Enrico Fermi Fellowships for Doctoral Students (2026-2027 Cohort)

The EFF program, managed by the Center for SpaceTime and the Quantum (CSTQ) and funded by the John Templeton Foundation (JTF), supports exceptional graduate students worldwide who are interested in fundamental scientific questions and eager to work across both theoretical and experimental approaches. Fellows receive competitive funding (up to EUR 105,000 per year) for 1-2 years, including salary support, travel allowances, and research funds for supervisors, along with mentoring and networking opportunities.

Eligibility

The program is open to doctoral student worldwide who are:

• Currently enrolled in a PhD program or equivalent graduate-level research program
• Conducting research in fundamental science fields including:
  • Fundamental physics
  • Astronomy
  • Cosmology
  • Quantum foundations
  • Complexity and emergence
• Eager to engage with both theoretical and experimental approaches
• Demonstrating outstanding academic merit and commitment to conceptual exploration

Program Dates/Location

• Application Deadline: October 19, 2025, at 23:59 CET (Marseille time)
• Start date: Flexible timing between the end of April 2026 and January 2027
• Duration: 1-2 years
• Location: Global, with placements at participating institutions

Note: finalizing the agreement with your institution and activating the fellowship may take a few months. Consider this when selecting a starting date.

Program Benefits

Selected fellows will receive:

• Competitive salary and benefits, with an annual budget of up to EUR105,000
• Travel allowance for conferences and academic events
• Research funds for supervising professors
• Mentoring and training opportunities
• Participation in collaborative scientific gatherings organized by CSTQ

Required Documents

Applicant Information

• First name(s)

• Last name(s)

• Email address

• Affiliation

Project Overview

• Project title

• Research area.

• Proposed start date. – The start date must be between April 2026 and January 2027 (inclusive). Please allow for possible administrative delays in setting up the fellowship with your host institution.

• Proposed Duration. – The duration of each EFF is expected to be less than two years, but we will exceptionally consider longer up to a max of three.

• Experimental supervisor (name, affiliation, email)

• Theoretical supervisor (name, affiliation, email)

Project Details

• 1-page executive summary highlighting key information and how the assessment criteria are met

• 1–4 page research proposal

• Supporting letter from the experimental supervisor

• Supporting letter from the theoretical supervisor

• 1–3 page CV

• Transcripts for all university-level study (BSc, MSc, and PhD if applicable)

• Institution statement on official letterhead, signed by a university representative with authority to sign grant agreements (Institutional Support Letter Template)

• Detailed budget based on the template (EFF Budget Template)

Referees Suggestions

• Full name

• Email

• Affiliation

Note: These referees should not have any joint publications with the applicant or either of the two supervisors. These referees are indicative only; we may select different referees at our discretion.

Additional information

Awarded fellowships will be showcased in a dedicated section of the EFF website. To this end, successful awardees will be asked to provide:

• A profile picture

• A short blog-style text (up to 400 words) presenting the research project for a non-expert audience

Application Process

Prepare the required documents (mentioned above) and submit it via email to: eff@cstq.og

Note: Before applying, please read the EFF Application Guidelines page and the budget section below.