Funding Instruments

The IAS – Luxembourg will achieve its missions through four strategic funding instruments:

Distinguished

Description: The aim of the instrument Distinguished is to enable and encourage UL research groups to engage with distinguished international scientists, but also individuals from a wider public, including policy makers, and representatives of the arts, the government or the industry. Distinguished fellows strengthen UL’s activities and reinforce the development of new ideas in research and innovation, teaching approaches and in addressing global challenges, thereby enriching Luxembourg’s academic and intellectual environment. In order to ensure that a wide cross-section of the University community and Luxembourg society benefits from the impact of the visit, IAS Visiting Fellows take part in activities such as: (i) conducting interdisciplinary research, including the preparation of research projects and proposals with UL members (ii) training events targeted at early career scholars, (iii) public events to engage society, together with the UL community and other IAS visiting fellows, (iv) and, where appropriate, in teaching activities.

Selection principles: Applicants to the Distinguished fellowship are assessed by the Scientific Council. The duration of stay ranges between a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum of 3 months. The selection is based on the quality of the applicant and their fit with the host research group at UL.

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Audacity

Description: The aim of the instrument Audacity is to enable audacious interdisciplinary research, breaking the barriers between scientific disciplines and sectors, and fostering increased collaboration at UL. The projects are expected to be at the forefront of science and to have a distinctly bold and audacious character with a high element of risk. The projects can act as preliminary studies, thereby enabling and reinforcing later submissions to external funders such as the FNR, Horizon Europe, ERC, ESA etc. Securing such follow-up funding is considered as a success measure of the Audacity instrument.

Selection principles: The IAS launches an annual call for projects with a maximum lifespan of 4 years. The Scientific Council of the IAS selects the project proposals after oral presentations by the applicants. The selection criteria are the excellence, audacious character and interdisciplinarity of the submitted projects. Principal Investigators having been granted an IAS Audacity project are not eligible to submit a new project for the following year (1 year) following their grant acquisition.

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Young Academics

Description: The instrument Young Academics aims to attract outstanding PhD candidates and post-doctoral researchers, who wish to conduct their interdisciplinary research in a consortium, bringing together distinct UL departments (faculties), research groups (ICs), or entities. Their interdisciplinary project is supervised by two academic staff members holding thesis supervision rights (ADR). This instrument contributes to positioning UL as the place to be for interdisciplinary research, and as an attractive employer with appealing working conditions. For their career development, the selected Young Academics will benefit from schemes such as the University of Luxembourg Leadership Academy (ULLA), a catalogue of interdisciplinary and short courses and lectures in transversal skills.

Selection principles: Applicants to Young Academics are selected by the Scientific Council of the IAS. The selection criteria are the excellence of the candidate and the quality of an interdisciplinary project.

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Brainstorm

Description: The IAS supports small-size brainstorm meetings (minimum 5 and maximum 15 people all together incl. Coord-PIs), which are considered as the ideal forum for exchanges on emerging research fields, often covering more than one discipline or sector. These workshops, organised by a member of the UL or an IAS – Luxembourg Distinguished Visiting Fellow, are expected to bring together a select group of international and UL scientists, to discuss the latest pre-publication research and innovation at the edge of the concerned field. Targeted participants include international experts, UL researchers including UL doctoral or post-doctoral researchers and Young Academics from the IAS. Junior participants will gain a new understanding of emerging fields through dialogue with more senior experts. The Brainstorm workshops are expected to lead to new research projects, initiatives, networks or short position/white papers published internationally, further increasing UL’s visibility.

Selection principles: Applications to the Brainstorm workshops are assessed by the Scientific Council. The selection is based on the quality of the Brainstorm idea, the international recognition of the participants, and the potential to lead to new ideas and initiates.

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These four instruments form the core of research funding of the IAS. They can be used individually or, where appropriate and with a well-argued case, in a combined fashion.

Activity overview

Fellowship & affiliation

Fellowship policy

The Institute for Advanced Studies of the University of Luxembourg fosters top-level research by sponsoring and recruiting talented fellows through its various funding instruments:

• Doctoral Fellows: The Young Academics Doctoral Fellows IAS (YADIAS) Programme (HORIZON-MSCA-COFUND) at the University of Luxembourg supports early-stage researchers in advancing interdisciplinary and intersectoral research. The programme offers 15 doctoral fellowships of 48 months each to international talents who wish to design and carry out their own research projects through a bottom-up approach. Open to all disciplines and sectors, YADIAS promotes interdisciplinarity across the University and reflects Uni.lu’s commitment to addressing complex global challenges through international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral collaboration. The programme is embedded within the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS). In 2027, YADIAS will welcome 15 doctoral fellows, each benefiting from an individual 48-month fellowship to pursue their research and develop their academic careers. Visit the dedicated website.
• Postdoctoral Fellows: The Young International Academics (YIA) Postdoctoral Programme is a career development initiative hosted by the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) at the University of Luxembourg, co-funded through an MSCA COFUND grant. It aims to support early-career postdoctoral researchers in developing and advancing interdisciplinary research.
• YIA fellows are international talents holding a recent doctoral degree who propose and carry out their own interdisciplinary research projects through a bottom-up approach. In 2024, the programme welcomed 10 postdoctoral fellows, each awarded an individual fellowship of 36 months. Visit the dedicated website.
• Senior Fellows: The Distinguished Programme aims to strengthen the University of Luxembourg’s research and teaching activities and to foster the development of new ideas in research and innovation, as well as approaches to addressing global challenges. It contributes to enriching Luxembourg’s academic and intellectual environment. Funding may be requested for visits of a minimum duration of 2 weeks and a maximum of 3 months. See Visiting Fellows.

Affiliation

PIs and anyone employed on an IAS funded project shall name the IAS as their secondary affiliation (in addition to their primary Uni.lu department or research unit affiliation) on any publications and other scientific outputs accruing from an IAS funded project.

Address to be used:
Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg