), or Other Organisations (C1/C2) established in Cyprus. Large Enterprises (incl. private universities) may participate only if an SME also participates in the Cypriot consortium.

Benefits

Projects must fall into one of the following three scientific fields: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and Social Sciences and Humanities. 

Grant per project (cap):

• €150,000 for projects in Life Sciences and Physical Sciences & Engineering
• €120,000 for projects in Social Sciences & Humanities
• Project duration: 24 months

Total call budget: €4.6 million, allocated by scientific area:

• €1.65m – Life Sciences
• €1.65m – Physical Sciences & Engineering
• €1.30m – Social Sciences & Humanities

Funding inside each scientific area is further split by host-type category, to ensure balanced participation:

• Category A: Research Organisations & Other Organisations
• Category B: Enterprises

Fair-selection note (applies at the funding stage): In each scientific area, the first two eligible proposals coordinated by a woman are selected first (where applicable), then the remaining proposals are funded in ranked order until the budget is used. This can improve the chances of funding for top-scoring proposals with female coordinators.

How to apply

• Register on IRIS
  The project coordinator (post-doctoral researcher) and all Cyprus-based participating organisations must be registered in advance on the IRIS Portal. Review the Guide for Applicants and IRIS Portal User Manual in the IRIS document library before you start.
• Select the correct call
  Choose POST-DOC/0925 (Category A: RO & Other; Category B: Enterprises) and confirm your scientific field (Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, or Social Sciences & Humanities) matches the Work Programme codes.
• Prepare your proposal package (use the official templates) 
  Part A – General Information & Budget: Complete the online form in IRIS.
  Part B – Technical Annex (PDF): upload exactly the Part B template provided under the call documents—no modifications.
  Annex I – CV: Coordinator’s CV (PDF) — mandatory.
  Annex III – Call-specific information (PDFs):
  a) Single-submission declaration (“this project has been submitted only once to either EXCELLENCE/0925 or POST-DOC/0925”) — mandatory.
  b) PhD certificate of the coordinator — mandatory.
  c) If applicable, proofs for allowable extensions to the 7-year PhD window (e.g., maternity/paternity, military service, certified long-term sick leave).
• Check key eligibility points (save time at preliminary check)
  The post-doctoral coordinator must have earned the PhD within 7 years before the call announcement (formal extensions accepted as above); must be employed by the Host Organisation in Cyprus for the full 24 months; and must allocate ≥70% of project months (timesheets). Only one coordinator per proposal, and each coordinator may appear in only one proposal in this call. 
• Submit before the deadline
  Finalise and submit in IRIS by Friday, 28 November 2025, 13:00 (Cyprus local time).
  Late submissions won’t be accepted.
• Know what evaluators look for
  Proposals undergo a preliminary check and remote peer review by two independent evaluators.
  Compatibility (programme objectives, Do No Significant Harm, and allowable TRLs 1–8) is verified before scoring.
  Evaluation criteria: Excellence (40%), Added Value & Benefit (20%), Implementation (40%).

Support & queries: support@research.org.cy| +357 22205000.
IRIS document library and call documents are available via the portal.