New call of applications for IRIS, a MSCA Postdoctoral Programme for Interdisciplinary Research Addressing Regional Challenges
09 March 2026 | Funding
MSCA postdoctoral programme IRIS, the ‘Interdisciplinary Research In Societal challenges’, has launched its second call for applications!
In this second call, the programme is looking to recruit 18 researchers (12 at ULB and 6 at VUB). Eligible applicants must:
- have a PhD for maximum 8 years;
- Not have resided or carried out their main activity in Belgium for more than 12 months over the last years before the call deadline (30/6/2026).
To support applicants, IRIS is organising a series of info sessions that started in early March. The upcoming ones will take place on 23 March and 27 April. Learn more about the info sessions.
About IRIS
The Interdisciplinary Research In Societal challenges Postdoctoral COFUND (IRIS) is a European postdoctoral programme, COFUNDed by the Université libre de Bruxelles, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the European Commission within the framework of the MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE actions (Horizon Europe).
IRIS has a bottom-up approach, welcoming applications from all research fields with a focus on interdisciplinarity and regional priorities, aligned with the Brussels-Capital Region’s six societal challenges.
During the fellowship, IRIS postdocs will benefit from an environment that fosters academic growth and well-being. Fellows will engage in optional secondments and short visits, take part in the IRIS management committee, and have 30 months to fully carry out their interdisciplinary research projects.
IRIS’s research programme hinges on two themes: interdisciplinarity and the six societal challenges of the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR). IRIS fellows’ research projects will exemplify solutions in the applied context of the BCR but are intrinsically linked to ubiquitous European needs, thereby preparing the participating researchers European-wide career options.
UNICA is an associate partner in this projects, mainly supporting in dissemination tasks.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.