EIPOD4 is an international postdoctoral fellowship programme embedded in EMBL’s interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment. It addresses the need to support diverse and flexible career paths in the European life sciences by providing structured, interdisciplinary training and career development opportunities for postdoctoral researchers.
The programme aims to train researchers capable of working across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries while strengthening links between academia, industry, and clinical research. Fellows are recruited through a transparent, merit-based, globally competitive process. Across three calls, 61 postdoctoral researchers of 26 nationalities were recruited, demonstrating strong international reach and diversity.
Fellows are appointed on three-year contracts and develop self-designed interdisciplinary projects involving at least two EMBL groups, often across different sites. Many projects include external partners from academia, industry, clinical institutions, or museums, promoting cross-sector collaboration and knowledge exchange. The programme offers three career tracks—Academic, Industry, and Clinical—supporting diverse career trajectories.
A key objective is to combine research with structured career development and transferable skills training. Fellows receive training in open and responsible science, data management and FAIR principles, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, gender and diversity, and career development. Public engagement training is delivered with the Natural History Museum in London.
Additional support includes individual career development plans, mentoring schemes, access to EMBL’s Fellows Career Service, a career secondment scheme, and the EIPODs Inspire mentoring initiative, which develops leadership skills through supervision of Master’s students.
The programme has been fully implemented, including recruitment, training, and reporting activities. It has delivered a highly trained, interdisciplinary and internationally diverse cohort of researchers.
EIPOD4 fellows have produced 56 publications (including 30 first-author papers) and as well as other research outputs. Nearly half have already transitioned to subsequent positions, mainly in Europe, across academia, industry R&D, and related sectors.
EIPOD4 has successfully achieved its objectives by delivering interdisciplinary research training, strengthening cross-sector collaboration, and enhancing career flexibility. It has contributed to increased researcher mobility and broadened career opportunities within and beyond academia.
