The Experientia Foundation has announced the 15th edition of its scholarship competition for young scientists up to the age of 35 years of age who have completed or are about to complete their PhD studies and have their own original project in the field of organic, bioorganic or medicinal chemistry. The scholarship is intended for a postdoctoral fellowship at a university abroad. The deadline for submitting applications is 15 February 2027.
The Experientia Foundation supports up to two young scientists each year who wish to spend a year at a foreign research institution working on their own research project. The scholarship covers travel and living expenses associated with the placement. Since the programme’s inception, 27 chemists have travelled abroad for internships with the Foundation’s support.
Young scientists may apply for the scholarship if they:
- are aged 35 or under on the closing date,
- have completed a Ph.D. or are in their final year of study,
- whose research focuses on organic, bioorganic or medicinal chemistry or related disciplines,
- are Czech or Slovak Ph.D. graduates from a Czech university. The Foundation may grant an exception to other graduates of Czech universities on the basis of an individual assessment.
The age limit is extended by 1.5 years for each child for whom the applicant has provided care, and further by the duration of any verifiable long-term illness.
The Foundation supports placements lasting up to 12 months. The grant is not a fixed amount. The amount is based on an itemised budget drawn up by the applicant in accordance with the necessary living costs recommended by the host institution. The grant may be drawn in CZK, EUR or USD and is paid in four instalments.
Applications must be submitted in English and must include:
- a description of the research project of between 3 and 4 standard pages,
- an itemised budget,
- a structured CV, including details of your undergraduate thesis and doctoral thesis,
- the contact details of the host at the overseas institution,
- a letter of invitation from the overseas institution stating the expected start date of the placement.
The application must also include a letter of recommendation from the PhD supervisor, which the supervisor must send to the Foundation directly. The Foundation recommends consulting the initial project proposal in advance by email.
Online meeting for prospective applicants
The Experientia Foundation is organising an online meeting on Wednesday 25 November 2026 from 10.30 am for those interested in overseas placements and start-up grants. Representatives of the foundation and programme scholarship holders will speak at the meeting. Václav Chmela, who travelled to the University of Chicago in 2025 and now works at Masaryk University, will share his experiences. Also speaking will be Athanasios Markos, a holder of a start-up grant for the years 2025–2027, who is establishing his own research group at Palacký University in Olomouc. The meeting will take place via Google Meet. Those interested in receiving an invitation can request one by emailing experientia@experientia.cz.
The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to 15 February 2027, starting from this year’s edition. You can send your applications to experientia@experientia.cz.
Useful documents
Experientia – International placements
The Foundation’s rules for internships abroad
Source: Experientia